​MEDIA STRATEGY DURING A PANDEMIC

​Businesses have expended significant time and capital to create a robust online presence. Now the economy is at a standstill with uncertainty about how and when business will get back to normal or a new normal. During this time, it is critical to evaluate your media strategy and online presence. 
It should go without saying that this is a sensitive time. As much as you want to keep your business operations active, what you say and how you say it could make or break you. Press PAUSE and take time to think about your communications – this is not a time to take advantage of the crisis to improve your bottom line. Some thoughts about media strategy and crisis messaging:

• Be empathetic to your employees, customers, suppliers and customers.
• Offer to be of assistance even if you are struggling – we’re all in this together.
• There’s a lot of “noise” out there so be clear in your communication – say what you mean. It’s a time for clarity, not cleverness.
• Have a plan for the “post-crisis” phase and how you will communicate with your employees and customers.

It can’t be stressed enough that during this unique, shared, universal crisis that everyone is in the same boat. This crisis isn’t just your crisis. The standard “crisis management” rules are a good baseline; however, your media strategy must be aligned with more than protecting the bottom line. It should be forward looking to foster an enduring brand and corporate culture. ​​