In construction, crises can and will happen. It’s inevitable, but the good news is that a construction public relations team can have you prepared with a crisis plan.
Let’s say you’re in the middle of a build and realize that the footers have been dug incorrectly, or that the foundation has not been enforced. Naturally, you delay construction to fix the problem. However, someone in your crew leaks out that you are making big mistakes early in your build.
What do you do next?
A fired employee gets on social media and drags your construction company with false allegations and tries to tarnish your brand.
What do you do next?
These are a couple of examples of why you should have a construction public relations team like Ripley PR help develop a crisis plan for your brand. Here are a few steps you should take to be prepared. 
What is a crisis? – One company’s crisis is not another company’s crisis. You need to define what is a crisis for your construction team. Creating a list like the examples above can help you know what needs a response and what should just be monitored. With that being said, don’t ignore small fires either, as we all know with life experience, several small issues can add up to one big problem.
Identifiable Roles – Make sure that everyone on your team has an identifiable role for what to do in a crisis. Who is your speaker? Who is writing the statement? Who is fielding calls?
You don’t want your new team member who hasn’t spoken to media before to take an important phone call from an investigative journalist.
Candace Parker isn’t one of the greatest athletes of all-time overnight, but she ran drills. Don’t be afraid to put your team through situational drills to be prepared if a crisis comes.
Statement – After you’ve identified your roles, whether it be someone in your office or a construction public relations team like Ripley PR, have them go ahead and prepare some statements to be ready to send to the media and social media. Have a concise press release ready to go. Is yours ready?
Having a crisis plan is like your insurance, hopefully you never have to use it, but you’ll be thankful you have it when that time comes. If you’re interested in learning more in-depth on how construction public relations can prepare your construction business for a crisis, contact us before it’s too late.
