Managing a Crisis Using Public Relations Essay -- Business Management

Managing a Crisis Using Public Relations Handling Public Relations for any organization can be a very difficult task in any circumstance - even under simple, non-crisis situations. When a crisis strikes, that's when PR managers really have their work cut out for them. A PR manager must always be prepared for the inevitable crisis to happen because that is when their jobs are really tested by the public and the organization. American Wattage Corporation was planning to launch 'Greenergy' by Green Energy which focuses on creating a better solution to energy than electricity by using wind energy. My job as the PR manager was to formulate strategies to manage a crisis and make the most effective use of PR tools to communicate with all the publics. In this paper, I will give a summary of the simulation and how I handled the different tasks that were given to me as well as go into detail on how crisis management should really be handled. As the PR manager of Green Energy, my first task was to determine how to allocate my budget of $1 million to formulate a PR plan that would encompass all relevant aspects of corporate communications. I chose several ways in which to spend the budget allowed for PR ? I spread them out in four different categories: research team setup plan, media relations plan, marketing and PR advertising plan, and crisis management and communication plan. My second task was to handle a crisis that injured people because of our equipment. What message did the company want to communicate about the crisis to the public? Prior to reading week 4?s text, I chose that we would say ?No comment? because I thought it would be better to gather all the facts first then go to the public with the information. I will explain later in the paper why I should not have chosen that route. My third task was deciding on whether to come clean about what really happened on how those people were injured by the equipment. I decided to use great publicity choosing to do a major communication exercise and come completely clean which was the correct choice because that act alone could help restore credibility for the company. Handling a crisis can be very difficult for a company ? but what exactly qualifies as a crisis? According to Seitel (2004), a crisis is a ?situation that has reached a critical phase for which dramatic and e... ...004). The most effective crisis communicators are those who provide prompt, frank, and full information to the media in the ?eye of the storm? (Seitel, 2004). Silence not only angers the media but also compounds the problem. The quick rule to effective public relations communication is to ?tell it all and tell it fast? (Seitel, 2004). When information gets out quickly, this stops or minimizes rumors and nerves are calmed. The basic goals of crisis management are: 1) terminate the crisis quickly, 2) limit the damage, and 3) restore credibility. Following these goals will ensure a successful public relations plan for any organization. Crisis management definitely needs to be addressed in any organization ? although it is usually not a fun role for the public relations manager. However, if the appropriate steps are taken on how to handle crises, this will ensure the public that the organization can still be trusted no matter the situation. In the end, that really is the ultimate goal ? to be sure credibility is restored in the organization. References Seitel, F. (2004). The Practice of Public Relations, (Ninth Edition). Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ.