Crisis Management

Crisis Communications, Planning and Management Capabilities

Overview

Peppercom has counseled countless clients through a wide variety of crises. We've worked with a large food manufacturing company facing an FDA product II recall, a wholesale manufacturer accused of selling weapons to terrorists, a technology company whose founder was arrested for embezzlement one week after the firm's IPO and a Fortune 500 corporation dealing with a major malfunction in its flagship, top-of-the-line offering. Recently, we worked with a client who was facing large pet food recalls of product processed in China.

Firemen's Fund Insurance has named Peppercom as its "go to" crisis counselor for any and all commercial policy holders. In that role, we've advised companies dealing with everything from food poisonings and product recalls to drive-by shootings and worker strikes.

We also work with clients proactively, before a crisis occurs, to ensure they handle them effectively. We specialize in preparing detailed response plans for our clients that include every conceivable scenario they may face, in addition to the policies and procedures to enact should a crisis occur. We also stand ready to provide 24/7 counsel throughout the duration of any event.

What is CrisisRx?

We call Peppercom's crisis management program CrisisRx because regardless of what your company's "ailment" may be, Peppercom has the right "prescription." Unlike other crisis management programs that primarily focus on one area, such as communications or facility security, Peppercom develops a tailored crisis management program that fits your company's exact needs. For example, if your company needs detailed scenario planning to test your current crisis management plan, combined with an assessment of the physical building as well as a deep check into your IT infrastructure, Peppercom will create the specific program with the appropriate experts in each of these areas. Or maybe your company requires scenario planning in a dozen different locations throughout the country, with different scenarios for each location. Peppercom will develop the tailored program for that need.

Peppercom has developed and utilizes a proprietary diagnostic tool called CARES to simulate, test and prepare clients in all aspects of crisis training. This diagnostic tool has been successfully implemented in many Fortune 1000 Peppercom clients as a means to create a realistic and logical process to follow during and after a crisis begins. The tool also provides a true measuring stick to better understand how the crisis management process (and actions) can be continually improved after a crisis takes place, allowing for quick modification and changes to be made.

The diagnostic tool is comprised of five key steps representing the natural chronological progression of a crisis situation. Each step builds on the one before it and asks senior executives key questions, providing important metrics that demonstrate how prepared they are for a particular crisis situation. Unlike many crisis diagnostic tools, Peppercom's also focuses on and measures specific behavior characteristics exhibited in these stressful circumstances. Because CARES is templated, it can be tailored to work within almost any pre-existing system (and can incorporate existing corporate procedures).