The Challenge: A well-known regional pest-control company realized it would be hard-pressed to respond quickly and effectively if there were an accident with one of its chemical-carrying vehicles, or if somehow the company were connected to an illness or outbreak that had no connection to the its products or services. The reality was that it would not take much to damage a valuable brand.
The Strategy: Crisis management for the company came in two distinct parts. The first was conceiving a plan to cover a number of potential crises. The second was executing that plan in the heated atmosphere of a crisis. CMC helped company leaders identify the scenarios that could have the biggest negative impact on the brand. We then drafted scenarios, talking points, sample press releases, social media posts and supporting materials. Contact information, messaging, talking points and other materials for each scenario were assembled in a “Crisis Briefing Book,” which CMC helps the company update annually. The idea is to be ready when a crisis hits with approved messages, talking points and more. We prepared the company to report quickly on actions already taken. We assembled data that would be useful in crisis, such as the nature of the chemicals carried on company trucks. We prepared them to talk to team members, the community, the industry and the media.
The Outcome: For more than five years, the company has continually updated its crisis briefing book to reflect new scenarios and changing business realities. While CMC has been called on to assist with managing minor crisis situations, in many cases company executives are able to handle incidents with guidance from the crisis briefing book.