Swine Flu: "Time for organizations to be dusting off crisis plans," Gregg Perry

The Swine Flu outbreak is now classified by the World Health Organization [WHO] as "a public health emergency of international concern." 

Public relations expert Gregg Perry agrees with the seriousness of that assessment.  Perry has been my steady source of information in covering litigation, particularly in the North East.  And when I have an assignment involving complex media relations, I refer it to him.  Those I refer thank me for introducing them to The Perry Group.

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GREGG PERRY, Head of The Perry Group LLC, on the record:

"Now is the time for organizations to be dusting off their crisis communications plans.  If a major Swine-Flu outbreak were to affect your organization, you must know how you are going to communicate with customers, employees, investors, regulators and other constituencies.

"Of critical importance are continuity plans that identify not only the first level communicators, but second and third level ones as well.  That's a must-do in event the flu outbreak becomes a pandemic and critical personnel become sick. 

"Those organizations that were smart and put business continuity and crisis communications plans in place a few years back before Avian-Flu was threatened were far ahead of those which didn't.

"Remember: The cardinal rule in crisis preparation is that a crisis plan is only effective if it's been built before the crisis happens.  Otherwise, it's too late."

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Hopefully, I'm not reading too much in Perry's recommendations.  But to me it seems that organizations which handle this possible crisis well could be creating a new form of competitive advantage.  It's during upheaval, just like during wars, that reputations can be made quickly, enhanced - or destroyed.

Gregg Perry's special areas of expertise include not only crisis communications but also strategic planning, reputation management and media relations, including training spokespeople. 

You can contact his boutique The Perry Group LLC at Gperry@perrypublicrelations.com, 401-886-7200, or 401-338-5076, cell.

Comments

[Nigel Thomas]

It's now way too late to contain this outbreak. Individuals and businesses need to use the time left to get at least the fundamentals of their business and home preparedness completed. The pandemic preparedness section (www.birdflu-manual.com/pandemic-preparedness.htm) of Bird Flu Manual Online (www.birdflu-manual.com) can help.

[Nigel Thomas]

It's now way too late to contain this outbreak. Individuals and businesses need to use the time left to get at least the fundamentals of their business and home preparedness completed. The pandemic preparedness section of Bird Flu Manual Online can help.