The Basics of Crisis Communications

Course Description:

What if it is your peak season and your website goes down? What if one of your employees does something that could damage your reputation? What if a business you work with is engaging in illegal practices? There are many types of crises that can affect your business’ success and reputation. Encountering a situation that could negatively affect your business is practically unavoidable. But by having a proactive crisis communications plan, your business will be prepared to mitigate a potential crisis.

This course is designed to help you understand the urgency of potential crisis situations, anticipate how they might affect your business, and help you tackle them head-on. Key topics in this course include the definition and rationale for crisis communications, types of crises businesses can encounter, the severity of crisis situations, identifying key audiences, and assessing your readiness to handle a crisis. You will review case studies with real-life examples of effective crisis communications and lessons learned.

PG&E understands the importance of crisis communications and how it could be critical to the long-term success of diverse suppliers. PG&E is committed to educating suppliers on this topic to help them gain a competitive edge.

Our expert-led courses build confidence and bring valuable expertise and practical tools that you can apply to your business today. This course covers the basics of crisis communications and how to assess your crisis readiness with easy-to-follow steps, best practices, and tools. Your course instructor, an industry expert from ARTÉMIA Communications, Barbara Wichmann, will share her pro tips and offer her guidance so you are prepared when your business is faced with a potential crisis.

Course Goals:

Introduce crisis communications concepts and terms.
Explain the importance and benefits of having a crisis communications plan.
Examine types and severity of potential crises, different audiences for your communications, and how to prevent incidents from turning into larger crises.
Explore tools to assess your readiness plus industry resources, best practices, and case studies.

Downloadable Takeaways:

The Basics of Crisis Communications Course Workbook

Course Instructor: Barbara Wichmann, Founder and CEO ARTÉMIA Communications

Barbara Wichmann is the founder and CEO of ARTÉMIA Communications, a full-service strategic communications and digital marketing agency. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands, Barbara earned a master’s degree in the US and worked internationally as a consultant before founding ARTÉMIA as a women’s business enterprise (WBE) in 1995. In all her work, Barbara takes a decidedly international approach, something she credits to living in the Netherlands during her formative years. Like its founder, ARTÉMIA stays true to its global focus by incorporating localization services in its offerings, ensuring that all content is culturally relevant in the US and abroad. Barbara has won a wide variety of coverage for her clients in many media outlets; completed prestigious corporate, government, and academic executive training programs; and received significant WBE awards. She serves on the board of WBEC-Pacific and is the Chair of the WBENC Forum Government Committee and the Business Advisory Board of Toolworks, a San Francisco–based social enterprise.