Is this really the only crisis communications guide you’ll ever need? (We sure as hell hope so!)

On March 10th, I had a meeting that would define Albert Communications’ year. At 9:30 a.m. that day, I took my first call about crisis communications regarding COVID-19, And it was far from the last. 

Since that initial conversation with a university considering online classes for a few weeks, we have advised and devised crisis communications strategies for countless clients – nursing homes (don’t ask!), food distributors, software engineers, healthcare providers, and professional services firms, to name a few. 

The trajectory from then to now permanently changed our business. Crisis communications used to be an offering, but it quickly became the offering. 

And so here we are.

I was well-versed in crisis from my newsroom and corporate communications days, but never did I put those skills to use like I did this year. From the first days and weeks of the country shutting down in March, to the slow reopening over the summer, to the uncertainty headed our way now, the most valuable services we’ve provided – and continue to provide – are crisis communications plans, strategies, and messages.  

And not just one message. There are always several, all built on one foundation, because to really be effective, messaging really needs to be tailored for each unique audience.  

Think about it. In the beginning, it was absolutely critical to keep employees informed – and connected – from their homes. And then you also had to fully adapt every service engagement to ensure your valued customers, clients, and partners weren’t in the dark about how they might be impacted. And finally, who can forget the calls from the press! If you were one of the lucky(?) ones, it was a crisis communications bonanza, and you were fielding inquiries, left and right, day and night. 

So, we took what we knew, what we learned, and what we practiced in the “before time,” combined it with what we learned on the fly thanks to 2020, and created “The Only Communications Guide You’ll Ever Need.” Sound a little arrogant? We thought so too, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.  

When we combined our decades of experience in journalism and then corporate board rooms, threw in the (ongoing) global pandemic, the (ongoing) racial unrest, and (ongoing) presidential election angst, we discovered that all crises have the same roots. Everything in this guide was true before COVID, and we just got the chance (ok, who are we kidding, a million chances) to prove it during COVID. 

So take a look, let us know what you think, and mostly, let us know if we can help. We know it’s sick, but we love a good crisis! Someone has to…!