“Reimagining Crisis Communications” white paper, digital crisis planning toolkit and other insights provide communicators with new tools to effectively respond to critical incidents including coronavirus
FALLS CHURCH, VA -- (March 27, 2020) Pinkston Institute today released “Reimagining Crisis Communications,” a new white paper examining the evolution of crisis communications principles, along with several other free digital resources designed to help professional communicators effectively engage with key audiences amid the coronavirus pandemic and other critical incidents.
“As the global outbreak of coronavirus continues to evolve, companies of all shapes and sizes face a crisis unlike any they have faced before,” Pinkston partner and founder Christian Pinkston writes in the introduction. “Unlike most crises which affect a single company -- or, at most, an industry -- the ripple effects of social distancing, work-from-home mandates and other restrictions and reactions to the outbreak are upending economies around the world, creating an existential threat to almost every company.
“In spite of how different coronavirus is compared to any other crisis, numerous similarities remain. No matter the circumstances, companies in the midst of a crisis need to communicate with employees, customers, shareholders and other audiences in a way that demonstrates strength, resilience and compassion. Having to do so in the heat of the moment puts unnecessary pressure on communicators and other leaders, heightening the risk of missteps that could create lasting damage. One lesson for communicators to take from the coronavirus crisis is the need to plan for crises before they happen.”
Among the resources Pinkston Institute is making available at no cost are:
- “Reimagining Crisis Communications,” a new Pinkston Institute white paper examining five common myths related to crisis communications
- A free, editable crisis communications plan companies, nonprofit organizations and others can use as a starting point to develop their own response plans
- Insights from Pinkston partners Christian Pinkston and David W. Fouse on communicating amid the coronavirus crisis.
“Fundamental changes in the news and social media landscapes in recent years have upended many of the traditional principles of crisis communications,” said Pinkston partner Sean McCabe. “These changes have made critical incident response more complicated and have intensified the need for communicators to be able to quickly identify and respond to emerging crises. Letting go of the old ways of doing business and embracing this new reality is the first step to effective crisis management.”
“Coronavirus represents an unprecedented challenge, but in the midst of it we are also seeing unprecedented collaboration among organizations that might typically view each other as competitors,” said Pinkston partner David Fouse. “Our hope is that by sharing insights informed by more than 85 years of combined experience in strategic communications we can help other communicators overcome this unique challenge and be better prepared for whatever comes next.”
About Pinkston
Founded in 2001, Pinkston was launched with the goal of creating a new kind of public relations firm with the flexibility and ingenuity to provide individualized solutions for clients in a wide range of industries. Pinkston provides smarter, more strategic public relations services that are focused on positioning individuals, companies and nonprofits as leaders in their fields.
About Pinkston Institute
Founded in 2019, Pinkston Institute conducts and publishes original research on public relations topics geared toward industry leaders as well as public and private companies and nonprofits. The Institute studies the dynamic nature of public relations in the modern media era and how executives, scholars and others can take advantage of new tools and strategies to position themselves as leaders in their fields.