Wild Year In 2017 Challenges Crisis Planners

RESTON, Va., Dec. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A year that began with organizations scrambling to put a plan together should they be named in a Presidential tweet and ended with an unprecedented wave of accusations of sexual misconduct aimed at famous names at prestigious organizations, has created new urgency and challenges in crisis planning for next year.

RockDove Solutions reports that at the end of its third year since launch, more than 750 institutional clients on a global basis have now adopted its award-winning digital crisis management platform, In Case of Crisis, representing growth of 950% over the three years.

Chris Britton, RockDove's COO noted:

"In Case of Crisis is the canary in the coal mine. When we see a big uptake in interest and subscriptions, it means that organizations are reacting to the uncertain times in which we live and the need to have robust, up-to-date crisis plans.

"The advent of digital media, smartphones with video cameras, engaged consumers, especially Millennials, and the shifting roles of mainstream news media plus the ubiquity of social media platforms like Facebook has impacted dramatically the speed at which an issue catches light, spreads and moves beyond the control of an ill-prepared organization."

To guide users of In Case of Crisis and others with an interest in building state-of-the art crisis plans, RockDove has published a new eBook, "Is Your Crisis Plan in Shape for 2018?".

The eBook notes that in 2017 many of the worst crises came from well-known and long-standing risks which are still at the heart of any crisis plan, including data leaks, extreme weather, corporate malfeasance, product malfunction and, tragically, mass shootings.

But there are also a newer set of issues that are more the product of the times in which we live, a digitally enabled society where social issues, culture, race and politics from a toxic stew of reputational threats - examples would include:

    --  Products which become politicized, through ownership or marketing
        content, and boycotts are called for from one side or the other;
    --  Clumsy forays into social issues, like race and gender, by well-known
        brands;
    --  Bad employee behavior becoming viral online with widely shared videos
    --  Exposure of dysfunction in the workplace by motivated and angry
        co-workers who have the internet as their platform.

In an age where digital and social media fan the flames of an issue and turn it into a highly damaging crisis within hours, the crisis planning eBook looks at crucial tools, technology and resources to ensure early warning and a speedy response to an emerging threat.

This includes getting rid of that old-school ring-bound binder and moving to a digital crisis management platform, with RockDove's own In Case of Crisis being the market leader, plus:

    --  Ramping up and making more effective social media monitoring,
    --  Gathering data and analytics to track emerging issues and their impact

RockDove COO Chris Britton added: "2017 was a tumultuous year for corporate crises and there is no suggestion it was a temporary blip. In the coming year, organizations will need every resource and tool at their disposal to ensure they can respond speedily and effectively to emerging threats."

THE ROCKDOVE CRISIS PLANNING eBOOK: Free copies of 'Is Your Crisis Plan in Shape for 2018' are available for download at www.rockdovesolutions.com/crisis-management-resources

ABOUT ROCKDOVE SOLUTIONS: RockDove Solutions Inc is a privately-held and woman-owned business, based in Reston, VA. It developed In Case of Crisis, the award-winning enterprise digital crisis management solution. www.rockdovesolutions.com

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SOURCE RockDove Solutions