Technology: An Emerging Trend In Crisis Management

Throughout this blog, I have discussed several actual and potential crises that plague corporations. However, it is important to realize that the way a crisis was handled in the past, may not be as effective today. Current trends in society, technology, and the marketplace can have an impact on how a company should manage crises. In this post, I will focus on how changes in technology have created new trends companies adhere to when communicating with their public throughout the crisis.

Internally, the increasing trend of reliance on technology has impacted how companies send messages to their target public. Because so many people have access to the Internet, a company's website is now one of the most important medias used to reach consumers. Looking into the website for Marc Jacobs, the only form of communication currently available on the page is a "contact" link to the email addresses of various employees.

I feel that this is not a very proactive design for the company. If a crisis were to occur, people would undoubtedly go to their page for information, and the only information they receive is how to e-mail titled employees. If the website had a information section, that would be a more productive way to disseminate information in the time of a crisis.

Reliance on the Internet can also effect how a company manages a crisis on an external level. With the general public utilizing social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and LinkedIn to gather information on a company, it is important to utilize these mediums to communicate with publics. Social media can be an extremely efficient and easy way for a company to reach its target audiences.

Once again, Marc Jacobs is not prepared to utilize this media if a crisis were to occur. The company does not currently host a twitter or Facebook page. As I mentioned in a previous post, they once did, but the endeavor proved to be short lived. By capitalizing on the worlds increasing reliance on technology, companies, such as Marc Jacobs, could be prepared to communicate with their audiences should a crisis occur.