Some people say the pandemic and its knock on disruption to the financial markets has “rewritten the crisis playbook.” We don’t necessarily agree.

What it has done is change the landscape of how organizations, particularly businesses, communicate with the public. The future will have trust at its core. Digital will be a central pillar in the comms playbook. Organizations that make acting in the best interests of their employees, stakeholders, and society at large their primary focus will strengthen the bond they have with their customers for the long term.

But the pandemic has not changed the fundamental principles of issues and crisis management. Transparency, empathy, and understanding have always been core tenants of communicating in a time of crisis. And maintaining a robust issues and crisis management strategy and playbook will still stand any organization in good stead for the future, regardless of the type of crisis they face.

Every business, no matter the size, should conduct regular health checks of their issues and crisis communications capabilities. This means asking the hard questions and being honest about your organization’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as knowing if you have the right processes in place.