For those times when an organization seems under attack, Billings lays out the basic questions to ask and master when crafting a strategy to communicate internally and externally and establish control over the narrative. She calls for ensuring everyone in an organization is on the same page and appropriately prepared, explains the basics of media training and salvaging a brand, and explores the many ways that the communications specialist can bring value to their organization. Key tools include a “Crisis Decision Matrix” for organizations to determine if they are actually in a crisis, and Billings proves persuasive when making the case that how an organization behaves ahead of a crisis determines how it emerges from one, noting that “Being transparent and forthcoming with information” before a crisis “will take some of the wind out of your opponents’ sails.”
Billings’s blunt directness and military terminology keeps the guidance clear while modeling the transparent, task-focused language that keep teams on-message. There is no ambiguity in what she considers critical to the mission of protecting an organization's people and the brand. The case studies presented analyze what went wrong and how each could have been handled better.
Takeaway: Clear-eyed, hard-won advice for crafting crisis communication strategies.
Comparable Titles: Sarah Kovoor-Misra’s Crisis Management, Leonard J. Marcus et al.’s You’re It.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
