More Stormy Weather

Under Pressure 19 February 2022

More Stormy Weather

Two storms hit the UK and parts of Europe this week. The first Storm Dudley hit the more northern parts of the UK, while Storm Eunice left a trail of destruction when it swept across southern areas yesterday. Extreme weather conditions are not usually linked to the UK but are becoming more likely. After two years of being focused on the pandemic and how we can use science to find a way through it, the force of nature is something we cannot control.

What we can do is to be prepared and ready to respond to challenging weather conditions. Organisations should ensure business continuity plans are up-to-date and ready to be used. Individuals should have plans to evacuate, be stuck at home, and to keep warm and fed. It may be winds today, floods tomorrow or even extreme hot weather but for all circumstances we can plan and be ready. Take a look at those crisis communication plans and ensure you have weather plans agreed and ready to use.

Storm Eunice also brought home the immediacy of communication. Many people were transfixed by the live footage being shared by Big Jet TV through YouTube. The enthusiasts were sharing images of the planes attempting to land in the winds at Heathrow Airport. Very quickly they were up to 200,000 people viewing. Every moment was being shared instantly which shows how communicators need to be ready for an almost instant response.

I hope everyone stayed safe during the storms. Now we need to review what worked and what can be done to improve the response to the next weather emergency.

Sir Mark Todd and brand values

When you are the face of your organisation the impact of any inappropriate behaviour or unacceptable actions will be significant. Recent images of equestrian Sir Mark Todd appearing to whip a horse with a branch quickly impacted on his business. The images are believed to be from a couple of years ago but have only just surfaced. As they started to get circulated some retailers said they would no longer be stocking his clothing range. It is a reminder of the importance of ensuring the actions of those at the top of the business match the brand values.

Davos Communication Awards

The Davos Communication Awards run by the World Communications Forum Association are now open for 2022. Amanda is delighted to have the opportunity to act as the Jury Chair for the awards. The early bird deadline for entries is 10 March. Find out how you can submit an entry here.

Spotted: Sky Debate

If anyone was watching Sky News’ The Great Debate programme on 7 February you may have seen a short appearance by Amanda. She was involved to represent small businesses in a discussion about the increase cost of living. Amanda said: “I was pleased to ensure the voice of the many small business owners was heard in the discussion.”

In Brief:

• Research has been published that looks at the role of radio within emergencies. It was published in the Journal of Radio and Audio Media. Find out more here.

• Ottawa police have hired a crisis expert to help in managing ongoing protests. The anti-vaccine protests have had a huge impact on the area. Find out more here.

• An assessment of China’s Covid-19 response has been produced and featured in the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. Find out more about the study here.

• The importance of media interviews in a crisis was the focus of a recent blog by Amanda. Read the blog here.

• Fashion giant Boohoo is in hot water again. This time they have had an advert banned by the Advertising Standards Authority because it was ‘offensive, harmful and irresponsible' and 'objectified women'.  Find out more here.       

• US based businesses have been warned about cyber attacks by the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Agency. It follows from the tensions between Russia and the Ukraine. Find out more in the Forbes article here.

Diary Dates:

• On 28 February Amanda will be talking at the first CIPR Crisis Comms group event of 2022. The session is looking at being ready for crisis communication in response to terrorism. Find out about the event here.

• Amanda is running a crisis management webinar for the PRCA on Wednesday 2 March. Find out more here.

• On 3 March, Amanda is talking at a Senior Practitioner session run by the CIPR Wales team. The session is titled “Is ‘Reputation Management’ getting in the way of purpose and good decision making?”. If you are interested find out more here.