ABSTRACT
This chapter helps the public marketing students to identify a crisis situation and analyse the type of crisis being faced, and outline possible responses. It also helps them to understand and avoid the main pitfalls in crisis communication. There are two types of crises: crises linked to accidents and emergencies; and crises linked to information-management problems or tensions internal to the organization. Crises resulting from an accident, an incident, or an emergency situation generally fall into four phases: preliminary phase; acute phase; chronic phase; and healing phase. A very common error, particularly in crises related to the disclosure of facts, is to underestimate the risks involved. Organizations must be able to implement communication strategies and structures to respond to the crisis. The media will play a central role in any special event leading to the crisis because they serve as a 'resonating chamber' for relaying information.
