Crisis Research

Crisis research can be critical in averting a reputation disaster as well as in containing one that’s broken out. Avoiding an over-reaction is essential. But inaction can be disastrous. The first step in planning a measured response is crisis research.

Crisis Research Assessments

Crisis research commences with an assessment of the likely impacts and outcomes of an adverse event impacting a company or its products. This may involve opinion polls, omnibus surveys and impact studies as well as media monitoring. Echo has handled recalls for many household-name companies involved in product withdrawals and crisis management, and has acquired deep understanding of the way a company’s actions–or lack thereof–can be interpreted in the media. This knowledge drives our approach to crisis research.

Crisis Research and Crisis Management

Crisis research assignments handled by Echo range from product recalls to major disasters: Following the crash of a Concorde in Paris in July 2000, Rolls-Royce immediately convened its crisis-management team to handle queries focusing on the role of the Olympus engine. Echo was commissioned to undertake daily analysis of media and online reaction to the crash with special emphasis on key issues surrounding the airline/airframe/engine safety, speculation about the causes of the crash, and the investigation procedure.

Echo’s daily analysis and reporting fed directly to the crisis handling team, enabling executives to track the overall tone of media comment as well as the specific position of individual newspapers, journalists and spokespeople. One element that was vital in Rolls-Royce’s successful response to the disaster was the fast, accurate picture of media coverage revealed through crisis research.