Carnival CCO’s crisis comms playbook: Alignment, trust and speed

When your organization is in a crisis, your message is only going to be as strong as your internal alignment.

During Ragan’s Crisis Communications Virtual Conference, Chris Chiames, chief communications officer at Carnival Cruise Line, told the audience that the best ways to earn that internal alignment are ensuring your employees trust you and having your leaders communicate from the same set of facts.

“While drills and things are important for crisis planning, I kind of take the approach that every day is a dress rehearsal,” Chiames said. “Because if you don’t have the trust internally and externally with stakeholders, when you enter a crisis, you’re not starting from a position of strength. And it just handcuffs you.”

He added that internal chatter should serve as an early warning system of sorts ahead of a potential crisis.