Public Relations Crisis Management Plan Assignment

Essays on Public Relations Crisis Management Plan Assignment The paper "Public Relations Crisis Management Plan" is a wonderful example of an assignment on marketing. The explosion that occurred at an oilrig in the Great Barrier Reef poses a situation that can lead to the total collapse of the company. Although Hypothetical has been absolved from all the blame, it still has a significant social responsibility to the community and the people living in this area, as well as the whole world. The company needs a form of public ‘friendship’ in order to operate efficiently in the coming years, and obtain goodwill from governments, people, consumers, workers and even environmental experts who are all closely following the developments at the Great Barrier Reef.Although the problem has been technically solved, there still lies a considerable risk for the company, basing on previous experiences. The spill that occurred at the Gulf of Mexico in an oil rig owned by the giant oil company British Petroleum led to a massive backlash from all th e stakeholders. The company has faced numerous lawsuits, loss of consumer trusts and expensive compensation claims (Farrell, 2011, p.102). Although the crisis at the Great Barrier Reef is of a different scale compared to BP’s, there is a need to ensure that it is managed effectively to mitigate negative impaction.SWOT StrengthsHypothetical has managed to seal the exploded well; hence, there is no risk of further damage to the environment. In addition, the assessment of its other rigs throughout the world shows that there is no further risk to such a situation occurring and all the safety standards are keenly followed.WeaknessesThe company has already lost some employees and in the disaster and the massive spill has already taken some months to stop. Extensive damage to the ecosystem has already occurred.OpportunitiesAlthough damage has already occurred, the Australian government has been supportive, and everyone applauds the company’s effort to stop the leak. The company can use this opportunity and the media attention that it is receiving to portray itself positively among the people, hence helping to improve its brand name (Reid, 2006, p.75).ThreatsThe company is the obvious target for blame for all the events that have transpired and almost everyone is expecting that the company will own up to the mistake. There is also a risk that people are viewing the situation from the mindset that was formed after the spill that occurred at the gulf of Mexico pitying a corporation against the government, environmental organizations and the public.Target publics Primary publicsThe main targets for crisis communication are the government leaders, trade unions and the environmental concern groups. This is because they are the influential groups that understand the magnitude of the problem and are in the places of influence to the public (Lawrence Dan, 2005, p. 211). Trade unions need to be ensured of the safety of workers, considering that six people died in the accident, while the government is the one expected by the public to act on their behalf.