Communicating in Tough Times: A Strategic Approach

In the rush to respond and put something, anything, out fast, companies often release a series of incomplete, disjointed, or even worse, tone-deaf communications that do more harm than good. Instead, we believe it is important to think through your response strategically with the goal of managing the dialogue with key constituents over the lifespan of the crisis versus through a series of one-off messages. Balancing agility and timeliness with strategic intent will not only make your initial, critical responses more effective, but also help position your business for success longer term. 

The Basics

• Think of communication as a strategy, not a tactic. It is ongoing and the way that you express the values for which your company stands.
• Lead with brand purpose – people don’t want to know what you do but rather what you will do for them. Why do you do what you do and how is that meaningful to your employees and customers?
• Segment the audience like you would in any other campaign. What, when, and how you communicate to employees will differ from the communication to your most valued customers.
• Establish a process – who is responsible for vetting information, from where does the communication come, and how do you insure consistency of message across all communication vehicles.
• Tone is critical; speak with a human voice, be simple, clear, and transparent. Avoid corporate speak and jargon.

Getting Started

Because communication is a strategy and not a single execution, begin by developing a communication protocol, and a good structure to leverage is the “now, near, and next” construct. First determine what is critical information right now. Then, after initial communication, find out what needs to be addressed in the near-term and determine how to keep the information flow effective and helpful, as things unfold.

Finally ascertain what comes next as things settle down. What is the ongoing communication protocol needed and what processes should be put in place to react most effectively in the future?

Here’s how you can accomplish this:

• Who: Identify your key constituencies, which will include some combination of employees, customers, suppliers, and investors.
• What - Identify the type of information each group needs with a focus on the role you can play in helping solve their unique issues and concerns now and in the future. It is important to be clear about what you know and where you still have less than perfect information. 
• When - Determine the frequency of communication required by each group, which will probably vary. Frequent, clear communication to employees and key customers is probably required while other groups like investors or suppliers might require less frequent touches. 
• How - The vehicle for communication will also vary by constituent group. It is important to determine the balance between more personal communication delivered through mediums like video versus vehicles like email or social sharing. Understanding how these methods have worked with various audiences in the past is a good starting point, but then it needs to be balanced against the type of information being presented and its importance to that specific group. 

Each stage is also characterized by a core objective: “Now” is about informing and comforting; “Next” is about business continuity planning; “Near” is about learning and applying. 

• Now - The initial set of communications in a crisis plan should get the right information to the right people. What do people need to know right now, and how can we comfort them while communicating essential information?

The first key constituency to address is employees. Assuring and supporting them while communicating concern for their safety and wellbeing is critical. They also need to know how to conduct themselves, how to keep the business moving forward, and what they should be telling customers, suppliers, and other business partners.

Start with the company narrative, what is your communication sequencing, and how will you deliver the information? Is it an email, is it on the website, is it through social media, or is it a personal one to one call? There are many ways to get messaging out and in most cases you will want to leverage several mediums – the key being everyone must be working off the same script. 

Remember that initially, it’s critical information that you will pass along. It must be simple, direct and delivered with a human voice. It's important to note that you may not have all the facts, and that’s ok. Acknowledge that you are working on solving problems and will continue to update as more information becomes available. Once the critical information has been delivered you will need to start thinking about future communications. 

• Near - As the situation evolves, it is important to maintain a clear communication strategy that is guided by your brand purpose while also proactively evolving the story in line with the market and underlying context. While the “now” phase focuses mainly on supporting, informing and assuring employees and customers and other partners, the “near” phase maintains that posture while beginning to focus more on how you are responding and what is being done to help solve issues for employees and customers while also setting the stage for a time when things begin to move into recovery phase and beyond. 

A clear communication strategy and plan makes it easier to align the organization to drive consistency of messaging and to help stakeholders understand the role they need to play in its effective execution. Focus and consistency of message and effort over time helps to build the brand, solidify relationships with key constituency groups and position the business for success.

• Next - As things stabilize and you begin to move into a more normal cadence of business, communication strategy must also evolve.  This is a time to build on the relationships built with core constituents. Evolve your messaging to more directly focus on the new opportunities. Also catalogue the key learning gained during the challenging time into a blueprint for how to respond if a similar situation presents itself in the future.

By communicating consistently, honestly, and with the best interests of employees and customers in mind, you will have built a new level of trust and connection with your brand that can serve as the foundation for a new leg of growth.  As with the “Now” and “Near” phases, being clear about your intent, the new opportunities, and how you will help meet stakeholder needs is as critical as managing a proactive and consistent communication plan.

Bottom Line 

It is easy to get complacent as the new normal sets in, but over time, a continued focus and investment in a clear and consistent communication strategy will continue to deliver returns in building your brand and brand loyalty. It will fuel growth, surface new opportunities and help prepare and insulate your business from future challenges and curveballs.

We recognize that with COVID-19, these are unprecedented and challenging times, and knowing how to communicate with core audiences can seem daunting.  But by being strategic, using your brand purpose as a guidepost, setting clear communication guidelines, and managing through a Now, Near, and Next approach, businesses can not only successfully navigate through this crisis but also position for longer term success.

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