The Alton Towers Smiler disaster or BP’s oil spill prove that just one event can have a massive impact on an organisation’s reputation with both the public and business partners. How a company handles these crises is more important than ever with the evolution of social media and fake news.

Doing the right things and doing them quickly is critical. BP clearly didn’t, and faced a huge media backlash. In stark contrast, Merlin’s response to the Alton Towers Smiler disaster illustrates many of the areas that are critical when responding to a crisis. Merlin instantly closed the site for a week, instituted immediate safety improvements at all parks and, crucially, said sorry, accepting ‘full responsibility’ and offering to help the victims financially. The firm even advised victims to hire a personal injury lawyer after admitting liability.

For companies faced by a crisis, we have a pool of crisis experts who can be deployed to provide direct support through those difficult times. By being responsive and vigilant, our team can help companies recover quickly if a crisis hits. We advise businesses on when and how to communicate with investors, employees and the wider public to address a situation before it escalates.