[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The need for effective media response plans is accepted as a given in almost all sectors, but such is still often neglected by maritime companies. Operating in a business to business (B2B) manner, shipping can usually get away with ignoring the general public. But a crisis can change everything.
Even a minor incident can thrust a shipping company into the full glare of the public spotlight. Maritime incidents often become some of the largest negative news stories of the year — think of the Rena, the Prestige or the Exxon Valdez.
Today, the prevalence of mobile phones, drones, AIS vessel tracking and social media mean that someone is always watching and everything is a potential global story.
Crisis communications often focus on protecting a company’s reputation so that it can continue to win new business and recruit high quality employees, but despite the significant importance of this function crisis communications in the maritime sector is about so much more.
Having a crisis communications plan and working with a professional global network ensures that your team (and indeed your phone lines) are free to deal with the priorities at hand — managing the incident and maintaining business operations for the rest of the fleet. An incident can see thousands of journalists calling your offices or camping out at your doors, and these pressures can make it almost impossible to maintain normal operations.
“Today, the prevalence of mobile phones, drones, AIS vessel tracking and social media mean that someone is always watching and everything is a potential global story”
An effective media crisis response can significantly reduce incident response costs. P&I clubs recognise the importance of professional media response and generally cover the costs. Effectively managing the media reduces external interference from politicians who might otherwise respond by demanding that more money be spent (often wasted) on the salvage and clean-up efforts.
A failed media response can cause a vetting failure for a company’s entire fleet. Charterers, especially the oil majors, are increasingly requiring proof of effective media response plans as part of the vetting process because they recognise that a failure of the shipping company’s media management can adversely impact their own reputations and ability to operate.
Good crisis communications protect you against media interference, excessive costs, potential customer loss, and even more impressively, a truly effective crisis response can provide a significant reputational boost to your company.
A well-managed incident in the media can increase the positive profile of a company more dramatically than any advertising campaign. As just one example of such, a client had a well-managed high-profile incident earlier this year recently launched a new vessel. Because of the positive brand recognition associated with the incident the company was able to attract significant media interest in the launch which positioned the company as a leader in the sector.
No shipping company today would go into court without a lawyer, but the court of public opinion can be equally challenging, much less fair, and the results of its judgements can be significantly more damaging. Having a prepared media response plan backed up by an expert network of global experience is the only way to ensure that a company is able to continue effective operations both during and following an incident.
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