Crisis Communications in the Social Media Age #RaganDisney

Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media

Sandra Fathi President, Affect Email: [email protected] tweet: @sandrafathi web: affect.com blog: techaffect.com

Ragan Social Media for PR & Corporate Communications April 4-5, 2014

#ragandisney

PRESENTER BIO

SANDRA FATHI

•  Founder and president of Affect, a public relations and social media firm specializing in technology, healthcare and professional services o  Tri-State District Chair, PRSA o  Past President, PRSA-NY Chapter o  Past President, PRSA Technology Section

[email protected] @sandrafathi

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

CORE CONCEPTS

4 Phases of Crisis Communications

•  Readiness

•  Response

•  Reassurance

•  Recovery


RECOGNIZING CRISES

Internal

•  Employees

•  Facilities

•  Vendors/Suppliers

•  Distributors/Resellers

•  Product

External

•  Acts of Nature

•  Market

•  Legal Restrictions/Law

•  Customers

•  Advocacy Groups

Anticipating & Understanding Threats to a Business

People, Products, Facilities, Environment


CRISIS SCENARIOS

1.  Senior manager accused of inappropriate conduct including lewd photos with employee – Now on Instagram

2.  Employee arrested for hit and run accident – Now Appearing in Google Search

3.  Employee abusing drugs – Now Posted on his Facebook Profile

4.  Customer credit card details leaked – Now On Twitter 5.  Employee posts rant on company and exposes confidential information –

Now on YouTube 6.  Company accused of making children’s toys with poisonous lead paint –

Now on a Mommy Blog


READINESS

Anticipating a Crisis

1.  Crisis Mapping (SWOT Analysis)

2.  Policies and Procedures (Prevention)

3.  Crisis Monitoring

4.  Crisis Communications Plan

5.  Crisis Action Plan

6.  Crisis Standard Communications Template


RESPONSE TIMES

How long before the $@!& hits the fan?


EXAMPLE: GENERAL MOTORS


EXAMPLE: GENERAL MOTORS

1. Develop materials: •  Messages/FAQ •  Prepared statements •  Press release template •  Customer letters 2.  Train employees •  Awareness •  Anticipation •  Organizational Preparation

3. Prepare channels: •  Hotline •  Dark site •  Social Media


RESPONSE: CRISIS TOOLKIT


RESPONSE

Preparing a Response

1.  Don’t delay 2.  Acknowledge situation 3.  Acknowledge impact and ‘victims’ 4.  Commit to investigate 5.  Commit to sharing information and cooperation with relevant parties 6.  Share corrective action plan if available 7.  Respond in the format in which the crisis was received**


EXAMPLE: MOZILLA


REASSURANCE

Who to Reassure? How to Reassure?

1.  Develop full response plan 2.  Put plan into action: Immediate remedy 3.  Communicate results of plan and impact 4.  Reaffirm commitment to correction 5.  Demonstrate results of program


RECOVERY

Preparing a Long-term Recovery Plan

1.  Review need for operational, regulatory, environmental and employee changes

2.  Develop long-term plan including policies and prevention tactics 3.  Reassess crisis plan 4.  Regain customer/public trust


EXAMPLE: TACO BELL

“We have strict food handling procedures and zero tolerance for any violations. We believe this is a prank and the food was not served to customers. We are conducting an investigation and will be taking swift action against those involved.”

Employees Gone Wild!


EXAMPLE: TACO BELL


EXAMPLE: TACO BELL


EXAMPLE: TACO BELL


EXAMPLE: NUTELLA

From Brand Fan to Hater in 60 Seconds


EXAMPLE: NUTELLA


EXAMPLE: NUTELLA


EXAMPLE: PAULA DEEN

"Food Network will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month.”

Executive Blunders: Open Mouth, Insert Foot


EXAMPLE: PAULA DEEN

VS. LOVE HATE


EXAMPLE: PAULA DEEN

“After spending all day soul searching and trying to figure out how to deal with what I did, I recorded a video trying to do the right thing. In the end, I felt that I needed to just be myself, say I am sorry and beg for forgiveness.

What I said was wrong and hurtful. I know that and will do everything that I can do make it right. I am not about hate, and I will devote myself to showing my family, friends and fans how to live a life helping others, lifting us all up, and spreading love.”

3,782,839 views


EXAMPLE: ConEd & MTA


Hurricane Sandy Social Media Facts: Con Edison •  6,500 Twitter Followers to 23,000 within 2 Weeks •  25 videos posted on pre-Sandy preparation •  100,000+ views and multiple broadcast airings of videos •  2500 Press Release RTs •  140,000 Flickr restoration image views





Hurricane Sandy Social Media Facts: MTA •  Empower street crews •  Empower consumers •  Update MTA.info, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, FaceBook •  Utilize Urban Digital Panels •  Email/Text Alerts

MTA’s 4 Categories of Media Shared: •  Before: Preparation •  During: Storm Hits •  Aftermath 1: Damage •  Aftermath 2: Restoration





10 THINGS TO KNOW

1.  Implement Policies to Address Potential

Vulnerabilities

2.  Use Social Media as a Tool for Crisis Monitoring

3.  Understand the Response-ability of Social Media

4.  Establish a Framework for Response

5.  Build a Social Media Crisis Toolkit

6.  Know Where to Respond

7.  Prepare Your Employees in Advance

8.  Establish the Proper Tone

9.  Kill the Automation Switch

10.  Be Honest, Be Transparent


10 THINGS TO KNOW


RESOURCES

White Paper: Crisis Communications in the Social Media Age

Download at: Affect.com

Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media

Sandra Fathi President, Affect Email: [email protected] tweet: @sandrafathi web: affect.com blog: techaffect.com

Slides Available: Slideshare.net/sfathi

#ragandisney