Managing A Crisis Essay

Managing a crisis is one of the main functions of the public relations profession.   The Public relations goal in an organization is to communicate with publics about a crisis situation, reducing speculations in a calm and focused manner.   In this paper the role of a PR manager will be played by the writer.   The job of the PR manager is to use PR strategies and to proactively solve problems at Greenergy a division of American Wattage Company.   This company based in San Francisco, California generates and distributes green electricity.   Greenergy has set up a wind farm in Altamont, California and an accident has occurred which calls for crisis management.   This paper will give a summary of the simulation and answer questions regarding the management of the crisis.
The first task in the simulation is to determine the allocation of a $1 million budget and to formulate a marketing plan to encompass all relevant aspects of PR.   The PR manager’s first choice is to implement the Research Team Setup plan which will include setting up a system for polls and surveys.   The Media Relations Plan is the second choice and this includes the Media communication tool.   The final option is the Crisis Management and Communication Plan and this plan includes Environmental Conservation Activities, a Fact Finding Team and the implementation of a Crisis Communication Process.
What does proactive planning mean?
PR professionals anticipate and prepare for crisis situations by identifying threats and opportunities.   Proactive planning involves the implementation of a mapped out process for managing a threat to a company’s image.   All teams and plans necessary for an effective strategy are in place.   These teams and plans include a Research Team that gathers information through surveying to identify issues, a media relation plan that builds media relations and a crisis management plan that outlines a course of action in managing a crisis.   These ongoing measure and implementation displays...