Today’s guest post is by Mike Mullet.

The terms issue and crisis are often used interchangeably – and so by extension are the terms issue management and crisis management – but they are not the same.

Certainly, an issue and a crisis share some characteristics.

Both can originate internally or externally, both have the potential to damage your business and your brand, and both must be managed.

Perhaps, most importantly, both an issue and a crisis require a thoughtful and proactive communications strategy.

But while an issue may or may not be public knowledge, a crisis almost certainly will be – and too often it is the failure to adequately manage the former that results in the latter. (more…)