Crisis communications

When something goes wrong, how you communicate can have a lasting impact on your organisation’s reputation.

Black Vanilla helps organisations prepare for, respond to and communicate through challenging situations with clarity and confidence.

From crisis communications planning and scenario preparation to media handling, stakeholder communications and live crisis support, our experienced PR team can help you understand what needs to be said, who needs to hear it and how to communicate when the pressure is on.

We can support you before a crisis happens or work alongside your team when an issue requires an immediate response.

CRISIS PREPARATION | MEDIA & STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION | LIVE ISSUES SUPPORT

Our crisis communications services

The best time to prepare for a crisis is before one happens.

We help organisations identify potential communications risks and put practical plans in place so people know what to do when circumstances change quickly.

This can include risk mapping and scoring, scenario planning, identifying crisis triggers and escalation points, stakeholder mapping, key message development and communications planning. These are all elements of Black Vanilla’s existing crisis communications approach.

Media attention can develop quickly during a crisis, particularly when information is already circulating online.

We can manage media enquiries, provide press office support, help prepare spokespeople and advise on how and when your organisation should respond publicly.

Our media training can also prepare senior leaders and spokespeople for print, online, radio and television interviews, including practical interview exercises and feedback.

In a crisis, people want clear, timely and reliable information.

We help organisations develop key messages and prepare communications for employees, customers, media, regulators and other stakeholders.

Our support can include holding statements, press releases, Q&As, FAQs, speeches, website updates and social media messaging, helping your organisation communicate consistently across different audiences and channels.

Social media can accelerate a developing issue within minutes.

We can help monitor online conversations, identify emerging concerns and develop appropriate responses across your organisation’s social channels.

By coordinating social media activity with wider media and stakeholder communications, we can help ensure messages remain accurate, timely and consistent. Black Vanilla’s crisis offer already includes social media strategy, monitoring and management.

A written plan is valuable, but knowing how your team will respond under pressure is even more important.

We provide crisis communications training and simulation exercises that give teams an opportunity to test plans, practise decision-making and understand their individual responsibilities before facing a real situation.

Black Vanilla’s existing crisis training offer includes realistic simulation exercises designed to recreate the pace and pressure of a developing crisis. You can see more information on our training programmes here.

Not every reputational challenge is a crisis.

Issues management focuses on recognising and addressing potential problems before they escalate. Black Vanilla distinguishes this from crisis communications and advises organisations on strategies designed to mitigate emerging issues.

We can help identify reputational risks, understand stakeholder concerns and develop communications that allow your organisation to respond early and constructively.

Why choose Black Vanilla for crisis communications?

Preparation as well as response

We don’t only support organisations once a crisis has begun.

Risk mapping, scenario planning, stakeholder mapping, messaging and training can help organisations build preparedness before an incident occurs.

Specialist crisis communications expertise

In a crisis, effective communications support does not need to be highly visible to make a difference.

Our team brings specialist crisis communications experience, working closely with leadership and internal teams behind the scenes to provide calm, practical advice, shape messaging and support decision-making when the pressure is on.

Internal and external communications

Employees can be among the most important audiences during a crisis.

Our wider internal communications expertise means we can consider what employees need to know alongside communications for customers, media and other external stakeholders. Black Vanilla’s existing guidance stresses that staff communication is integral to protecting reputation during a crisis.

Local knowledge, wider experience

We work with organisations across Guernsey, Jersey and the UK and understand the importance of communicating appropriately to local communities, media, regulators and wider stakeholders.

Get in touch

Whether you want to prepare your organisation before a crisis occurs, test an existing plan or need communications support during a developing situation, our team can help.

Get in touch with our team here.