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Cadbury Crisis in India
Cadbury Crisis in India
Communication Plan
A good plan, a crisis plan, is a plan with steps. The Inbound PR campaign comes in stages —
attract, convert, close, delight.
1. Have a crisis communication team: Identify the company’s stakeholders. Brief and train the
person. You need to have a list with the people who will be in the crisis communication team.
The spokesperson must be trained on how to handle a crisis and must be able to answer
challenging and specific questions.
2.Different messages for different audiences: Customized messages and approaches are used
for different audiences like customers, employees, media, shareholders, stakeholders,
community. The messages should be clear and easy to understand. You’d have news
announcements for media, announcements and memos for employees, email or meetings with
investors, crisis communication kits for the crisis communication team.
3.Employees are the voice of the company: Employees should not learn about the crisis from
the media. Internal announcements need to happen before media announcements.During a crisis
the employees are a valuable asset because they can be also the voice of the company, they can
be the strongest advocates.
4.Different messages for different audiences: Customized messages and approaches are used
for different audiences like customers, employees, media, shareholders, stakeholders,
community. The messages should be clear and easy to understand. You’d have news
announcements for media, announcements and memos for employees, email or meetings with
investors, crisis communication kits for the crisis communication team.
5.Proper channel: choosing what channels to be part of the crisis management process is also
important.Use one channel for media.Virtual press rooms are a good place to update instantly
journalists — announcements, updates, solutions, information about company’s products and
services, positive outcomes for employees, community, etc. Have one contact only handling
media requests. This way you can control the messages you want to deliver.
6. Press Conferences/ One on One interview: When giving a press conference or having one-
to-one interviews, it is better to have Q&As prepared in advance. This way the spokesperson can
be ready for tough questions. The Q&As list helps the whole management of the company to be
aligned around the same information. The same messages are repeated and shared via different
channels. This builds consistency, openness and shows that your company is not withholding
information.
7.Proactive approach: When working on a crisis communications plan, you must monitor and
identify issues in social media that may become a crisis. In social media, news spreads with the
speed of light and a minor issue might become a major crisis for the company you are working
for.So all these issues should be monitored and acted upon proactively instead of adopting a
reactive approach.
6.Media relations: It is a very important moment during a crisis. All media must be redirected to
the same contact. All media must receive the same information. “No comment” and “off the
record” answers are not allowed. They can work against your company’s image because they
imply you are guilty and you are not taking responsibility.
8. Be honest and transparent: This builds trust.With inbound media relations, you also aim to
build trust between the journalists and your brand or company. Inbound media relations get you
coverage from the content you provide. Journalists find you via the content you have shared on
your own channels. You build trust and show that you are an expert.
9. If you are mistaken, admit it: Be sincere and apologize in time. The more quickly you do so,
the more quickly the communication crisis will be solved. Also, your apology needs to be
genuine, it has to show empathy. Use simple words, without industry jargons and difficult to
understand words and sentences. Always explain what had happened, what you are doing to fix
the problem, what will be all outcomes, how you will take care of all impacted stakeholders like
employees, community, investors. It is important to show actions that you are fixing what have
been damaged.
10.Monitor the behavior of audiences: Monitor media announcements, online behavior and
comments, and social media channels.
11.Be honest and transparent: This builds trust. With inbound media relations, you also aim to
build trust between the journalists and your brand or company. Inbound media relations get you
coverage from the content you provide. Journalists find you via the content you have shared on
your own channels. You build trust and show that you are an expert.
12.Consistency of messages: During a crisis — repeat, repeat and repeat the same messages to
your public.
13.Monitor the behavior of audiences: Monitor media announcements, online behavior and
comments, and social media channels.
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