Crisis

To stay competitive in our networked world, organisations race to keep up with digital developments and embrace innovation.

With the disparate conditions that surround and influence Asia-Pacific coporate communications, summarising the  state of crisis communications in this region in a single article is a daunting task.

Flight MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur on March 8 2014 for Beijing, China. Approximately two hours into the flight, all contact with the aircraft was lost and the start of the most intense search in aviation history began.

To get first-hand insights into the challenges of trust communications, we turned to members of the European Association of Communication Directors working in the crisis-prone fields of media, pharma, politics and the auto industry.

There are crises and then there are reputation train wrecks.

There is little doubt that, when it comes to public relations, the vast majority of the public receives the message that the field is about managing crisis.

Visuals play an important role in defining a given event as a crisis. For example, images influence how people interpret, experience and project meaning onto a crisis. Images can also mitigate or deepen a crisis, and even cause new ones.

Recent terrorist attacks around the world – including Paris, Beirut and Metrojet Flight 9268 –  were marked not only by their cruelty but also the use of social media before, during and after the attacks.

Last month the UK media was gripped by stories of an organisation in crisis. Kids Company was a charity founded in London in 1996 by Camila Batmanghelidjh, which gave financial and other help to troubled children.

Russia is an important case study for crisis communications specialists, facing challenges in areas ranging from politics to corporate scandals.