6 Things You Must Do Immediately When Capitalism Hits the Fan
When "it" hits the fan
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Transcript of When "it" hits the fan
By Red Shoes PR
When “it” hits the fan
Today’s presentation you will learn:
Basics on how to prepare for a crisis What to do when “it” hits the fan The importance of consistent messaging The important role social media plays The speed of communications and
sequencing After the crisis
The question is …
How many of you have a crisis plan in place?
Flickr photo by comicsrainbow
It’s not a matter of if …
It’s a matter of when
Flickr photo by AlanCleaver_2000
Before “it” hits, you need to:
Determine or define what a crisis is to your organization Accident? Issue? Emergency?
Time is on your side …
BEFORE a crisis hits
What a crisis is
An action or event that has the impact to stop your business in its tracks and the potential to shake your organization’s long-standing credibility
The situation has the potential to “bring the brand and subsequently the company down.”
The many faces of crisis
Layoffs Employee embezzlement Workplace violence Bomb threat Disgruntled customer Accident/injuries And the list goes on Because of the speed of communications,
something seemingly benign could get the best of your organization. Oftentimes through misinformation
From Social Media to Mainstream Media and beyond
Video found on The Consumerist
Domino’s Response
YouTube video from president
Video found on Vojtech(PR)
Typically …
An organization wants to duck and cover hoping the situation blows over
An organization is unable or unwilling to see the situation for what it is … or could be (they are too close to the situation)
Unable to deal with or recognize the speed of communications today
Some other recent crisis
Toyota and sticking gas pedals Japan and earthquake BP GAP logo change RIM (Blackberry) Former congressman Anthony Weiner
How to plan
Draft a simple yet impactful plan Solicit others involvement in
development of plan, this encourages awareness and discussion (include other departments)
How to plan
Identify a core group to handle crisis communications/operations
Identify outside resources you may want to use for planning or when “it” hits the fan
Have simple statements drafted so you can fill information in when the time comes (if possible, identify crisis scenarios and write to those)
Develop or participate in a drill
How to plan
Have working knowledge of communications platforms now … don’t wait until you are under fire Twitter Facebook YouTube Dark website
How to plan
Identify a spokesperson (have a plan B, C, too.)
Have a contact list of your key stakeholders, executives, etc (from electronic to printed)
Outline your target audiences (staff, vendors, public at large, board members, etc.)
How to plan
Have a discussion with key leadership before a crisis hits
Walk through the plan and process Build relationships with local fire, police,
OSHA, etc.
How to plan
Raise difficult questions and try to find answers (better to be aware now of potential pitfalls than later when the media calls)
Have ways to monitor online conversations and coverage Monitoring software Google alerts
How to plan
Remember, crisis communications begins with you and the team!
Communications should be centralized … this means all communications need to be reviewed by central team
Communications team/specialist distributes all messages (internal and external)
One spokesperson Identify individual(s) who will handle all media calls Notify organization of point person and process
Put yourself in the shoes of your audience(s)
And remember …
Media train! Tips such as:
Relaying factual information Paying attention to body language Answering questions succinctly
The impact of social media in today’s crisis communications
Many organization’s focus solely on media
You need to remember social media channels can work in your favor … or against you
Make sure your messaging is consistent You don’t have the luxury of time today
like you did a few years ago
Sequencing of communications What do we mean by sequencing? As much as possible, time the
communications 8a.m. internal all staff memo 8:15 board members 8:30 media
Tip: Keep in mind that once you send an e-mail to internal audiences, the media is only one click away … be ready to roll
What your audiences expect today
Transparency Honesty Listening Response Humility
When “it” hits the fan
Have you ever surfed?
Surfers know that to ride a wave, they have to think ahead and catch the wave … before it catches them
Think of your communications the same way
Flickr photo by casch52
Be proactive in your communications
As much as possible, be proactive in your communications (even if there is no new information, let them know that)
If you have any sense that a story is going to break, get ahead of the communications
Be proactive in your communications
Anticipate questions you might be asked and the responses you are going to give
Project confidence, manage your messaging
You should consider calling a press conference before they call you
Develop key messages
Determine three to five key messages you want your audience to know
Utilize key messages as often as possible in communications
Make sure your messaging response is appropriate (and not way out in left field)
What you send internally should closely match what goes externally
What happens if you wait for the media to call you
You are scrambling to grasp the situation The right people to answer questions
might not be available Your organization looks like it is trying to
“cover” something up Ultimately, your audiences might doubt
your credibility
Organizationally you need to be prepared
Make sure “front line” is set up to handle on-going questions from customers
What you are promising publically to change, your organization needs to live up to these promises
After all, you can’t put lipstick on a pig
Flickr photo by Yann Ropars
Even after a crisis, there’s work to do
Pull the team together to go through what worked and what didn’t work
Discuss what you could do differently next time
Figure out what steps need to be taken to regain trust again
Remember …
Like snowflakes, no two crisis are ever the same
And always have your finger on the pulse of trends and public sentiment
The Golden Hour of communications … the first 60 minutes set the tone
Flickr photo by James Clarke
Questions?
Contact Lisa Cruz, President 920-574-3253 920-205-9796 (the bat phone!) [email protected]