Former American Airline comms executive urges the importance of planning for a crisis

On April 14, 2016

Crisis communication plans are an imperative tool in any crisis response. An effective plan can reduce the response times by identifying efficient approval processes, and the most appropriate communication tools and resources. Former corporate communications executive of American Airlines, Andrea Hugely, agrees, stating that she “doesn’t know a C-suite executive out there that will fault [you] for having a plan”.

In an article written by Casey Smith, Hugely highlights the importance for every corporate communications team, whether it be in the for-profit or not-for-profit sector, to develop and implement a communication plan. A well-structured plan, reduces the likelihood of ‘freelancing’ during a crisis, which in eyes of Hugely can be deadly and here at Socom, we tend to agree.
Having a well thought out communications plan, that has been implemented well in advance can be the difference between effectively dealing with a crisis when it arises and creating a whole other crisis through your poor management and ineffective communication.

If you’re unsure whether your comms team could effectively navigate their way through a crisis, why not complete our online crisis communication audit and assess their crisis readiness today.