I was involved with a client that did all the right things, but the perception of that company and how it managed the crisis was shaped in the first 24 hours. During that critical time period, they were defensive. They alleged that an investigation against the company was politically motivated. They used an outside attorney to be their spokesperson as opposed to speaking on their behalf and for all the good that the company did following that first 24 hours, its reputation was already damaged and the perception of how it handled that crisis was framed by what was done and said in the first 24 hours. RULE TEN Begin your crisis management program right now by doing the things you need to do to build your reputational assets.
Corporate reputation does matter in a time of crisis.
With more than 20 years experience as a communications professional, he has counseled numerous corporate clients on many issues, including crisis communications, mergers and acquisitions, employee communications, and labor relations.