Communicating Amid Crisis
The Importance of Crisis Communication to Organizational Success
By Katherine Andrews
Crisis communication refers to strategies and systems implemented by an organization in anticipation of a crisis. Unexpected events have a way of threatening one’s reputation. Such work requires great planning. In the fast and hyperconnected world of social media, organizations of all types face a plethora of crises, ranging from product recalls to leaderships misconduct. The criticism that Texas State recently received following River Fest shows the importance of always having a crisis communication plan ready.
Texas State’s beloved River Fest returned from an eight-year hiatus on April 11. The free festival open to all Texas State students featured a variety of food and retail stalls as well as a lineup of musical artists headlined by the rapper Tyga. The event initially ran smoothly. At 7 p.m., however, Sewell Park reached its maximum occupancy of 5,000 people, and the festival’s gates were unexpectedly closed.
In the ensuing confusion, The University Star, Texas State’s student-run newspaper, reported that students knocked over gates three separate times to force their way into the event. Texas State Fire Marshall James Fyre witnessed three festival goers being transported away from the scene by EMS. Singer Connor Redden reported that his band Flight by Nothing had to pause their set multiple times because of audience members requiring medical attention.
As the accounts from River Fest demonstrate, even events planned by the biggest and best funded organizations can go wrong in an instant. If Texas State University, the University Police Department and the student organization Students Association for Campus Activities (SACA) had anticipated such crisis situations for River Fest, they would have been better prepared to communicate effectively to resolve these problems. Crowds would have been better controlled and injuries and chaos could have been avoided.
Crisis communication’s primary function is to create safety and protect an organization’s reputation. In the business world, reputation is directly linked to profit, and businesses whose public images suffer can face financial ruin. Even nonprofit organizations need to maintain a positive image to generate sufficient revenue to cover costs and continue operating.
One of the best ways an organization can protect its reputation is by creating contingency plans for all major initiatives or events. Thorough planning before an event takes place allows an organization to take preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of a crisis and to determine the best response if one does occur.
Additionally, crisis communication is important for maintaining an organization’s internal relationships. Employees are an organization’s first line of defense in a crisis. If employees are misled about the situation or excluded from strategic decisions, the organization significantly decreases its chances of recovering from the crisis. Because shareholders represent a significant source of funding, it is also imperative that the organization clearly communicates both the problem and its planned solution to shareholders to prevent panic and a significant decline in the organization’s financial value.
Although crisis communication is geared toward the interests of companies and organizations, it benefits individuals too. When done well, crisis communication gives people the information necessary to make the best choices for themselves. If Texas State University and the University Police Department and SACA had executed crisis communication during River Fest, students would have been empowered to lessen the night’s injuries and chaos. Instead, students were left crowded and confused in the dark.
Katherine Andrews, a member of Bobcat Promotions, is a senior mass communications major from Austin. She also works with Moon Street Media.