Crisis communications in the Digital Age

© 2012 by Precious Communications 1

Lars Voedisch Communications Strategist [email protected]

Crisis Communications in the Digital Age Getting prepared to deal with the unexpected

@larsv

© 2012 by Precious Communications

Who We Are

• Communications Strategy

• Traditional & Social Media Relations

• Crisis Preparedness

• Internal Communications

• Media Training

• Analysis, Measurement, Research

Our

experience,

Your

success!

Lars Voedisch Principal Consultant

[email protected]

© 2012 by Precious Communications Source: What happens on the Internet every 60 seconds - Rosa Golijan

3

http://prblog.visibli.com/share/3xYxhw


• Be (Seen) Innovative – But Please Don’t Take Any Risk, Use Only Proven Methods

Caught in a Dilemma

4


How well are YOU prepared?

Source: The Rising CCO IV – Spencer Stuart / Webber Shandwick 5

CCOs rank social media as their top challenge in the year ahead


1. unexpected (i.e., a surprise)

2. creates uncertainty

3. is seen as a threat to important goals

6


Crisis Fundamentals

Emergence:

Issue gets

public

Spreading:

Growing

interest

Establishment:

Full crisis

Erosion:

Relevance

declines

Potential:

Known areas

YOU?

7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BP_Logo.svg


Crisis Fundamentals

Emergence:

Issue gets

public

Spreading:

Growing

interest

Establishment:

Full crisis

Erosion:

Relevance

declines

Potential:

Known areas

YOU?

When a crisis happens:

Get it fast,

Get it right,

Get it out, and

Get it over!

Your problem won’t improve with age. N. Augustine, CEO Lockhead Martin

Time is crucial for managing risk

as it allows you to stay in the

‘driver seat’

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BP_Logo.svg


Where does a

CRISIS happen vs.

where does it start? How does the story

play out in traditional

and social media?

How bad (or good) is

it?

Know your trigger points!


Nestlé's social media crisis

Nestlé

unwillingly

put public

attention to

Greenpeace's

video

campaign

10


Nestlé

unwillingly

put public

attention to

Greenpeace's

video

campaign

Activists

change their

Facebook

profile photos

to anti-Nestlé

slogans and

start posting

to the Nestlé

fan page

11


Nestlé

unwillingly

put public

attention to

Greenpeace's

video

campaign

Activists

change their

Facebook

profile photos

to anti-Nestlé

slogans and

start posting

to the Nestlé

fan page

Nestlé: “To repeat: we

welcome your

comments, but please

don't post using an

altered version of any of

our logos as your profile

pic--they will be

deleted”

12


Nestlé

unwillingly

put public

attention to

Greenpeace's

video

campaign

Activists

change their

Facebook

profile photos

to anti-Nestlé

slogans and

start posting

to the Nestlé

fan page


welcome your


don't post using an



pic--they will be

deleted”

Now it even went worse with all

kinds of criticism, allegations

and simple insults being posted

(e.g. bottled water dispute in the

US, “killing babies”…)

13


Nestlé

unwillingly

put public

attention to

Greenpeace's

video

campaign

Activists

change their

Facebook

profile photos

to anti-Nestlé

slogans and

start posting

to the Nestlé

fan page


welcome your


don't post using an



pic--they will be

deleted”






Key learnings:

Control? Don't use

lawyers to take

things off the

Internet

Admit it, stop it, and

apologize. FAST!

Customers

criticizing you are

telling you

something very

valuable

14


Nestlé

unwillingly

put public

attention to

Greenpeace's

video

campaign

Activists

change their

Facebook

profile photos

to anti-Nestlé

slogans and

start posting

to the Nestlé

fan page


welcome your


don't post using an



pic--they will be

deleted”






Key learnings:

Control? Don't use

lawyers to take

things off the

Internet

Admit it, stop it, and

apologize. FAST!

Customers

criticizing you are

telling you

something very

valuable

What are your

Rules of Engagement?

A crisis response protocol?

How fast can you react?

Who decides?

15


Who and where are

your stakeholders?


How to Deal with Comments – YOUR Response Plan

• Comment / Blog Post Validity

• Level of Responsibility

• Level of Respect

• The Commenter is a Troll / Rager

• The Commenter is a Spammer by Nature

Source: PR 2.0 Comment Response Chart 17

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremiah_owyang/3154057414/

http://www.deirdrebreakenridge.com/2011/01/pr-2-0-comment-response-chart/


The BIGGER picture: What’s your engagement plan?

What can/should your staff say – or not? Do you have a proper escalation path? How do you get ready for ‘beta’ mode?

18


Pressing the delete button for comments? Some reasons that might be acceptable…

• Racism

• Sexism

• Verbal abuse

• Inappropriate language

• Pornographic content

• (Blatant hostile behaviour toward other community members)

However: It is imperative that you have a policy on your Facebook page if you choose to delete content!

19 Source: 5 ways to handle negative Facebook comments - PR Daily

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/24c8dd98-d1a8-4c7b-9b39-244c5da84db8.aspx


The Social Dimension of Social Media

[Brands] have to surprise me, not only meet my needs, but anticipate my needs.

By using social media exclusively, I think the company has to

answer me whenever I have a question, enlighten me whenever I complain,

and thank me whenever I compliment them.

Source: The Language of Love in Social Media - Firefly Millward Brown 20

http://www.fireflymb.com/Libraries/Social_Media_Study/2010_SocialMediaStudy_SummaryReport.sflb.ashx

© 2012 by Precious Communications 21 Source: Not So SMRT: A Case Study of Communications Failure - Skribe

Key Learnings

1) Speed is critical 2) Honesty is a virtue

3) Make your CEO visible 4) Brands have to be on alert in order to

correct any false assumptions before they reach critical mass

5) Track it

http://cotweet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1.png




http://www.skribeproductions.com/2011/12/21/not-so-smrt-a-case-study-of-communications-failure/


• Lack of Social Media Guidelines • No Senior Management Support • Undefined Mission and Roadmap • Focus on Technologies and Techniques

rather then the Social Dimension of Social Media

• Lack of Initiative (Procrastination) • Thinking 9-to-5

Social Media - Key Mistakes

Social Media is… Instant Global

Uncensored

Source: Social Media and Crisis Management – Disaster Resource Guide

22


• The first hours matter!

• Tell people what to expect through regular updates

• Reach your stakeholders where they look for you (“online crisis room”)

• Confirm facts but don’t speculate - Do acknowledge uncertainty

• Don’t lie and don’t tell half-truths

• Communicate clearly and with empathy

• Stay Alert!

Rules of Communication:

Crisis Situations

23

http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=24679

http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/newsphoto/2001-09/010913-D-9880W-022.jpg


The world we live in…

24


Social Media Disaster “Highlights”

25

Know your audience, know what’s important for them… and

know when you’re logged in with your company account!



‘News jacking’ is a nice idea – but be sensitive!



Timing is everything… and knowing what’s actually

happening in your company


Public Relations in beta mode: Do you have time for real-time?

• Real-time web, events and communication are going to happen much faster

• There is not enough time to get corporate content or responses 100% ready, checked and double-checked

• Learn from Technology companies?

• Launch in beta mode

• Tweak it along the way

• Decentralize where possible

Source: Marketing in real time, Oh Yong Hwee, Media 28

http://blog.media.asia/yonghwee/marketing-in-real-time/



http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds2-3/gfx/realtime.gif


Time to start or review

Review your current policies for engagement

Do scenario / crisis planning

White-board your process

Stress-test your plans

Draw and distribute

29


What happens in Huili county / Sichuan…








Are we too proud? Sorry seems to be the hardest word…

• Don't RE-act right away

• Acknowledge - Don't be angry

• Admit the mistake and apologize

• Take ownership

• Ask for forgiveness and make the needed changes – use the magic words: “I’m sorry” and “thank you”

37 Source: When You're Wrong, Say You're Sorry - SOLUTIONS: Social Media

http://www.solutionssocialmedia.com/2011/02/when-youre-wrong-say-youre-sorry-or.html


Crisis Survival Lessons for the Social Media Age

38

In a crisis, consumers need honest answers and

they need them fast – and no messaging vehicle is better suited to meet this demand than those fueling

the crisis in the first place.

Transparent engagements in the online communities, where your customers already live,

provide a credible and direct channel for the answers they need.


Case Study: Barclays UK

39

Dan’s a HR manager and spends £5 a day on lunch. That’s about £100 a month; enough to buy a ticket to the vintage car festival he really wants to go to in August. Bringing food from home for a couple of months would mean a more memorable end to the summer. So come on Dan, get making those sandwiches and book those festival tickets.

Source: Social Media Influence






Dan’s a HR manager and spends £5 a day on lunch. That’s about £100 a month; enough to buy a ticket to the vintage car festival he really wants to go to in August. Bringing food from home for a couple of months would mean a more memorable end to the summer. So come on Dan, get making those sandwiches and book those festival tickets.


40 Source: Social Media Influence








Bob’s a CEO and spends £5,000 a day on Bollinger. That’s about £155,000 a month; enough to buy a classic Ferrari at the vintage car festival he really wants to go to in August. Rigging LIBOR for a couple of months would mean a more memorable end to the summer.








Source: Social Media Influence






Crisis Rules of Engagement: Is it so different from what we know?

43


Where to start?

• Social media policy

• Engagement objectives

• Rebut false claims and accusations

• Continuously monitor on- and offline content

• Peer-to-peer conversations

• Identify and connect with key online influencers

• Crisis response kit - include social media


Rules of Engagement – Things to Consider

45

Get prepared • Risk Assessment • Simulations • Training

What you need: • A PLAN & Resources! • Scenario planning & Reaction Plans • Guidelines • Listening / monitoring strategy

There is no one-size-fits-all • Better start small than not at all • Form a team • Don’t panic and have fun!

People Processes

Policies






‘Classic’ Case Study: Domino’s YouTube Experience

• Domino’s Pizza Chain discovered the power of viral marketing last month: two employees in the US filmed "prank" videos of themselves stuffing cheese up their noses and then putting it into sandwiches.

• The video went popular on YouTube (over 1 million views), and Twitter lit up with disgusted customer complaints.

• Domino’s apologized and put its own President on YouTube, started a Twitter response site;

• Still: In just a few days, Domino’s reputation was damaged.

46

http://www.dominosbiz.com/Biz-Public-EN/Site+Content/Secondary/International/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing

http://consumerist.com/5210648/dominos-rogue-employees-do-disgusting-things-to-the-food-put-it-on-youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l6AJ49xNSQ


http://twitter.com/dpzinfo

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/media/16dominos.html?_r=1

http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/crisis.png


Dominos CEO.flv


‘Classic’ Case Study: Domino’s YouTube Experience

• Domino’s Pizza Chain discovered the power of viral marketing last month: two employees in the US filmed "prank" videos of themselves stuffing cheese up their noses and then putting it into sandwiches.

• The video went popular on YouTube (over 1 million views), and Twitter lit up with disgusted customer complaints.

• Domino’s apologized and put its own President on YouTube, started a Twitter response site;

• Still: In just a few days, Domino’s reputation was damaged.

Who in YOUR organization would go on Youtube?

What to wear? What to say?

Who to talk to? Are you ready?

Nobody will wait for you…!

47

http://www.dominosbiz.com/Biz-Public-EN/Site+Content/Secondary/International/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing

http://consumerist.com/5210648/dominos-rogue-employees-do-disgusting-things-to-the-food-put-it-on-youtube




http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/media/16dominos.html?_r=1

http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/crisis.png


Dominos CEO.flv

Dominos CEO.flv


Lars Voedisch Communications Strategist [email protected]

@larsv


• Independent, boutique communications consultancy

• Based out of Singapore, at home in Asia and Europe

• Globally connected via affiliation with

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Crisis communications in the Digital Age