Benjamin Franklin stated, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
This statement applies not only to an inventor or diplomat, but to any kind of organization. As a business improvement district, it can be simple to prepare for the next crisis. Read on for a practical overview of considerations and download our white paper to utilize our checklist as a tool to equip your district, should a worst case scenario occur.
If recent years have taught us anything, it’s that being prepared to handle a crisis can never hurt, and can actually make a huge difference in how your district weathers the storm, whatever that storm may be. Crisis communications comes in all shapes and sizes. There is not just one correct way to reach out to your audience once an event has occurred, but having a baseline approach of being proactive, honest and consistent is key. Having a plan will help you jump into any crisis more prepared at the get-go, and enable you to be more responsive to your constituents.
So let’s break it down into manageable steps that could make all the difference for your BID or Special District. When the heat is on, you’ll be prepared for each stage of the process.
Preparing for Crisis
Let’s avoid “If only…” statements when the next crisis, whatever it is, hits. One thing the pandemic, and recent natural disasters have taught us is that planning out and preparing for different scenarios before something happens will allow you and your BID to be set up for success.
First, create a list of potential crises that could occur. Here are some possibilities to stimulate your brainstorming:
- Natural disasters, which can include flooding, mudslides, wildfires or earthquakes, all of which can cause significant damage to physical infrastructure, disrupt operations and affect the safety of employees and patrons.
- Economic downturns, which can result in recessions, market downturns and changes in consumer behavior that can affect the revenue of the district.
- Public health emergencies, which can still continue to add pressure to your district despite years of handling the pandemic.
- Personnel related, including accidents, workplace violence or other unexpected events related to staff or other internal operations.
- Criminal incidents, such as robberies and vandalism, which will not only disrupt day-to-day operations but also affect the safety and well-being of your employees and patrons.
- Other potential threats to the safety or reputation of your BID that may include negative publicity, civil unrest, protests or data breaches.
Once you have a list of potential crises together, designate a Response Team. Choose who does what and make sure everyone knows their roles. Determine all of the steps that need to be taken – from fact finding to posting on social media to budget shifting – and assign each job to a team member.
During the Crisis
KEEP CALM
and
FOLLOW THE PLAN
It is very important to keep calm and follow the crisis communication plan that you have put in place for your district. Follow these steps during your crisis to make sure that you have all your bases covered.
- Activate your Response Team.
- Gather all of the information you can about your crisis, including the cause, extent of damage and any other risks to the public.
- Begin your initial messaging and update that message regularly. Even if you don’t have a lot to report at the start, it’s important to be visible and accessible during a crisis, and send updates often.
- You should be reaching out to both your stakeholders and to the media and the general public. Messaging may include emails, press releases, posting on your website, social media posts and so on. Include a summary of the situation and any of the immediate actions that are being taken.
- Respond to any questions that you have from stakeholders or the public.
- Monitor media coverage to make sure to correct inaccurate or misleading information.
- Coordinate with authorities as necessary.
- Audit your already scheduled content and marketing/advertising messages to make sure they are still relevant and pull if necessary.
Recovering from Crisis
After putting whatever necessary follow up steps in place, take time once the dust has settled to evaluate your responses and tactics. This allows your team to think about what went well and what can be improved upon for next time. Communicate with your stakeholders, which can include any constituents, visitors, customers, employees, vendors or members of the community, about updates on the recovery and any actions being taken moving forward.
Finding the best ways to communicate effectively in times of stress for your district is very important. Follow the outline found in our white paper to target the most effective messaging. Remember that times of crisis are not forever, and remaining true to your voice in the face of adversity can create loyal patrons forever.
If you would like support in strategically putting together your crisis communications plan, contact Mary today at [email protected]