Michele Dobnikar, president of GlobalMeet, is a trailblazer who has built a reputable career in business technology over the last 30 years.
Business doesn’t pause for disruptions, and your communications can’t either. As physical and digital risks intensify, whether it’s a cyberattack, natural disaster or a sudden operational shift, companies are expected to stay responsive and connected with internal and external stakeholders at all times.
During a crisis for large companies, downtime costs can be measured in millions of dollars per hour, especially for industries that operate non-stop such as aviation/aerospace, energy, financial services, transportation and utilities. I’ve noticed the organizations that lead through change aren’t the ones with the loudest message; they’re the ones with the most resilient and reliable communications strategy behind it.
Here are four essential components of a future-proof communications strategy and how each element plays a vital role in keeping your teams aligned, your audiences informed and your brand moving forward—even when the unexpected happens.
1. Build a resilient tech stack.
The first step in protecting your communication methods is to build a tech stack that is resilient to the multitude of possible disruptions that could occur. Typically, that means selecting platforms with proven reliability or uptime, enterprise-grade security and built-in compliance and accessibility features that adhere to industry standards and regulatory requirements. It also means having backups, and backups to those backups.
Another critical step to safeguard operations is selecting platforms that can scale easily. In a crisis, I’ve noticed organizations often see a surge in attendance at webcasts, teleconferencing calls or broadcasts. Your technology may need to have the dynamic capacity to support a meeting that goes from 10 to 10,000 attendees in a matter of minutes.
Also, ensure your tech is equipped to protect sensitive data and information, from event content to attendee registration details, unauthorized event access and more. Look for tools that have built-in encryption, multifactor authentication and customizable access controls to create a secure event environment.
Features that prevent event disruptions are equally critical. Tools like speaker prescreening in backstage environments help minimize technical issues and maintain a seamless experience. This added layer of preparedness reinforces business continuity and preserves audience trust.
To ensure your business remains agile during disruptions, choose tech that can grow with your needs, enabling you to stay connected globally and securely no matter the event scale or complexity.
Companies often face challenges when choosing a crisis communication platform. One common issue is integration; the new platform may not mesh well with existing systems, causing workflow disruptions. Seek a solution with API-based integrations to the rest of your tech stack.
It’s also crucial to ensure any platform can handle unexpected spikes, whether from increased attendees or urgent security needs. Without proper planning, these moments can lead to technical glitches and costly disruptions. Another risk is underestimating hidden costs in enterprise-level platforms. While the initial price may seem reasonable, the costs can quickly rise as more features are added or scaling becomes necessary during a crisis.
To avoid these pitfalls, businesses should thoroughly evaluate each platform’s pricing at scale and the responsiveness of the production and support teams to provide urgent live assistance when the unexpected happens.
2. Reduce confusion with multichannel consistency.
Selecting secure, scalable technology is just the foundation; your communication strategy also needs to be equipped to adapt in real time.
Make use of multiple communication avenues by adopting a hybrid approach. Incorporating live, on-demand, mobile and desktop channels gives organizations the redundancy needed to stay connected with global audiences when it matters most. Whether it’s a critical investor update, compliance training or leadership town hall, using multiple delivery channels can help you ensure your message is received.
Prepare to have consistent and clear messaging developed for multiple scenarios before a disruption even occurs. Preapproved messaging frameworks for likely disruptions, whether it’s a data breach, natural disaster or cloud outage, enable teams to act swiftly and cohesively when tensions are high.
Once you’ve assessed the specifics of the situation, that messaging can be quickly tailored to address the specific disruption at hand. Distribute it across all internal and external platforms—email, social, website, press, employee channels—to prevent misinformation, reduce panic and ensure clarity across audiences.
This proactive communication approach not only maintains trust with stakeholders but also reduces downtime caused by confusion, rumor control or conflicting narratives. In short, consistent, preplanned messaging helps protect your brand’s reputation and supports business continuity by enabling smoother operations, faster decision-making and a more confident response when every second counts.
3. Let data drive improvement.
Integrating virtual event analytics with your CRM and marketing platforms can help with maintaining business continuity during times of disruption.
Capture both active data, such as registration info and post-event feedback, and passive data like session attendance, engagement patterns and content interactions, in order to gain insight into which communication strategies resonate and which fall flat. Then, assess the effectiveness of this outreach in real time and adjust on the fly, ensuring messages are landing when clarity matters most.
More importantly, you can use this data as a blueprint for future disruptions, because disruptions will happen. By identifying what messaging formats and channels drove the strongest engagement, teams can refine their communication playbook for the next unexpected event.
4. Keep people first.
At the core of any resilient communication strategy is human-centered design. Prioritizing accessibility ensures your message reaches everyone regardless of ability, language or location. Providing real-time translation, live captioning, on-demand content and high-contrast display modes make it possible for all audiences to engage meaningfully, even during high-stress or rapidly evolving situations. By removing barriers to participation, companies can foster trust, broaden reach and strengthen connection when it matters most.
Future-proofing your communications means planning for uncertainty while keeping people at the center. With the right technology, data insights, consistent messaging and accessibility measures in place, businesses can be equipped to adapt, connect and endure.
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