Vous traversez une crise de communication. Comment unifier votre message sur différents canaux ?

It is often tempting to respond to media inquiries quickly due to the pressure of the situation. I’ve learned that it is more important to get the facts straight prior to responding. Creating a good rapport with the various audiences, including the media is essential. We need to be careful not to give into the pressure. Be honest. I generally tell those seeking information that I’m still gathering the information and once I have the facts, I will share what I can. It also helps to give them a timeframe as to when they will get an update, even if you still have no news. Keep the update as promised and tell them we are still investigating. Doing this builds credibility and confidence in your message when you are able to provide one.

Some key learnings from me: - Establish team with designated crisis leader. At least 1 person, but preferably more, should be mainly (or only) operational. - Start a log book where you log literally every action you take, when and by whom. - Set your main message/s/ together in a bullet point list. Usually there's many aspects you wanna cover so it's not enough with just one message. When you're aligned and 100% happy, use these to craft all other types of content (press release, some, customer letter etc). - Don't forget to eat and drink. - Remember that if media wants your response/comment, and you don't give any - they will call someone else. Own your narrative, take charge. - Keep staff involved and updated.

In a crises situation, you need to have a clear message and supporting messages crafted, as well as a lead communicator who coordinates execution across platforms. You need to control your own narrative to manage the crises.

A communication crisis means a lack of coherence between the company’s mission and a specific public event. In my experience, the worst thing that can happen is trying to resolve a crisis with another inconsistency. That’s why it’s vital to thoroughly review: What channels were affected? What audience was impacted? Who is responsible, and how is the company willing to address the problem?

En situation de crise il est primordial d'organiser la remontée et la centralisation des informations vers la cellule de crise. Les circuits courts et la rapidité des transmissions doivent être privilégiés. La cellule de crise sera alors en mesure d'évaluer l'impact potentiel de la crise et de décider des mesures à mettre en oeuvre.

1. Es importante comprender que una crisis de comunicación tiene varias vertientes que podríamos decir son puntos que duelen en las organizaciones como: mal clima organizacional, falta de flujo, acoso, etc. solo por mencionar y/o ejemplificar, estos puntos de dolor organizacional, son el pretexto mejor usado de manera general, para no atacar el problema causal de ellos, puesto que los puntos antes mencionados son la consecuencia de una mala directriz, mal enfoque de objetivos, malos manejos comerciales etc., es decir algo más grande que hace permisivas las primeras acciones a las que llamamos puntos de dolor.

2. Por lo que la causa raiz, es lo que se debe tener claro y ahí comenzar con el discurso comunicativo, así como con el plan de comunicación en crisis, trabajado en conjunto con las áreas que deban estar involucradas, éste discurso (mensaje) tiene el objetivo de hablar de forma clara, concisa, y si, con una unificación del mensaje a todos los niveles porque para permear la credibilidad debes promulgar la honestidad, sin titubear al hablar de temas complejos, erradicando el radio pasillo, porque no hay mejor manera de hacerlo que con mensajes y acciones homogéneas.

3. Mientras que los canales de comunicación se definen, ahora si acorde al público, ¿por qué acorde?, porque recuerden que no todos usan los mimos canales de comunicación o no tienen el acceso a los mismos canales aun siendo miembros de una misma organización, mientras que el mensaje y acciones siguen siendo las mismas para todos los niveles.

Once you have all the info, you need a simple message that can be adapted to all your platforms. It's a bad idea to have specific and different messages for each channel. You need to control the narrative..

I've always told my teams that "the message is the message is the message." Something straightforward that anyone can easily understand and get behind. Can you tweak it slightly for the needs of certain audiences? Absolutely. But the idea is, one overall narrative, which has been battle-tested and gone through the ringer of opinions and approvals -- rather than multiple bespoke narratives out there, which could potentially confuse your message.

Structuring the message is crucial and should reflect the company’s values. However, it’s equally important to define who will deliver the message and how (video, press release, press conference?). This decision must be strategic, as the goal is to avoid controversy. In many cases, a simple statement may be the solution, but depending on the situation, a skilled spokesperson can help calm the fire that’s already been lit.

La formalisation du message de réponse doit être particulièrement soignée, chaque mot pesé. On peut aussi tester les éléments de langage auprès d'un public interne restreint avant de les diffuser.

A situational expert should never be the first point of contact or provide the initial message. Most crisis are evolving. With your experience in media relations/crisis management you are best to make such statements because you really can’t expand on the details because you won’t have them to share and you can say that honestly. The short initial message will somewhat satisfied the need for immediate information without really saying anything. This approach also gives your experts more time to understand the situation. Failure to communicate until you have much or all of the information could take hours. Please see next section for more information.

Depending on the crisis and your resources it can be easier to just maintain one channel (your website) and use other channels at the most to direct people back there.

La stratégie de communication multicanal suppose d'adapter la forme du message en respectant le style rédactionnel de chaque canal (plus court et direct sur les réseaux sociaux) mais le message central doit rester le même.

I would also turn to allies such as stakeholders, suppliers, partners, and even the company’s own employees. If necessary, making the issue go viral could be a strategic move. Getting others to speak positively about the company can be a powerful approach. Leveraging testimonials or support from trusted partners and influencers can help rebuild the company’s image and reinforce its values during a crisis.

A second message could then clarify the situations with some basic facts about the current situation, and perhaps next steps, along with commitment to provide regular updates as information comes available. Again buying more time while still being transparent. Internally, the crisis specialist should be in regular contact with, preferably sitting right next to, the expert through the entirety of the situation. The specialist can start crafting key messages alongside the expert. It is only once there is a good understanding of the situation, should the expert speak to the it. See more in the next section.

However, spokespersons should already be trained in advance. Proper preparation ensures they can effectively communicate the company’s message, handle tough questions, and maintain consistency during critical moments.

Pour ne pas réagir dans l'urgence, il est indispensable de désigner le porte parole avant la situation de crise et de le former en amont par du média training en imaginant les questions les plus déstabilisantes.

The expert should also be prepared to offer a clear understanding of the situation, next step for a favourable outcome and an approximate timeline to get there. Or offer compassion and empathy if the situation warrants it. One step that often left out is the follow up, communicating next steps are completed. The final step to a crisis is the Recovery phase. This important step that is often skipped is the internal debrief. Internally this would mean documenting lessons learn and updating the over-aching crisis management plan as new tools come available. And, in some cases, making sure staff have not been traumatized, get the rest they need and are healthy prior to getting back into their every day work.

Monitoring the impact is essential. This involves tracking how the message is received, assessing changes in public perception, and evaluating the effectiveness of the response strategy. Continuous feedback helps adjust tactics as needed and ensures that the company's reputation is managed effectively throughout the crisis.