Crisis Management
Incidents and crises can affect anyone
Any organisation can find itself in situations that cause major damage or even threaten its continued existence. Immediate and often far-reaching decisions are required. Without proper preparation, incidents and crises can easily lead to damage that could have been avoided.
Active communication is a central building block of every form of crisis prevention and crisis management. If communication is not handled carefully during an incident or crisis, an organisation can lose the trust of its stakeholders almost instantly. Professional and proactive incident and crisis communication plays an important role in both prevention and response and helps minimise reputational damage.
Especially in incidents and crisis situations, one principle applies: communication is not a one-way street, and media relations are only one part of the task. The guiding principle is: “Inform, explain and listen well.”
Building trust in a crisis
Together, we create the conditions needed to prevent communication-related crises within your organisation. As part of your incident and crisis response structure, we identify possible scenarios and define responsibilities and procedures. If an incident occurs or a crisis breaks out, we stand by your side and ensure that those directly and indirectly affected, your organisation’s stakeholders and the public are informed professionally.
An incident and crisis response organisation must never lose sight of the needs of those most severely affected by the crisis. Only then can it manage the situation successfully. Media relations are therefore only one part of communication: direct contact with those affected builds trust and enables feedback to flow back into the crisis organisation.
Focusing on those affected can minimise damage during an incident or crisis and strengthen trust in the organisation.
Incident and crisis communication
Whether a crisis is triggered by an accident, economic difficulties or misconduct, active communication has become a decisive factor in successfully managing incidents and crises.
The role of incident and crisis communication is to actively inform affected parties, stakeholders and the public, while also ensuring that the crisis organisation receives relevant feedback on its ongoing work. In this way, it helps protect both an organisation and the people affected by the crisis from avoidable harm.
The growth of online editorial media and social media has massively increased expectations around communications work during incidents and crises. Those who communicate actively and transparently remain a primary source of information and can retain control of the narrative.
Protect those affected, keep them actively informed, and listen to them carefully
Risk dialogue on the “Brienz slide” in Albula/Alvra (GR)
The mountain village of Brienz/Brinzauls, in the Graubünden municipality of Albula/Alvra, is sliding downhill by one metre per year. At the same time, it is threatened by a rockfall or mountain collapse. The municipality is preparing itself and the affected residents for all possible scenarios, including the evacuation of the village.
Christian Gartmann is a member of the municipal command staff and advises the decision-making bodies on communications behind the scenes and in public. As part of an ongoing risk dialogue, the population is kept continuously informed about the situation and educated about the possible scenarios. Their questions and concerns are fed into the work of the municipal leadership. A detailed information bulletin is published every month, and an information event is held three to four times a year, during the pandemic as an internet livestream.
Nominated for the International German PR Prize
The municipality of Albula/Alvra and Christian Gartmann AG were nominated for the International German PR Prize 2024. In doing so, the jury recognised the risk dialogue and crisis communications for the village of Brienz/Brinzauls and its evacuation in summer 2023.
Christian Gartmann is responsible for the risk dialogue and crisis communications within the municipal command staff. Since 2019, he has been designing and delivering a risk dialogue on the natural hazards posed by the major Brienz landslide, as well as on the comprehensive measures taken by the municipality and the canton of Graubünden. The people affected are at the centre of this work: they always have the opportunity to engage directly with the municipal command staff and its specialists. When the village had to be evacuated in summer 2023, a dialogue-based crisis communication approach was put into action, as media from four continents reported on the fate of Brienz/Brinzauls.
Taskforce «Corona EngadinTask Force “Corona Engadin”
Together with the destination organisation Engadin St. Moritz and hoteliers’ president Christoph Schlatter, Christian Gartmann brought together a task force made up of the most important stakeholder groups in Engadin tourism. They took on the task of preparing the region and its businesses more effectively for the “Corona winter” of 2020/2021 and promoting consistent protective measures against the pandemic across the entire region. Representatives from the healthcare sector also joined, and at the task force’s invitation, a coordination group involving all municipalities was formed as well.
Christian Gartmann founded and led the task force and coordinated its work with all 13 municipalities. For businesses in the region, he developed, among other things, scenario plans to help them prepare for the winter season, as well as working materials for staff training and guest communication.
Coronavirus: Crisis Management and Crisis Communication
The coronavirus pandemic was the greatest crisis to hit Europe since the Second World War. Companies, organisations and public authorities had to activate crisis response structures in record time to address the challenges they faced.
Christian Gartmann advised numerous crisis organisations on crisis management and crisis communication. During the first acute phase in March 2020, he led the media office for the Graubünden Cantonal Command Staff.
He advises a government ministry as well as numerous municipalities, companies and organisations in the tourism and sports sectors, along with political decision-makers, on the tactical and operational aspects of crisis management and media relations.
JU-AIR JU-52 crash near Flims (GR)
The crash of a historic Swiss JU-AIR JU-52 in the Graubünden Alps claimed the lives of seventeen passengers and three crew members on 4 August 2018.
Christian Gartmann has supported JU-AIR in crisis management and crisis communication since the day of the accident. At the centre of these efforts are comprehensive and transparent public information, as well as communication with the families of the victims. Christian Gartmann advises the company’s management on communication with the media and with those affected, for example in relation to the organisation of commemorative events. He also serves as the airline’s media spokesperson and actively supports media professionals in their individual editorial work.
“InfoBondo” crisis communication honored
The crisis communication in the municipality of Bregaglia following the landslide and debris flows in 2017 has been awarded the Swiss Prize for Corporate Communications. The jury of experts praised the ongoing dialogue with those affected and the comprehensive media work.
InfoBondo was “the return of dialogue in the midst of a crisis,” said jury president Prof. Peter Stücheli-Herlach in his laudatory speech. It was not a rigid plan that led to success, but the agile cooperation of all. “When people communicate so responsibly, they can handle the most difficult situations.” The “Swiss Award Corporate Communications” is the only Swiss prize for corporate communications.
Rockslide and debris flows near Bondo
Eight people were buried in a huge rock slide in Val Bondasca in Bergell in summer 2017. Shortly thereafter, debris flows broke up and penetrated into the area of the village of Bondo. Almost 150 people were evacuated and more than 30 buildings were destroyed. The media interest was enormous.
As a member of the community leadership staff, Christian Gartmann was responsible for communication with those affected, local population and the national public. Regular information events and active media relations ensured information and exchange with the population. He advised and supervised the members of the management staff in communication work and ensured comprehensive issue management.
Crisis management for major events
Almost 20,000 people (participants, helpers, spectators and companions are out and about in Engadin Ski Marathon during the week of the Engadin Ski Marathon. Christian Gartmann is a member of the organizer's crisis team and supports him in crisis management and crisis communication.
With the support of Christian Gartmann, a crisis plan and a crisis communication concept were developed and applied several times. In the event of incidents and accidents, the focus is on quickly informing those affected, relatives and the public. It aims to support victims, relatives and members of the organization in a crisis situation and to protect their privacy.
Small aircraft crash in Engadin
During a mountain sightseeing flight, a single-engine aircraft from the Upper Engadine motor flight group crashed. Two passengers and the pilot were killed, one passenger survived.
Christian Gartmann was responsible for the public relations work of the motor flight group, transparently informed the public about the reasons behind the flight and protected the surviving dependants of the pilot and passengers from speculation in the media.
Crisis communication for regional airport
Engadin Airport in Samedan near St. Moritz (ICAO code: LSZS) has mandated Christian Gartmann to act as advisor and spokesperson in crisis situations. His task includes informing those affected, stakeholders and the public in crisis scenarios of all kinds.
Editorial work in crisis situations
During his years as a reporter and editor for Zurich's private broadcaster “Radio Z”, Christian Gartmann got to know numerous companies in crisis situations.
As an aviation journalist, he reported on aircraft and helicopter accidents involving Alitalia, Crossair, Privaten, REGA and Swissair. He accompanied these tragedies from the day of the accident to the completion of the accident investigations and thus became familiar with the particular needs of media in such exceptional situations from his own point of view.
Traditional companies fighting for survival
The Swiss media marketer Publicitas faced an existential crisis more than 100 years after its founding. The company underwent a far-reaching reorganization.
As a member of the Directorate General, Christian Gartmann was responsible for internal and external communication. They succeeded in keeping the company out of the big headlines. The workforce in 23 countries and stakeholders were transparently informed about the current situation and the direction of the reorganization could be explained.
Presentations and courses: crisis management and communication
Christian Gartmann is a sought-after speaker, lecturer and author on crisis management and crisis communication. Adapted to the interests of the respective audience, he reports on crisis situations and the experiences and lessons he draws from them.
In lectures, technical contributions, seminars and courses, he prepares companies for crises and the importance of communication in such situations.
- Office for Civil Protection, Liechtenstein
- Office of Military and Civil Protection, Solothurn
- Department of Forest and Natural Hazards, Graubünden
- Conrad Storz AG, Pontresina
- Engadin Ski Marathon
- Patrons' Association “Award PR”
- Cantonal Management Staff of Graubünden
- Heli Bernina AG, Samedan
- Rhaetian Railway AG, Chur
- Rehab Clinic Bad Zurzach
- Rotex Helicopter AG, Balzers (FL)
- Municipality of St. Moritz (municipal management staff)
- Swiss Army, Coordinated Medical Service
- Switzerland. Crisis Communications Association (VKK)
- Swiss Helicopter Association (SHA)
- Association of Friends of the Swiss Air Force (VFL)
