NATIONAL: Managing Communications in a Time of Crisis: Learnings From the Impact of Covid-19

This webinar looks at the anatomy of issues and crisis communications, how they play out and how to handle them, but through the lens of taking the “panic” out of these situations, and in particular, addressing some of the ongoing lessons being learned during the time of global crisis being experienced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first part of the webinar will look at why we should stop using the word “crisis,” but instead focus on reputation management as being the key to all of the work you do — every day. The success of issues management is often correlated to the amount by which your organization has prepared for issues before they arise and how a PR team is able to harness the strength of existing journalist relationships.

The second part will look at how to keep your cool when issues arise, and in doing so how to make sure best practices remain intact and you can steer the ship. Talking from firsthand experience as a lawyer and communications adviser, the webinar will look at how to manage and organize internal and external stakeholders when issues arise.

This will include how to navigate the interplay of stakeholders in issues management, understand the roles different teams play (risk, compliance, legal, C-suite) and communicate outcomes/results effectively back to the board during and after a crisis so they can understand the impact issues have had, and the successes secured by the team.

In particular, the webinar will focus on how businesses and organizations have responded to the Covid-19 outbreak, examining some of the challenges they have faced, and drawing out the key learnings and best practices that have been put in place to help navigate this unprecedented scenario.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Understand the theory and application of the fundamental principles of issues and reputation management for both traditional, digital and social media.
• Learn how preparation makes or breaks good reputation and issues management, and makes working with journalists easier.
• Understand how to take the “panic” out of issues management, and how to effectively manage stakeholders calmly, and ensure best practice remains, rather than going into crisis mode and regretting snap decisions later.
• Understand how to navigate the interplay of stakeholders in issues management, understand the roles different teams play (risk, compliance, legal, C-suite) and communicate outcomes/results effectively back to the board.