Disaster Communications: 5 Ways to Make the Most of A Bad Situation with Amy Susán

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Amy Susán and Jason Mudd discuss disaster communications and five ways to make the most of a bad situation.

Guest:

Our episode guest is Amy Susán of Columbia, Missouri. She is the Director of PR and Communications at EquipmentShare, where she harnesses digital tools and an engaging approach to develop and guide mission-based visions, influential brands with purpose, and unforgettable campaigns.

Five things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. How authenticity leads action
2. Identifying an ambassador
3. Establishing a reputable partner
4. Letting others tell your story
5. The power of internal communications 

Quotables:

• [05:59] “What we're talking about today is, you know, not necessarily how to take advantage of those instances, but how to do the best for your company and most importantly, for those people that are impacted.” - Amy
• [06:08] “When we talk about disaster communications and crisis communications as it relates to natural disasters, I really think it needs to be handled, and it sounds so ominous, but D.E.A.D. And that's handled delicately, empathetically, and diplomatically.” - Amy
• [06:30] “You have to imagine that you are there because it's going to have to come up authentic. And if not, it's just going to ring on deaf ears.” - Amy
• [07:13] “It's the traditional “P’s” of PR, so we protect our identity and our public image. We promote all of our services and then we position our company as a thought leader.” - Amy
• [08:25] “You have to remove yourself so that you can get the correct information. But then you also have to, at a later time, really go through those feelings and experience them.” - Amy
• [08:37] “Journalists are supposed to be independent observers, right? And so if you know, it can be hard for them to do that sometimes. It can also be hard for them to, you know, separate those emotions.” - Jason
• [11:35] “Identifying an ambassador on the ground that truly embodies your core values is really, really important.” - Amy

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Guest’s contact info and resources:

• Amy Susán on LinkedIn
• Amy Susán on Twitter
• EquipmentShare Website
• Ragan Communications AI Certification

Additional Resources:

• 3 crisis communication action steps to take
• Effective crisis communications with Christopher Britton
• How our PR firm is using AI and how you can too with Jason Mudd, CEO of Axia Public Relations

Support the show

• On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America’s Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.
• On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online cu