C4CS® - Leaders in Strategic Communication and Crisis Management

The inability to recognize and act upon the fact that most stakeholders perceive and react to risk in a fundamentally different way than risk analysts, scientists and senior managers do, frequently has even the most powerful corporations scrambling for answers. As a result, the desire to master the art of communicating risk effectively continues to increase on an international scale, and our risk communication services remain in high demand.

But multiple views of risk are not the only challenge. Because the media interpret risk to the public, it is of critical importance to also understand how traditional and social media work, how journalists and social media users translate risk information, and what management must do to communicate risk information without jeopardizing reputation, stakeholder trust, and the bottom line.

C4CS® is at the forefront of developing risk communication strategies and the corresponding risk messages tailored to the needs of corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. We have more than 25 years of experience in advising client partners concerning matters involving regulatory agencies and stakeholder criticism, as well as an excellent track record of combining risk communication expertise with tested conflict management strategies.

Our risk communication approach enables us to assist our client partners in effectively managing mounting pressure from, and unfounded allegations made by, well-organized activists, citizen journalists, and other stakeholders.

C4CS® has successfully guided dozens of client partners in aligning the analytic (or technical) with the affective (or emotional) view, shaping the public perception of a given risk, creating awareness and an understanding of that particular risk, and seeking cooperative mitigation of the risk.

If you would like to access a risk communication training brochure, please click on this link.

C4CS® Rules for Effective Risk Communication

1. Accept and involve all stakeholders as legitimate partners
2. Listen to your stakeholders and conduct two-way communication
3. Be honest, frank, and open
4. Co-ordinate and collaborate with credible sources
5. Meet the needs of traditional and social media
6. Speak clearly and with compassion