Clear, Concise, and Consistent Crisis Communications for the Coronavirus Pandemic

Hang on to your hats folks, we’re all living through a level 4 crisis.

In any good crisis communications plan, it’s important to note the characteristics of each crisis level 1 through 4, with 4 being the most extreme. This allows you to make quick decisions without the struggle of identifying how drastic your crisis response should be. Naturally, you never want to execute a level 4 crisis response for a level 1 crisis. As they say, “don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.”

So, how do you identify a level 4 crisis? Most notably, anytime the media has an immediate and urgent need for information about the crisis or the CEO may need to provide a statement of empathy or caring, you know you’ve reached level 4, a highly intense crisis.

Even if your event isn’t directly impacted by the crisis, some kind of communication is necessary. Your attendees, exhibitors, vendors, sponsors, and staff are all aware of the crisis situation and the likelihood of them having questions is extremely high. Rule of thumb: if you’ve started marketing your event, it’s never too early to start communicating with your stakeholders during a level 4 crisis.

A good crisis communication plan outlines all the steps that you would take for varying crisis scenarios, however, we’re currently experiencing a level 4 crisis and less than 10% of all events have a crisis communication plan in place. With that in mind, I want to share with you one of the most important components of any plan: Message Mapping.

A message map is tool that assists in keeping your message clear, concise, and consistent.

Step 1: THE MAIN IDEA

Identify the main idea you want to convey to your audience. Keep in mind, that this idea has to be consistently demonstrated throughout all communications.

Example: During the COVID-19 outbreak, your main idea may be “our brand is trustworthy and you can count on us to do what is in the best interest of our stakeholders.”

Step 2: 3 KEY MESSAGES

You always want to have three key messages that support your main idea. Less than three is not enough, and more than four can appear cluttered and complicated. Always remember, these three messages are used to convince your audience to believe the main idea you’re attempting to communicate.

Example: Based on the previous example, your 3 key messages could be “we are monitoring the situation closely,” “we empathize with our stakeholders,” and “we plan to be transparent about our decision-making process.”

Step 3: 3 PROOF POINTS PER KEY MESSAGE

Just as your 3 key messages are used to convince your audience to believe your main idea, you want 3 proof points to act as evidence that your key messages are true. These proof points will be included in your key messages as they go out to your audience.

Example: For the key message “we are monitoring the situation closely,” your proof points could include “here are links to the resources we are using to monitor the situation,” “we have consolidated all major updates to a blog post on our website found here,” and an up to date headline such as “we understand that the world health organization has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic.”

By using a message map, you can communicate clearly, concisely, and consistently to your stakeholders. After your 3 key messages have been communicated, it is important to monitor and respond to any additional concerns from your stakeholders. Just remember to always ask yourself if the message you’re about to communicate conflicts with that main idea established in step 1?


Disclaimer: Although a message map is a useful tool in a crisis, it is a small part of a much larger picture and is not intended to replace a good crisis communication plan. If your organization does not have a crisis communications plan, please contact us at Nifty Method Marketing & Events for assistance in the creation of one.    

Register for Alex Plaxen’s free webinar with MPI (Monday, March 16, 2020): https://academy.mpiweb.org/mpi/live/2648/page/11238


Finding Pockets of Opportunity During Fear and Crisis

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