How the Thai cave rescue set a new benchmark for effective crisis communications
Despite breaking a few golden rules, the recent discovery of 12 boys and their football coach in a cave in Thailand wasn’t just a five star rescue mission, but also an example of how to manage a crisis effectively, writes Sefiani Communications Group’s Robyn Sefiani.
While every crisis is different, the 12 young Thai footballers and their coach trapped in a hazardous cave system demanded a unique operational response to rescue the boys in extremely dangerous conditions. As the rescue was delicately executed, the crisis communications response set new benchmarks while breaking some golden rules.
Rule 1: Communicate frequently and transparently
Unlike the Beaconsfield Mine disaster in Tasmania in 2006, where three miners were trapped underground for 14 days, and then-union leader Bill Shorten fronted the media pack with daily or twice daily updates so successfully that it paved his way to Parliament House, communications at Thailand’s Tham Luang cave were less formal and frequent, but every bit as effective and transparent.
Please Mumbrella, stop whitesplaining the Mae Sai cave rescue with people who’s entire knowledge of it came from watching and listening to the ABC.
BURN!! and a good point as well.
For the record, the article was submitted to Mumbrella prior to the ABC 4 Corners program.
Thailand is run by a military junta… Suggesting any valid parallels with media relations in a democratic environment is simply naive.