The factor that determines how a company will withstand a crisis is its ability to respond to the crisis. The public forgives accidents, but it doesn't forgive a corporation if its response to the public is inadequate. Once a crisis occurs, the company is suddenly a target for the media, who are acting on behalf of the public to find out the answers to the important questions about their own safety. One substantial barrier the company must overcome is the public's perception, because it is a well-known fact in the public relations field that perception is, indeed, reality. This high level of cynicism is important to overcome, for it is how the company is perceived by the public that ultimately will determine the future of the organization.
Time is at a premium during a crisis, so it is essential for companies to plan ahead.
They spell out the who, what, when, where and how the company should deal with the crises. The best plans produce many of the materials necessary ahead of time, including initial official statements, press releases, fact sheets and backgrounders so that the missing information simply must be inserted and the materials are ready to go.