Effective Crisis Communications and Reputation Management for Further Education Colleges
Effective crisis communications and reputation management are crucial for protecting your college's public profile in the eyes of current and prospective students, parents, staff, and other stakeholders.
In today's vigilant public and media environment, educational institutions in the UK are increasingly vulnerable to adverse media events. From allegations of misconduct to regulatory breaches and cyber attacks, the potential for a crisis is always present. Effective crisis communication is essential for managing these situations and protecting your reputation as an educational provider. Our comprehensive crisis communications service is designed to support colleges through every stage of a crisis, mitigate harm to your reputation, and help you recover swiftly. We have experience dealing with a range of crises that educational institutions may face, including:
● Allegations of misconduct or abuse ● Regulatory breaches or non-compliance ● Health and safety incidents ● Poor inspection reports ● Financial instability or bankruptcy ● Change of ownership ● Legal issues involving staff or students ● Data breaches or cyber attacks ● Staff disputes and industrial action
Our Services
We provide a comprehensive suite of crisis management support options that can be tailored to meet your needs. Our service offers crisis planning in advance of any incident, crisis management if a negative event occurs, and post-crisis reputational management.
Crisis Planning
Risk Assessment: Comprehensive evaluation of potential risks and vulnerabilities specific to your sector.
Crisis Communication Plan: Development of a tailored crisis communication plan, including key messaging, protocols, and contact lists.
Training Workshops: Conducting workshops to train your staff on effective crisis management and communication strategies.
Simulation Exercises: Organising crisis simulation exercises to test and refine your crisis response plans and ensure preparedness.
Crisis Management Services
24/7 Crisis Hotline: Immediate, round-the-clock access to our crisis communication experts who can provide guidance and support at any time.
Rapid Response Team: Deployment of a dedicated crisis response team, led by our Managing Director, William Walter, to manage communications and media relations during the crisis.
Media Relations: Crafting and disseminating press releases, holding press conferences, and managing media inquiries to control the narrative.
Social Media Management: Real-time monitoring and management of social media channels to address concerns and misinformation.
Stakeholder Communication: Engaging with key stakeholders, including students, parents, staff, regulatory bodies, and the public, to maintain transparency and trust.
Post-Crisis Reputation Management
Reputation Recovery Plan: Development of a strategic plan to restore and enhance your institution’s reputation post-crisis.
Positive Publicity Campaigns: Creating and promoting positive stories and achievements to overshadow negative coverage.
Online Reputation Management: Implementing strategies to improve online reviews and search engine results, ensuring positive content is more visible.
Stakeholder Engagement: Continuous engagement with stakeholders through newsletters, community events, and updates to rebuild trust.
Media Training: Providing ongoing media training for staff to handle future interactions with the press effectively.
Additional Support Services
Internal Communication: Ensuring clear and consistent communication within your organisation to keep staff informed and aligned.
Legal Liaison: Collaborating with legal advisors to ensure all communications are compliant with regulatory and legal requirements.
Crisis Documentation: Maintaining detailed records of all actions taken during the crisis for accountability and future learning.
Evaluation and Reporting: Conducting a thorough post-crisis evaluation to identify strengths and areas for improvement, and providing a comprehensive report.
Our team of experienced crisis communication professionals is dedicated to supporting further education colleges through challenging times, ensuring that your institution can continue to provide high-quality education while maintaining public trust and confidence. Let us help you effectively prepare for, manage, and recover from crises.
Further Reading on Crisis Communications
PR Week - One in three PR leaders would allow AI to manage crisis comms strategy
A poll found that crisis comms is the PR discipline least likely to be handed over to AI by practitioners (34 per cent). Just four per cent of those surveyed said they do not use the technology at all. Despite its widespread application, only 33 per cent of respondents said they were ‘very confident’ in their ability to use AI in their day-to-day roles. Read more.
Forbes - Proactive Crisis Management: Lessons From CrowdStrike
The recent CrowdStrike incident, affecting over 8 million Microsoft systems, including those in hospitals, banks, emergency response centers, and airports, is considered one of the largest IT outages in history. This event underscores the importance for companies to have a robust crisis communications plan. Businesses must ensure they are better prepared to handle crises, preserving trust and positioning themselves to emerge stronger. Read more.
Sifted - How to manage comms in a crisis
Kim Oguilve, marketing and communications lead at Finnish energy startup Synergi, shares essential steps for creating an effective crisis communications plan including mapping out who needs to be informed during a crisis, such as customers, suppliers, investors, employees, and the media. Read more.