MS&L Worldwide

Recession Recovery Team

At MS&L we understand that companies requiring help with communications during tough times need the experience and insight of the most trusted advisors.

This is why our Recession Response Team includes some of our most senior consultants to ensure that you benefit from the best high-level strategic communications counsel – what you want, when you need it.

The team has experience working for a spectrum of clients, including HSBC, Coca-Cola, Philips, Citibank, AOL Time Warner, Shell, Vauxhall, Diamond Trading Company, Rolex, Glaxo Wellcome, and Procter & Gamble.

Our Services

Restructure and Redundancy
Leadership Transition
Media Training
Reputation Management
Internal Communications
Crisis and Issues Preparedness
Stakeholder Communications

Restructure & redundancy announcements

Since the beginning of Credit Crunch ’08, restructuring and redundancy announcements have hit the news on a daily basis. Repeatedly we are reminded that no business, no matter how strong it appears, is immune to the current economic situation.

Whether you are looking to outsource a function, or review resources to remain in line with demand, it is crucial that such changes are communicated to stakeholders in a coherent and structured manner.

Our Recession Response Team can help to ensure damage limitation with strategic but sensitive communication in difficult times. Whatever your plan may be, an eye to external reputation through internal engagement makes sound long-term business sense.

Leadership transition

Analysts and commentators speak of the current economic slow down, but in reality the reverse is the case. The speed and scale of the recession has seen long-established financial, manufacturing and retail companies brought to their knees in a matter of weeks.

Any major change – whether to a company’s structure or to its leadership – will inevitably have a disruptive impact on both its employees and its external stakeholders.

MS&L can help you plan your internal and external communications to ensure minimal disruption and swift and smooth acceptance of any change. Investment in communication during times of transition is the key to retaining your reputation and – through this – your market share.

Media training

A co-ordinated network of spokespeople is key to building momentum around media interest and protecting a company’s reputation in times of crisis. Equally important is that this network is trained to represent and defend your company in a clear and compelling way, whatever the situation.

Our specialist team offers training for your key representatives to respond appropriately and professionally to any communications eventuality and ensure that the company’s key messages are communicated with optimum impact.

Reputation management

A sound reputation serves as a magnet, allowing organisations to attract and retain the best talent, clients, customers and suppliers. It helps organisations to build meaningful partnerships and deliver business goals.

Managing this important business asset means ensuring that you work collaboratively with stakeholders and remain aware of the requirements and expectations of all your audiences.

We believe that a crucial aspect to strong reputation management is robust measurement. Our dedicated research team can develop proprietary tools that will provide you with the knowledge and insights you need to ensure that any strategic reputation management programme can celebrate your areas of greatest success and mitigate any challenge to reputation presented by areas of weakness.

Internal communications

When engaged, employees can fulfil an ambassadorial role for their companies; they can also be a company’s greatest and most impactful critic if communication is mishandled in challenging times.

We believe that strong strategic internal communication is core to a healthy wider reputation. Especially in times of economic instability, employers need to reassure their workforce by positioning the company and its leadership as accessible, transparent and responsive. This is key to retaining top talent, which is a driver to gaining a competitive advantage in the market place.

MS&L’s dedicated specialist team has a vast stock of experience and expertise in this discipline. We can provide you with both the strategic counsel and the materials you need to build internal engagement at every level, providing the foundation for an external reputation as an employer of choice.

Crisis and issues preparedness

Strong management of issues and crises can mitigate their potential impact; we believe that preparation is the best way to avoid such occurrences.

Every business issue will inevitably have an impact on reputation, just as every threat to reputation will have an impact on business. Measured, consistent, appropriate and timely communication can limit the damage caused to either. Whether you need counsel on how best to communicate or help with drafting relevant content, we can ensure that you meet standards of best practice and mitigate potential impacts.

For companies looking to ensure they are prepared for any issues arising, our team can help to map and prioritise current risks and issues and work with you to review the scenarios that may arise from those risks. From this knowledge base, we can then help you to prepare both strategy and materials to respond immediately and effectively to any attacks on the chinks in your armour.

Stakeholder communications

Building strong relationships and maintaining trust with key stakeholders can impact on your reputation, your profitability and even your license to operate.

Strategic communication ensures that lasting engagement can be established and strengthened so that you have the support you need from the right people, in the right place at the right time.

At MS&L not only can we help you to identify and prioritise your key stakeholders, we can also help you to deliver effective outreach to key groups and build relationships that give you competitive advantage.

Contact Us

By post:
MS&L London
Pembroke Building
Kensington Village
Avonmore Rd
London
W14 8DG
recessionrecoveryteam@mslworldwide.com