Reputation risk is highest in the first 24 hours
by Portia Yip, Marketing Services
Political uncertainty, misinformation and the speed of social media have made reputational risk harder for businesses to manage. How will you ensure your organization and team are ready when a crisis strikes?
A data breach, supplier failure or frustrated client can quickly become a public issue or viral story within hours. Julie Gathercole, an instructor with Continuing Studies at UVic, has seen how a crisis can affect an entire organization.
"When a crisis impacts an organization, it’s not just the communication team that’s involved," she says. "Legal, HR, IT—many departments play a role and having more people across an organization who understand crisis response is a huge advantage."
emergency professionals aren’t fully crisis-ready.
Clear roles, communication and decision-making are critical when under pressure. A survey in Samsara’s 2025 report found that 60% of Canadian emergency-management professionals did not feel prepared to handle a major crisis. This gap also goes beyond operational readiness: 94% of respondents were concerned about maintaining communications connectivity during an emergency.
For leaders and managers, staying one step ahead and being crisis-ready before a disruption happens is a strategic advantage. Enhancing crisis communication skills across teams is one example to help increase clarity, confidence and coordination when a disruption strikes.
Protecting the reputation and image of a business isn’t just about damage control—it's about strengthening your organization's resilience from preparation through recovery.
Explore programs to strengthen crisis readiness
Crisis Communication for Public Relations Professionals
MICRO-CERTIFICATE | ONLINE
Build the skills to develop, implement and evaluate effective crisis communication plans with confidence.
Strategic Public Relations Leadership (SPRL)
MICRO-CERTIFICATE | ONLINE
Advance your leadership skills and learn to guide teams, manage crises and align communications with organizational strategy.
Emergency Management for Organizational Continuity
MICRO-CERTIFICATE | ONLINE
Learn how to plan for emergencies and maintain business continuity during natural disasters, pandemics, conflicts and cyber-attacks.
Organizational Preparedness and Adaptability
MICRO-CERTIFICATE | ONLINE
Become more proactive, strengthen organizational resilience and put the right plans in place to navigate disruption.
Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH)
CERTIFICATE | ONLINE
Learn to identify workplace health risks, prevent incidents and support safe, compliant work environments.
- Posted September 29, 2026
RELATED TOPICS: Public RelationsHealth, Safety and Emergency Management