Month: March 2020

Investing in good public relations will do more for your brand than marketing alone and when your business is facing a crisis it is invaluable.

Coronavirus 19 is that crisis and if you haven’t already taken steps to manage your communications here are some steps that you will want to put in place – now!

Step up to crisis communications

1. Be prepared – Set up a crisis team that can communicate remotely to gather facts and information, ensuring a chain of command and spokesperson
2. Messaging – This is what your brand is about, provide honest relevant facts and information, empathise and engage with your audience
3. Communicate – Make sure your staff know the communication plan and facts, share relevant facts and information with stakeholders, share with media as needed
4. Understanding media flow – Monitor all media & information, double check facts and information before preparing any statements
5. Deliverables – Prepare a statement and news release, choose channels and content as appropriate
6. Adapt – Review your plan to ensure you are able to adapt to changes.

2020 brings the blessing of an extra day this month but, really, I could do with an extra 30, which is why I’m writing my February blog in retrospect!

The reason – CREST20 (Corporate Responsibility for the Environment and a Sustainable Tomorrow 2020) Sustainable Business Awards, the exciting proposal I introduced to the @Woking_NewsMail around April last year. It not only captured the newspaper’s imagination and excitement, but has been widely received with enthusiasm. Most importantly, seeing the value of the venture, we have received the wholehearted support and collaboration from the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and #Sustainability, one of the UK’s internationally-acclaimed centre of academic excellence on sustainable development.

So, often withNews & Mail MD Terry Tidbury, the focus of the month has been gathering sponsorship and support.

On 4 February it took us to a fascinating symposium on sustainable business, organised by @SurreyHillsAONB with our awards partners @CES_Surrey . As a trademarked member of this group of rural businesses I touched base with a number of familiar faces and gave us the chance to share news on the awards.

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In a whistle-stop round of meetings, the month brought sponsors: #SurreyCountyCouncil as Headline Sponsor, #ChambersRecycling as Sustainable Hero Sponsor, #PlanetWoking for Transforming Food and #WilliamLaceyGroup as sponsor for Sustainability Impact Award.