No brand is safe from a potential crisis. Which is why it’s important for communications teams to focus on proactive planning. While each crisis or issue will need its own approach and response, it’s good to review a few tips that public relations practitioners consider when preparing for potential crisis situations.
Four media training tips
Strategize a game plan that will help your organization:
- Maintain control by asserting the company agenda in interviews.
- Portray confidence by being enthusiastic and an open participant in the interview.
- Demonstrate credibility with supporting information so the audience truly believes the message.
Choose a spokesperson:
- Identify one person or a (small) team of experts who will be the public face for the company in all media interviews.
- Your spokesperson(s) become the message, so they need to think about how they look and sound as well as the way they convey information to the audience.
Prepare for media inquiries:
- Create key message points that address important facts, thoughts and ideas your company would like the audience to remember.
- Determine your company goals for the media interviews and make sure to only provide information that support those goals.
- Anticipate any questions and or issues that might come up. If there might be a negative angle, make sure to practice the response that will address the issue and showcase how your organization is addressing it.
Remember the key techniques to use in interviews:
- Block and bridge to avoid unwelcome or unproductive questions and then transition to an area that fits your key message.
- Practice strategic interruption that will refocus a reporter so the spokesperson can link back to the key messages.
- Headline structuring can organize an interview as the spokesperson shares the overall message first and then adds supportive details, facts, anecdotes and examples that solidify key points.
To learn more about Maven’s media relations and crisis management services, visit our services page.
Posted In Crisis Communications