Corporate Mind in a Crisis

o Our stock is tanking!

o The board of directors is angry!

o I’m going to be late getting home tonight!

o I’ll lose my job!

o I don’t know what I’m doing!

o I want my life back!

Consumer Mind in a Crisis

•What’s the issue?•Who is the audience?•What are their questions?•What’s our goal?•What is our message?•What is our picture?

First Questions

Controlling the Story

FACTS

POSITIVE THEME

NEGATIVE THEME

What you say

How you say it

Effective Messages• Positive

Never defensive

• Concrete Supported by strong evidence

• Empathetic Responsive to audience concerns

Five Common Mistakes

• Weak messages• Wrong messenger• Wrong picture• Failure to think like a

consumer• Covering up