Tennis star Serena Williams once said, “If Plan A isn’t working, I have Plan B, Plan C, and even Plan D” and that’s just as true for PR services as it is for sporting legends.

It is vital to have a back-up plan in your PR campaign because, while you can control what you do, unfortunately you can’t control the world around you.

Here are the three top reasons you should always have a Plan B in PR.

Expect the unexpected

If the past few months have taught us anything, it’s that the world is an unpredictable place. Just think of all the firms that would have been planning to launch their products over the past few months; instead they have been faced with deserted high streets, job uncertainty and a looming recession.

It’s not all doom and gloom though – many have shown remarkable ingenuity in diversifying. Firms such as Airbus and Rolls Royce were quick to shift their production to ventilators, while Louis Vuitton owner LVMH used its cosmetic plants to make hand sanitiser for French health services.

As well as being great examples of a plan B in business, the above stories also created the kind of PR that money can’t buy for the firms involved.

Competition crisis

Imagine the scene; you’re all ready to launch your latest service. The press release is ready to go and your social media is all scheduled when you hear that your competitor is launching a near-identical service. What do you do?

Can you change your messaging? Will a delay affect the campaign’s success? These are all things you need to be considering, and if you have a plan in place, so much the better.

When it all goes wrong

As part of a plan B, companies should also always have a crisis comms strategy ready to be deployed.  While there may be some disasters you can’t control, if you have one in-house, at least you can be prepared.

A good crisis comms plan will detail how you communicate, both internally and externally, what your messaging will be and who will be allowed to deliver it.

Make sure everyone’s on board though – we all know that loose lips sink ships.

If you need help creating a Plan B – or even a Plan A – for your brand, a public relations firm like Harvey & Hugo can help you create a strategy that’s ready for whatever life throws at you.