Corporate Crisis Management Blog

In our fast-moving, technology-driven age, digital crises can hit at any time. And when they do, they spread quickly, traveling through social media and online news sites more rapidly than ever before. When something goes wrong at your organization, millions of people could hear about it within a matter of minutes. It’s no wonder there is more of a focus on digital crisis management with every passing year.

Why Airlines Need to Invest in Their Crisis Planning

It seemed to begin with United Airlines and Dr Dao in April.

Since then, not a month goes by without social media broadcasting another video, captured by passengers, apparently showing airline employees mistreating someone on a plane.

In this series of blogs, we are looking at industries which have the most reasons to make crisis planning a budget priority for 2018. And airlines are right up there with the industry in our first blog on this theme, financial services.

Today, there is no denying that reputation management is inextricably linked to social media presence. On a typical day, sites like Twitter and Facebook can be extremely useful for getting your name out there, fostering good will, and providing timely customer service. But the power of social media is a two-way street: Its ability to reach huge numbers of people and readily share information also makes it the perfect place for digital crises to take hold.

Why Financial Services Companies Should be Crisis Planning Right Now

Equifax and Wells Fargo both appeared before Congress in early October to be grilled by aggressive policy makers about the what, why and how of their respective crises.

In this series of blogs, we are looking at industries which have the most reasons to make crisis planning a priority for 2018.

The Equifax and Wells Fargo stories illustrate perfectly why financial services companies are near the top of the list.

The job of an EHS professional is never-ending, as you are continually challenged to stay ahead of new and evolving threats and keep safety top of mind throughout your organization. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for employees to become apathetic about safety or to feel pressured to prioritize other responsibilities.

It’s the challenge that all those involved in crisis planning faces regularly.

Everyone agrees that the organization needs a new crisis plan. New issues and threats are emerging. Times have changed – social media and technology drive crises at digital speed.

Then it gets to tough decisions on what goes into next year’s budget. The crisis planning initiative is dropped with a promise that it will be a priority ‘next year’.

Sometimes it seems that everywhere you turn, someone is pushing “life hacks” for every aspect of technology. Such clever shortcuts can, in theory, help you do everything from boost your WiFi signal with a soda can to charge your smartphone with a nine-volt battery. But can the idea of these types of time-saving hacks be applied to crisis communication?

Everyone in your organization agrees. These are uncertain times when an issue becomes a crisis in the blink of an eye, driven by social media and a world where every incident is captured on someone’s cell phone.

The organization needs a new crisis plan. One that enables the organization to respond to threats at digital speed.

But then the budget process begins.

When it comes to risk management, the U.S. Army has plenty of lessons to offer.

With more than 1 million soldiers, plus support staff, spread across the U.S. and throughout the world, the sheer scale of risk management for the Army is mind-boggling. Add to that the number and variety of hazards that face the agency, and you start to understand why effective risk management is a top priority for Army leadership.