Stay Strong & Soldier On: Tips for Communicating Through Crisis

Considering we work in marketing communication, it’s a bit “preaching to the choir” when I say that humans are social creatures. In terms of learning, sharing and connecting, it’s our greatest strength. However, as the COVID-19 outbreak has proven, it can also be a real vulnerability.

In an effort to contain its spread and protect the most at-risk populations within our community, some changes in how we communicate, engage and serve have had to be made. But, at the end of the day, ZG is here for you.

We’ve compiled some tips to help you communicate to internal and external stakeholders throughout this evolving crisis:

• Communicate clearly, and often. With employees, customers, vendors – keep the communication lines open and make yourself or a resource available to listen to questions or concerns.
• Confer with other people in your network. How are they making decisions and implementing changes for their business to address the situation?
• Take a deep breath. This situation can be overwhelming, but take a moment to slow down and clear your head before making any decisions.
• Check reliable resources daily, like the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and your state’s department of health.
• Share best practices for safety. Communicate recommendations for personal safety, as well as what the business is implementing to ensure others’ safety – cleaning procedures, scheduling changes, etc.

To say that these are strange times filled with uncertainty is an understatement. No organization is immune to the challenges that crisis communication presents. As your strategic partner, here are some ways in which the ZG team can help:

• Be a sounding board as you assess the situation and make decisions for your company and employees.
• Develop or counsel on communications for employees, vendors and/or clients
• Provide support for media outreach – about pending closures, changes or initiatives taken on due to the Coronavirus
• Develop or counsel social media content and policies
• Strategize and plan community outreach and partnerships

If you’d like to talk about how strategic communication can help your organization or learn more about our public relations offerings and capabilities, visit the PR section of our website.