London based public affairs firm Curtin&Co has unveiled its new subsidiary, Crisis Communications. The new Crisis Communications brand will see Curtin&Co’s crisis and reputation portfolio moved to a dedicated team, who will focus solely on supporting clients in the testing and implementation of crisis communications strategies.
Formed in 2009 by Tom Curtin, Curtun&Co have previously offered crisis communications support to clients including Nestlé, AXA and EDF.
The new agency will help clients to prepare and implement effective crisis communications strategies by stress testing existing situations under real world conditions. Crisis Communications runs a ‘real world’ crisis simulation programme, incorporating social media, video feeds, trained journalists, camera operators, actors and other inputs to provide a fully realistic crisis simulation
The launch of Crisis Communications follows the addition of a number of new consultants which include former broadcast journalists, media advisors and experienced crisis communications strategists. The new branch will be directed by Ally Kennedy.
Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Tom Curtin said: “It is a fact of life that crises will happen. When they do they can have a devastating impact on corporate reputation. In the majority of cases it is not the crisis itself that causes the damage, but the way in which the company has handled the communications surrounding the crisis.
“Our new subsidiary will be dedicated to providing expert advice to clients on how to prepare and test strategies long before a crisis hits”.