For senior leaders, the uncomfortable truth is this: 60-80% of crises are predictable, according to annual PWC global crisis surveys, yet nearly 40% of organizations don’t survive a disaster, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The gap isn’t usually caused by operational readiness. it’s communication readiness. Too many crisis plans focus on logistics, but overlook the most powerful tool an organization possesses: its authentic story.
At Vendilli, we call this your Capital S Story, the narrative that answers why someone should buy from you, work for you, invest in you or partner with you. And in a crisis, this story is the answer to why someone should trust you. When time is compressed and emotions run high, this story becomes your most strategic asset.
Why Story Matters When Everything Is Going Wrong
In the early hours of a crisis, stakeholders instinctively sort organizations into heroes and villains. Media coverage accelerates that sorting and of course, social media amplifies it.
Your reputation in the media and online before a crisis hits is your “bank of goodwill” with all of the audiences important to your organization. And if you haven’t put enough deposits into that bank of goodwill before a crisis, attempts to share your story in the moment can feel improvised, or worse, inauthentic.
That’s why your story must be embedded in your crisis plan long before anything goes wrong. In our work with clients, we use storytelling archetypes and synaptic shortcuts, narrative cues people instantly recognize, to help stakeholders understand who you really are when times are good, and when times are bad. These shortcuts create trust when your organization has seconds, not hours, to communicate.
Three Phases Where Your Story Must Lead
Every crisis (and thus every crisis communication effort) follows three essential phases:
- Stop the bleeding. As in a hospital emergency department, the first priority must be to stabilize the situation and speak quickly and with clarity.
- Win hearts and minds. When the crisis situation is stabilized, it’s time to demonstrate that your values and actions align with your story, that yours is a good organization doing the best under tough circumstances, especially when the facts are still emerging.
- Restore reputation. This is where so many organizations fail in their crisis communication. Your organization’s reputation is not 100 percent perfect once the fire is out or the news crews pack up and leave. You must rebuild trust through long-term, story-driven engagement. And that can take weeks, months or even years, depending upon the severity of the crisis.
Your Capital S Story anchors each of these phases, helping stakeholders see you as the hero of the narrative rather than the villain some may assume you are.
The Leadership Imperative
When’s the best time to plan to share your Capital S Story in a crisis? Consider hurricane planning. You don’t plan for a storm during the storm, you plan on a “sunny day” well in advance of a potential story. In crisis communication, it’s the same. Sunny-day planning is not optional. If your crisis plan doesn’t include your story, it’s incomplete, and your reputation is at risk.
If your organization hasn’t yet integrated your Capital S Story into crisis planning, now is the time to do so. Contact us to schedule a Crisis Story Audit and ensure your Capital S Story is ready before the next crisis arrives.
