The Crisis Management Agency In Essex That Cares
Finding someone that has your back when the chips are really down can be difficult. It’s one thing to be part of a brand or company’s successes; iit’s quite another to keep rolling with them when things aren’t going their way. This is why it’s so imperative to find a crisis management agency in Essex that actually roots for your brand.
When it feels like every man and his dog is against you, a crisis management agency will balance the objectivity that’s required to limit any potential damage, with the sensitivity and care needed to help your brand through any potentially difficult situations. They balance the professional with the personable.
The team here at VerriBerri, a renowned crisis management agency, wanted to write this blog to explain just why reputation management is such an integral part of any business model.
SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE A CRISIS MANAGEMENT AGENCY IN ESSEX
Whilst it may seem obvious when you’d need a crisis management agency; you need to try and stem any problems before they’ve developed into a full-blown crisis. This level of foresight is harder to come by. Due to the online nature of today’s society, and the tendency of users to jump to instant outrage; your brand must be more alert and vigilant than ever in ensuring that your company’s optics always look good. If not, you may well find yourself in the midst of a crisis.
There are several warning triggers to keep an eye out for to make sure that you’re well prepared.
Firstly, keep an eye on industry news. Often a crisis is borne out of association; if the industry that you’re involved with is receiving a barrage of negative press, then it’s hard not for your brand to be drawn into the crossfire.
Secondly, watch out for customer complaints. On their own, complaints aren’t a drastic issue. If anything, they’re good in keeping you on your toes and giving you a chance to improve your brand. However, if an influencer, for example, starts acting as a megaphone for those kind of customer concerns, then it can quickly become seen as cold, hard fact, and it’s then that long-lasting damage can occur.
Finally, keep in touch with other industry professionals. It’s always worth checking in to see if they know of any storms brewing in order to get a head start on matters.
SERVICES USED TO PREVENT & MANAGE CRISES
B y using a crisis management agency in Essex, your brand will have preventative measures in place. In addition to this there will be implementable procedures should a crisis occur. Preventative measures include strategic planning. This means we can audit stories and references to check for libel, defamation and other negative references that can cause harm. Another key area to explore when looking to stop a crisis from ever occurring is content creation. In the past, if it has been your content that’s damaged you; then it naturally follows that having content created on your behalf is the safest avenue to pursue. A crisis management agency has a specialist team of content creators dedicated to creating quality content. This is protected from every possible angle, which less-friendly parties may look to target.
Another of the key services offered is crisis management training, specifically, media training. As a brand, you’ll be offered crises simulation exercises to better prepare your company. This is in addition to in-house training on how to culture better relationships with media professionals; be that journalists, photographers or editors.
REBUILDING FOLLOWING A CRISIS
A crisis management agency in Essex doesn’t just help your brand through the flashpoint of the crisis, it will stay with your brand through the following months, helping to rebuild it following any more serious damage sustained by the company during the crisis, itself. One of the best ways to rebuild is through honesty. There are few better ways of gaining forgiveness than by being repentant. Releasing a heartfelt genuine statement following a mistake is the first step, then comes the stage of attempting to reinstate trust in your brand.
Finally, don’t feel sorry for yourself following a crisis! Everyone needs a couple of days to lick their wounds, of course, but don’t let it turn into anything more than that. Self-pity doesn’t equate to success, especially in business circles, even more so when a crisis hits.Be visible.
This is, and we can’t stress this enough, incredibly important. Nothing reeks more of truth than someone who hides away. Failure to address the allegations or crisis at hand is one of the worst things you can do. As painful as it can be, you need to be entirely visible at all stages of the crisis, ready to answer questions and concerns at the drop of a hat.
It’s very easy, when in the depths of a brand crisis, to feel that there’s no end in sight. However, the bad times will pass and it’s about having the team and expertise on your side to help ride the waves rather than sink beneath them.
OTHER FACETS OF A CRISIS MANAGEMENT AGENCY
The way that the agency world is going nowadays, means that very few agencies offer solely one service such as crisis management. The more likely scenario is that a crisis management agency in Essex will also offer comprehensive marketing and PR options on top of that. With regards to marketing, an agency can offer social media management, SEO and back-end website analytics, as well as other forms of advertising such as PPC. These are all services used in conjunction with crisis management services, to further minimise the damage caused to your company.
It’s very rare that a business or brand goes through its entire working life without encountering some sort of crisis. Whether it be something small-scale or potentially business-sinking, the best course of action is to utilise a crisis management agency. So, if you’d like to find out more about our marketing, PR and crisis management agency in Essex, then get in touch today! Call us on 01376 386 850.
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