Get Started Before It's An Issue - Crisis Prevention

It is never a question of if a crisis will occur, but when. This phrase is a cornerstone of crisis communication and has proven time and again to be true. It doesn't matter if you are a Fortune 500 cooperation, a non-profit organization, or the local "Mom and Pop" store, the reality is eventually, your company will face some degree of a crisis.

A crisis is any situation that may effect a company's image, reputation, or integrity and must be dealt with quickly. The best way to deal with whatever crisis may come your way is to prevent it. By developing a strategic approach to crisis prevention, a company can ensure that the come out of the situation in the best way possible.

Most crises have clear warning signals, and by researching and understanding the potential threats to your organization, you should be able to deal with a crisis quickly and effectively. In my previous post I discussed how fashion powerhouse Marc Jacobs could face a crisis caused by either internal and external factors. If left alone, many of these factors I mentioned such as the failing economy and selling of counterfeit Jacobs goods, could potentially turn into crises for the company.

Because Marc Jacobs is such a well-known and sought after fashion line, it is important for the company to have a strong crisis prevention plan in place. The need for crisis prevention was clear when the Marc Jacobs name was dragged through the mud in a 2008 bribery scandal. While it was not reported that the company knew about the use of bribes to attain the Armory for their show during the 2008 New York Fashion Week (the space was booked through an outside agency), they received a lot of bad press on the issue. Even after the news broke, Jacobs did not issue any statements and refused to comment when asked about it. Had Marc Jacobs assesed the potential risks to allowing a different agency to book their venue, they may have avioded being involved in the scandal at all.