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Los Angeles – December 27, 2001 – “Crisis management practices should take a giant leap forward in 2002,” said Jonathan Bernstein, president & CEO of Bernstein Communications, Inc., a national public relations agency specializing in crisis response, issues management and litigation consulting. Bernstein and his top staff
member, former FEMA public affairs executive Phil Cogan, predict that the
impetus of 9-11 will generate the following results in the year ahead: 1. The "Ostrich Syndrome" will be somewhat relieved. By year-end, a higher percentage of American companies will have taken steps to improve their level of crisis preparedness than ever before, but more than 85 percent will still remain unprepared or under-prepared. 2. At least one commercial insurance company
will offer discounts to its customers if they both have a crisis management plan
on paper and also demonstrate its feasibility through at least annual, evaluated
crisis simulations. 3. Company spokespersons will begin to demonstrate what they have learned, from the example set by Rudy Giuliani, about how to communicate effectively during even the worst of crises. 4. More than one American organization will "do a Bridgestone-Firestone," responding to a crisis with denial and obfuscation, putting their own short-term interests ahead of their customers’ concerns. 5. The use of online tools for crisis
prevention and management will expand dramatically. 6. The media will continue to take a hard
look at its role in making crises worse, with some media organizations
establishing new editorial guidelines as a result. 7. "Brick and mortar" crisis
management plans, plans aimed at protecting physical items such as buildings and
inventories, will increasingly acknowledge crisis communications as a plan
component that is essential in order to effectively continue serving customers,
not just to protect reputations. 8. Professional service organizations, such
as law firms, medical doctors and accountants, will increasingly acknowledge the
need to have crisis management plans. 9. Business owners will increase the
frequency and visibility of crisis simulation drills to reassure all their
important stakeholders that they are prepared to respond effectively to sudden
crises. 10. The federal government will stop issuing non-specific terrorism threat warnings as the American public, puzzled by what actions are expected of them, ignores them with alarming frequency. January 2002 Issue |
