Why do we Fail to Prepare for Disasters?
I was asked by a colleague this week, with all the crazy things that happened in 2020 does it make any sense to even develop a crisis plan? Without a crystal ball to know what crises, especially for CBD businesses, are coming down the pike, isn’t it a waste of time and hard work?
If there is one thing we have learned as former journalists and PR practitioners who’ve handled dozens of crises in our careers, doing the heavy mental weight-lifting to prepare a crisis plan does make a difference. Take one recent example: the debacle at the US Capitol. The deadly and damaging events that unfolded seemed to occur with little coordinated response, with devastating consequences. Though most of us will (hopefully) never face a life-threatening crisis like that, we will most certainly face challenges throughout our business careers.
Unfortunately, we know that crisis planning is frequently the last thing anyone wants to think about. At M&C, we know that crisis planning is the first step in Brand Protection PR™.
The question is: “Why do we hesitate to plan?”
Normalcy Bias
Here is a new term for your workout routine: “normalcy bias.” Psychology Today says that 70% of us suffer from this bias. It is our tendency to expect that things will continue to occur normally in the future. This can lead us to underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster occurring and the seriousness of the situation. Fighting against normalcy bias by planning for likely crisis scenarios will flex your most important muscle- your brain- so that you will have a set of key tactics to use no matter the crisis.
If we aren’t suffering from normalcy bias, another 30% of us freak out in a crisis (toilet paper anyone?). Only 20% of us make level-headed decisions. If you understand why we fail to plan for disasters, what will happen if we aren’t prepared and factor in normalcy bias, you will better understand why disaster preparedness is so important.
The M&C Brand Protection Tool will give you exercises to help you join the 20% of level-headed CBD business owners who can protect their CBD brand no matter the challenges they’re facing.
How to Prepare
First, you need to look at all the known threats against your CBD business, including the competition, financial issues, industry challenges, and leadership concerns, and then pick the top three crises that are most likely to happen in the next 6 months.
Let’s look at how crisis planning might work for your CBD business:
Who will be the final decision maker?
What is your basic crisis messaging including an Acknowledgment Statement?
When will you quickly update facts?
Where will you be releasing information? Social channels/Twitter?
How will you manage your employees, media, and other stakeholders?
Just like any exercise routine, consistency is key. Review your plan every 6 months and when that out-of-the-blue situation arises, your Brand Protection PR™ weightlifting workouts will serve you well and help you Move the Stairs to get the best possible outcome.
Here is a link to our free downloadable and be sure to watch a recap of our entire Move the Stairs Friday Chat below!