Change is an inevitable part of doing business; crisis and respective unforeseen events also constitute an intrinsic facet and learning opportunity of organizational progress (Heath, 2001). In times of crisis, public relations constitutes an imperative supporting element to the overall managerial activity involving a four-step process including analysis, strategic planning, implementation and evaluation (Ledingham and Bruning, 2000) in applying broader practice beyond the immediate crisis with foresight. to the future of the organization as a whole. To be an effective crisis management tactic, such a communications approach must be cross-departmental, to support executive initiatives aimed at establishing reputational image and reestablishing long-term relationships with key audiences (Atkins, Bates and Drennan, 2006). It is crucial to serve the best interest and well-being of all stakeholders involved (Valackiene, 2010) and to function as a strategic management tool with the aim of maintaining core organizational activities (Grunig and Grunig, 1998), while identifying social, political, economic variance factors. Public relations theorist Grunig further identifies the important role of public relations as a (crisis) management function aimed at bringing great merit to key publics, fueled by ethical and social responsibility in the best interests of those publics ( 2006). When defining appropriate courses of action in presenting key messages, "apology", a rhetorical technique, is frequently used to address crisis situations (Smith, 2009), to repair one's image or to defend ; and when disseminating such messages, it is imperative to demonstrate morality and trustworthiness (Khors Schultz and Huxman, 2003). Cutlip, Center......middle of article......ews.com/200809291065/headline-news/a-case-study-in-effective-crisis-manag ement [Accessed November 9, 2013 ]Tanche, R. and Yeomans, L., 2009. Exploring public relations. Second edition. England: Prentice HillTrautman, TD, 2001. Risk communication: perceptions and realities. Food additives and contaminants. Available at: http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=4&sid=8bac7563-bf84-485d-a852-8ddfef45 30 8d% 40SES SIONMGR113 & HID = 107 & BDATA = JN NPDGU9Z 537 [Accessed November 22 2013]Valackiene, A., 2010. Effective business communication: crisis management decisions. Engineering economics. [Accessed November 8, 2013]. Available at: http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds /detail?sid= 5d3d 5d3d 5639-43fd-4099-9c7a-69d0473c78d3%40sessionm gr12&vid=1&hid =16&bdata=JnN pdGU9ZWRzL Wxp dmU%3d#db=bth&AN=495727 99 [ Accessed: November 23, 2013]