public relations during times of crisis
DESCRIPTION
So what is a crisis anyway? How many kinds of crises are there? What are the best steps to handling a crisis? This presentation will guide you through public relations during times of crisis. [NOTE: Many thanks go to Kami Huyse; her presentation given to the Boys & Girls Club makes up the core of this slide deck.]TRANSCRIPT
Public Relations During Times of Crisis
Crisis is . . .
“A nonroutine event that risks undesired visibility that in turn threatens significant reputational damage”
Credit: Doorley & Garcia, p. 328
4 Types of Crises
• Meteor• Predator• Breakdown• Lingering
Credit: Shel Holtz @ http://blog.holtz.com/index.php/weblog/crisis_communication_fundamentals/ Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kittymeetsgoat/1373562566/
Sparks of a Crisis
• Environmental• Technological• Terroristic• Criminal Misconduct• Managerial• Accidental
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/liberato/2521884271/
Benefits of Planning
• Reduce Stress• Demonstrates Goodwill• Flow of Information• Involves Stakeholders• Business Continuity
1. A list of the members of the crisis management team
2. Contact information for key officers, spokespeople, and crisis management team members
3. Fact sheets on the company, each division, each physical location, and each product offered.
4. Profiles and biographies for each key manager in your company
Credit: Don Crowther at http://www.globalprblogweek.com/archives/7_musthave_elements_.php
7 Must Have Elements in Your Crisis Communication Kit
7 Must Have Elements in Your Crisis Communication Kit, cont’d
5. Copies of your company, division and product logos, your press release format and the scanned in signature of your CEO on disk
6. Pre-written scripts answering key questions that you have generated through your crisis scenario analysis
7. Contact information for each of your key media contacts both locally, nationally, and if appropriate, key financial press and analysts.
Credit: Don Crowther at http://www.globalprblogweek.com/archives/7_musthave_elements_.php
Environmental Scan: Search for the Negative
• Google Alerts• search.twitter.com• For-fee services like
Radian6 & CustomScoop
From Brian Solis: http://www.briansolis.com/2008/11/reinventing-crisis-communications-for.html
The “Suck OR Die” Factor
• “product+sucks”• “company+sucks”• “die+company”• “i+hate+company”
From Brian Solis: http://www.briansolis.com/2008/11/reinventing-crisis-communications-for.html
3 Rs of Crisis Communication
ResearchResponseRecovery
Photo by Christopher.Woo, Flickr
RESEARCH
• Relationship Building• Environmental Scan• Emergency Personnel• Notification Procedures• Communication Procedures• Practice
Building Relationshipswith Stakeholders
Emergency Personnel Team
• Spokesperson (1-2)• Phone team• Researcher and writer• Business continuity• Decision maker• Legal council, if applicable
Notification Procedures1. Emergency Personnel Team2. Board of Directors3. Employees4. Members5. Other Stakeholders
Communication Procedures
1. Platform2. Priority3. Policy
Spokespersons
• Interest and Empathy• Honesty and Authenticity• Responsive and Proactive• Open to Criticism
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/presta/142795058/
Bridging• Don’t Know: I don’t know, but I can tell you…• Time: That may have been the case in the
past. Now we are…• Importance: That once was important. What
is most important now is…• Completing: I think you would have a more
complete picture if you considered…• Yes and No: No, let me explain. Yes, and
furthermore…
RESPONSE
• Emergency Notification• Gathering Information• Releasing Information• Stages of Crisis
4 Stages of a Crisis
Heroic Honeymoon
Disillusionment Reconstruction
From Communication Overtones
Notification
Gathering Information
Releasing Information
Tell It
• Tell it all• Tell it fast• Tell them what you’re
doing about it• Tell them when it’s over• Get back to work
Credit: Doorley & Garcia, p. 336
RECOVERY
• Follow up• Proactive storytelling• Solidify relationships• Adjust plan
YOUR TURN
Measuring “Success”
• Power of the Impact– How hard
• Breadth of the Impact– How long
• Depth of the Impact– How isolated
Credit: Ike Pigott
Kami Watson Huyse, APRPhone: (713) 568-5750
E-mail: [email protected]: Communication Overtones
Web site: www.myprpro.com
Used with PermissionCopyright August 2008 © all rights reserved
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Prepare at Work,American Red Cross
• “Now is Too Late,” by Gerald R. Baron• CrisisBlogger• 7 Must-Have Elements for Crisis Planning• Crisis Communication Articles• Emergency Procedures Flowcharts• Doorley, J., & Garcia, H. F. (2007). Reputation
management: The key to successful public relations and corporate communications. New York: Routledge.
Barbara B. Nixon, Ph.D. (ABD)Public Relations Faculty MemberSoutheastern University
E-mail: [email protected]: barbaranixonSkype: barbara.b.nixonBlog: Public Relations Matters
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