Crisis Comm and Candy Salad

Who knew handling tough situations could taste so sweet? At last Thursday's event, the PRSSA club hosted a fun and interactive event that allowed to students to learn valuable public relations information while enjoying a fun treat - candy salad!

This event gave attendees the opportunity to apply their PR skills to real-life scenarios, but with a unique twist: each pair of students was given a unique crisis character and tasked with devising a PR challenge, and then a communication strategy to handle the challenge. A few of these characters included PetSmart, Kanye West, Sam's Club, and American Airlines. The sweet and colorful candy salad served as a fun metaphor for all of the diverse elements that go into an effective communications strategy - mixing different "flavors" to produce a thoughtful, balanced, and effective response.

Crisis communications is an extremely vital aspect of public relations. In the ever-changing world of PR, challenges can arise quickly and without notice - how we handle these crises can make or break the image of our company and protect their reputation.

During the event, students were asked to address a series of crisis scenarios. Each group was assigned their own situation and asked to devise a crisis communications strategy including key messaging and outreach. This tested students' abilities to think on their feet and develop a strategic plan. A few key takeaways from this event included:

• Speed and Preparedness: In a crisis, things move quickly, so it is vital to have a plan in place and to act decisively.

• Flexibility: Each crisis scenario is different, so it is important to have an open mind and strategy as the situation unfolds.

• Honesty and Transparency: People can sense when something is off in a story, so communicating openly and truthfully with your customers is essential, especially when times get tough.

  
  

  The Crisis Comm and Candy Salad event was a fantastic opportunity to get students thinking critically and creatively in a fun, low-pressure environment. Students learned the importance of adaptability, strategic thinking, and clear communication - and, of course, with the touch of candy sweetness to lighten the mood during such serious work.

Written by Katelyn Stomp