malcolm oliver: business continuity: dramas, crises and other local difficulties… and how to...

I wouldn't start from here if I were you

Managing Communications in a Time of Trial

Malcolm Oliver

Edinburgh University Business School7 May 2013

Professional iconoclast

Professional iconoclast

Why?Why not?

PR is not a separate discipline

Part of overall communications mix

Marketing promises ...Everyone else delivers or denies

Case studies

The lessons of history

Real-time learning

Case studies

Johnson & Johnson – TylenolEquitable Life

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/business/cris/ukec2011papers.html

BP – Gulf of MexicoIDS – £53 a week

John Lewis

Key principles

Tell the truth

Key principles

Tell the truthTell the whole truth

Key principles

Tell the truthTell the whole truth

Be true to your values

To thine own self be true

Equitable Life

John Lewis

To thine own self be true?

Key principles

Tell the truthTell the whole truth

Be true to your valuesDon't start from here

Mr Loophole

Key principles

Tell the truthTell the whole truth

Be true to your valuesDon't start from here

Explain what you are doing and why

Key principles

Tell the truthTell the whole truth

Be true to your valuesDon't start from here

Explain what you are doing and whyWatch your back

Competitors Regulators Government Media

Key principles

Tell the truthTell the whole truth

Be true to your valuesDon't start from here

Explain what you are doing and whyWatch your back

Think of your customers and staff

Key principles

Think of your customers and staffBe prepared

Key principles

Think of your customers and staffBe preparedBe decisive

Johnson & Johnson

Key principles

Think of your customers and staffBe preparedBe decisive

And assess the downside impact before deciding

GoogleAmazonStarbucks

Key principles

Think of your customers and staffBe preparedBe decisive

Be sensitive to culture

BP – Gulf of Mexico

Key principles

Think of your customers and staffBe preparedBe decisive

Be sensitive to cultureAdmit your mistakes

Equitable Life

Key principles

Think of your customers and staffBe preparedBe decisive

Be sensitive to cultureAdmit your mistakes

Be – and sound – sincere

Key principles

Think of your customers and staffBe preparedBe decisive

Be sensitive to cultureAdmit your mistakes

Be – and sound – sincereTake a long-term view

Cautionary tales

Choose your words very carefully

Cautionary tales

Choose your words very carefully

Don't create your own disasters

The eclipse of the Cornish eclipse

Cautionary tales

Choose your words very carefully

Don't create your own disasters

It's not what you say ...

There are known knowns; there are things we know that we know.

There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know

we don't know.

But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don’t know.

I wouldn't start from here if I were you

Malcolm Oliver

0131 333 539007979 673846

malcolm.oliver@cantab.net

Edinburgh University Business School7 May 2013