In a week like the one America has just experienced, it seems trite to discuss crisis communications like we do here in this space–everything pales by comparison to the tragedy in Las Vegas.
We like to preach that in times of crisis, communicating to your customers and the public is a priority. That priority dropped down on the list for the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Sunday as the property became the scene of an active shooter unleashing a hellish amount of firepower on innocent concert goers–killing nearly 60, wounding more than 500. How can you find the right words when words can’t express the horror?
That didn’t stop Monday morning quarterbacks from questioning the resort’s social media strategy in the Las Vegas Review. A Las Vegas crisis communicator said the hotel should have been on Twitter as the tragedy unfolded. Sadly, everyone in crisis communications and strategy will learn new lessons from the nightmare.
I’m not among those critics. It was uncharted territory and a rampage which left everyone speechless.
Investigators and media watchdogs will no doubt examine what could have been done differently and reporters are already speculating as to whether hotel security staffs need more training to deal with the modern threats of our violent 21st century.
Training for the unthinkable is now required. Sadly for society, the same is true for all of us.