Crisis management is often said to be a public relations specialty area that is “90% prevention.” And while practitioners hope that crises are few and far between, it is essential to understand how to plan for and react to these events.
Imagine that your team is tasked with helping Amrita to navigate a crisis.
Four customers have become ill after ingesting an Amrita smoothie. A 34-year-old, Lily Howard, and a 37-year-old, Terrance Howard, were hospitalized and have recovered. A 28-year-old, Sara Miller, was hospitalized and is in critical condition at the local ICU. Sara’s five-year-old son, Devin Miller, was also hospitalized. After an initial investigation and information gathering session, it is discovered that some of the spinach used in the smoothies contained E. coli. Several other local restaurants are also dealing with this same crisis. A video on TikTok that shows employees at Amrita laughing and tossing food at one another, and then picking up the food off the floor and tossing it in a blender, has been making its rounds. The audience perception is that the illnesses were caused by poor hygiene practices and not the E.coli. You need to manage the crisis and work on image repair.
Your team releases an initial statement on their social media channels.
Now, it has been 48 hours since your initial statement and your team is ready to release a more in-depth statement via a press release.
You must also imagine three image repair tactics to help with long-term reputation management.
Using the feedback you have received from your first press release, and the knowledge you have of crisis management, write an initial statement, press release, and three image repair tactics with justification for your client, Amrita, helping them to navigate this crisis. Introduce the plan by letting the client know your findings and your plan to move forward. Consider the role that apologies do or do not play in this scenario and why you believe this. Use the attached documents to prepare the press release and the “Amrita Call Sheet” to identify an appropriate response team and spokesperson.
Create a digital presentation that includes the following:
•Introduction (250-500 words)
Initial statement (social media copy length)
•Press release
•Plan to move forward with your three image repair tactics and justification (250-500 words)
•Closing page