Cases Hard Rock Crisis

2014

Hard Rock International, Inc. Crisis OverviewLigers Inc. Crisis Team

Katelyn Staaben, Kaylie Fisher, Elizabeth Smeaton, Danielle Washington, Rachel Buhl

Hard Rock International, Inc.

Ligers Inc. Crisis Team

Executive Summary Page 3

Introduction Page 4

About Hard Rock International, Inc. Page 4

Crisis Page 6

Situation Analysis Page 7

Defined Key Factors Page 9

Audience Analysis Page 10

GOST Page 12

Process Timeline- Before Press Conference Page 16

Press Conference Strategies Page 16

Process Timeline- Proceeding Press Conference Page 18

Rejected Solutions Page 18

Continuous Improvements Page 19

So What? Page 19

References Page 21

Appendix 1: Timeline of Crisis Page 23

Appendix 2: Incident Report Forms Page 25

Appendix 3: Crisis Worksheets Page 27

Appendix 4: Tactical Examples Page 40

Appendix 5: Media Kit Page 50

Appendix 6: Agendas and Minutes Page 56

Appendix 7: 100 Facts- Refer to Fact Sheets in Crisis Management Plan

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Executive Summary:

Since the founding in 1971, Hard Rock has been providing the best customer service to

its clients all over the world. With the motto of “Love All - Serve All,” Hard Rock Café strives

to deliver the best service to each and every guest that enters our door. Part of this mission is also

being prepared for any crisis that could occur in our world-class facilities.

Towards the end of April, our Las Vegas and Chicago Hard Rock Cafés were struck with

two major crises. At the Las Vegas Café, a reputation issue regarding a veteran occurred, as well

as an outbreak of a respiratory illness leading to two deaths. At the Chicago Hard Rock Café, the

respiratory illness also struck leading to one death.

This crisis overview will provide detailed information regarding the two crises and how

they developed over time. It will also define key terms that will be discussed throughout the

paper to provide further understanding. This information will be followed by an analysis of our

audience for each situation: The reputational issue with veterans and the respiratory illness. Next,

a detailed overview of our goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics when addressing each

audience and crises will be laid out. The analysis will lead into a process timeline that will

display the steps we took before meeting with media, during the press conference, and after.

Next, rejected solutions for our crisis will be provided, in addition to improvements to be

made in the future. In addition, we include an overview of the key insights made throughout the

crisis process. Lastly, the appendixes will show the timeline of the crisis, incident reports,

strategy worksheets, tactical examples, and the media kit.

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Introduction

Our Crisis Management team’s responsibility is to ensure that all our customers,

employees, and visitors feel valued and respected, even within a crisis situation. Therefore, when

faced with two large crises, a reputation issue and health concern, we took immediate action to

address the situation and create a resolution. This paper will provide a background of the

company; an overview of the crises; steps taken before, after, and during the press conference; as

well as our rejected solutions and what we learned for the future.

About Hard Rock International, Inc.

Hard Rock’s story began in 1971 when two young rock enthusiasts from the U.S. wanted

nothing more than to find a good American burger while living in London. So naturally, the two,

Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett, opened a restaurant and called it Hard Rock Café. Eight years

later a frequent customer, Eric Clapton, sent his Lead II Fender guitar to reserve his favorite spot

at the bar, starting off the memorabilia collection that exceeds 74,000 items today. In 1982, new

Hard Rock Cafés were opened around the globe and continue launching new locations today.

After a change in ownership in the 1990’s, Hard Rock expanded the brand to other

hospitality establishments including hotels, casinos, and music venues. The Seminole Tribe of

Florida now owns Hard Rock International, Inc., which includes more than 165 Hard Rock

establishments in 55 different countries around the globe.

The Hard Rock brand appeals to music enthusiasts worldwide looking for a lively

atmosphere and a fun place to eat a great burger. The memorabilia featured at each location is an

attraction in itself; however, the hardest of ‘Hard Rockers’ collect pins from each location they

have been to, competing to collect them all. This proves that Hard Rock has the best customers,

making it that much easier to fulfill the motto of ‘Love All – Serve All’ and mission to spread

the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll by creating authentic experiences that rock.

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Values

Hard Rock International believes its employees are the company’s greatest asset and works to

empower all Hard Rock employees by instilling the following values:

Practice honesty, integrity, and professionalism.

Encourage everyone to maximize their potential.

Take personal accountability for getting results.

Create brand excitement through innovation.

Deliver kick-ass service.

Mottos:

Hard Rock International is committed to a wide range of philanthropic programs and causes

worldwide. The following mottos encompass our philanthropic contributions that drive us to

make positive change:

Do Well by Doing Good

Love All – Serve All

Take Time to Be Kind

All Is One

Save the Planet

Mission:

“To spread the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll by creating authentic experiences that rock.”

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Crisis

Reputation Crisis

Josh Binastein entered the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas. While in the establishment he

was wearing his military uniform. However, before allowed to make a purchase he was escorted

out of the store. Employees supposedly tell him “people like you warmongers are not allowed in

our café.” He protests but leaves peacefully, and posts the above information on his Facebook

account. Josh is a military veteran who served two tours of duty in Iraq and has three purple

hearts. Some employees say he was escorted out after being asked to stop soliciting customers

and employees for the Wounded Warriors Campaign. Others claim it was because he was

coughing excessively which was disturbing other patrons. He as well as others with a similar

experience will be appearing on multiple news media outlets, including the Today Show, Fox

News and Rush Limbaugh.

Health Crisis

Several employees developed acute respiratory breathing problems at the Las Vegas Café

the day following the Josh Binastein incident. Several more employees at this location and

Chicago were experiencing severe coughing sprees at work and were asked to leave. One Vegas

employee ended up in the hospital and died. All employees with symptoms in Las Vegas were

quarantined and the CDC started an investigation. As the incident progresses, an addition Vegas

employee dies and another is on his/her deathbed. One employee of the Chicago Hard Rock

Café was admitted to the hospital and later died. It is rumored they are being treated for Middle

Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). While this incident developed a few of the Las Vegas

café employees spoke with the media making statements that did not reflect the values of Hard

Rock International, Inc.

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Situation Analysis

After receiving our crises, we had to determine what types of crises were presented to us.

Looking at our likelihood versus impact charts, we determined that the crisis in which a member

of the military was removed from a café was harassment. On the chart, this crisis had an impact

of six and a likelihood of five. The illness crisis was determined to be disease with an impact of

seven and a likelihood of four. After reviewing the different types of crises outlined in the Crisis

Management Plan, we decided that they were a health and reputation crisis. Initially, the military

harassment crisis was a personnel issue; however, when the accusations became widespread and

more veterans began speaking out, it turned into a reputational crisis. Using the chart below

from our Crisis Management Plan, we determined the level of responsibility Hard Rock

International, Inc. has with each crisis. Hard Rock International, Inc. has a higher level of

responsibility for its reputation than it does for the health of customers and employees. Health

issues can be caused by human error or natural causes making the organization less responsible

for this type of crisis. However, Hard Rock’s reputation is almost solely their responsibility.

The level of responsibility, however, does not reflect the importance of a crisis nor the impact it

has on the organization.

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Natural Disasters

Public Misconduc

t

Personnel

Manufacturi

Financia

Healt

Securit

y

Reputatio

Corporate

Misc

High Low



Media Outlets

When we discovered Josh Binastein was appearing on several news stations, we

immediately researched the people interviewing him to predict what affect it might have on Hard

Rock’s reputation. This impacted our decision on whether or not to make appearances and

release statements.

Our crisis indicated that Josh would be appearing on the Rush Limbaugh Show, one of

the most popular conservative radio talk shows in America. The producers did not request a

statement or an appearance from Hard Rock. When researching Rush Limbaugh, we discovered

that he donates a significant amount of money to Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation,

which provides scholarships to children of Marines and other law enforcement officers who have

died in the line of duty. In addition, Limbaugh believes that any Iraq War veteran who opposes

the war is a “phony soldier,” Rush is obviously pro-military and his views would likely remain

unchanged regardless of our statement. He would most likely side with Josh and the other

veterans, smearing the Hard Rock brand.

Our crisis also stated that Josh would be appearing on the Fox News station. They asked

for a statement or an appearance on one of their shows; however, we were unsure which one.

We made the assumption that the hosts are conservative and have similar beliefs as those of

Rush Limbaugh. Depending on the host, however, some may be more willing to hear Hard

Rock’s side of the story.

We then found out that Josh and other veterans would be making an appearance on the

Today Show. As a less biased news source, they were more open to statements and appearances.

That is, until we discovered that Natalie Morales, one of the hosts, spent the first 18 years of her

life overseas with the U.S. Airforce. However ethical she may be, her personal bias might make

her less compassionate toward the Hard Rock brand.

To help counteract and repair Hard Rock International’s reputation, we researched what

the organization has done for the U.S. military. They have many philanthropic partners, one of

which helps veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the David Lynch Foundation.

Hard Rock International, Inc. also offers a military discount. This, however, is the only military-

related organization they are involved with.

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Illnesses

When we discovered there was a disease outbreak in our Cafés, we immediately began

researching possible acute respiratory breathing problems. We contacted a nurse, which helped

narrow down the search to pneumonia, bronchitis, SARS, and MERS for illnesses. We also

considered chemical reactions and spills that might cause these symptoms. Each of these

illnesses matched the symptom profile given to us.

Defined Key Factors

Three terms used throughout the crisis and paper are CDC, warmonger, and MERS.

They are defined below to provide clarity throughout the remainder of this document.

CDC

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a national public health institute

based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a federal agency under the Department of Health and

Human Services. Its main goal is to protect the public’s health and safety by controlling and

preventing disease, injury and disability. They focus on infectious? disease, food borne

pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury

prevention, and educational activities to help improve the health of U.S. citizens. They also

research and report on non-infectious diseases and provide safety information for natural

disasters.

Warmonger

Warmonger is a derogatory term for a person who is eager to encourage people or a

nation to go to war. War hawk and militarist are similar terms.

MERS

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory illness. It was first

reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is caused by a coronavirus, which is the same type of virus

that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Those who have contracted this virus

experience a fever, cough, and shortness of breath, symptoms similar to that of the common cold

or flu. Approximately half of all confirmed cases have resulted in death. It is spread through

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close contact with those infected. The source is currently unknown, however, it has been

discovered in camels and bats. There is currently no vaccine or treatments for this illness.

Audience Analysis

Once we decided what our crises were, we then determined our primary and secondary

audiences for each scenario.

Health Crisis

For the health crisis, we determined that our primary audiences are the victims and their

families. Because they were the ones directly affected from this crisis, we believe that they

should be our number one priority when communicating. What we know is that either they or

someone in their family is or was suffering from this respiratory illness. We can then infer that

they are scared and grieving. What we should do is be sympathetic and help them in any way we

can. We should also use a rich channel to communicate with them to show our concern for their

situation. What we should not do is ignore them, nor bother them too much. This is a difficult

situation for them and we want them to know that we are there for them. However, we

understand that they would like some time to be with their families. We should also not use a

lean channel when communicating with them because this implies our disinterest.

Our secondary audiences for this crisis includes all U.S. Hard Rock employees, franchise

owners, customers, and the media. We chose to only focus on those in the United States because

this issue does not yet affect Hard Rock establishments in other countries. Establishments in

other countries will be alerted, however, they are not our focus. We chose to address Hard Rock

customers because they too may be directly affected by this illness. However, there is no way of

knowing this for sure. We will use the media to alert them of the situation and if they are

infected they will be moved to our primary audience.

Reputation Crisis

For our reputation crisis concerning Josh Binastein, we determined that our primary

audiences are the military, veterans, American customers and the victims. We want both our

military and our customers to know that we do not discriminate against anyone, let alone our

veterans. By making them our primary audience, we hope to repair as much reputation damage

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as possible to retain our customers. For the military and veterans, we know that they have served

our country. We can infer that they are proud of their service and believe in democracy and

freedom. What we should do is let them know that we ‘Love All – Serve All’ just as they have

done for us. We should also explain that we partner with the David Lynch Foundation, which

helps veterans with PTSD. What we should not do is ignore them because this may cause a

negative brand appearance to them and our customers.

For our American customers, we know that they are American and we can infer that most

believe in democracy, freedom, and support our military and veterans, even if they do not

support the war. What we should do is emphasis our motto, “Love All – Serve All”, and express

that we do not discriminate against anyone. We should not ignore them because that would

reflect negatively on our brand, damaging our reputation further.

The victims, including Josh Binastein, are the most important. What we know is that

they feel they have been discriminated against at Hard Rock establishments. We can infer that

they believe Hard Rock International, Inc. does not support the American military and veterans.

We should speak directly to the veterans and make sure they understand that we do not condone

this kind of behavior from our employees. We should also make sure they understand we are

conducting an investigation as to what happened. We should not ignore them. This would not

solve the issue; it would only make it worse. We also should not act defensive or insult them.

Doing either of these things will make the situation worse.

Our secondary audiences include American franchise owners and employees, our

competition, and the media. We would like to address the franchise owners and employees

about discrimination and how it is unacceptable. We will contact them with written and verbal

communications. We will also be indirectly targeting our competition to make sure they know

we do not discriminate, and this situation is just a minor hiccup in what is otherwise a great

reputation. We will be addressing them and our customers through the media.

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GOST

GOST- Josh Binastein Crisis

Regarding the situation with Josh Binastein, we created several goals to guide our decision-

making. Our business goals are to:

Retain customers

Have a respectful and pleasant environment at our cafés

Maintain profits

The communication goals we have for this situation are to:

Emphasize our current involvement with the David Lynch Foundation

Share our motto “Love All, Serve All”, educate employees on the media policy

Inform the public of the steps we’ve taken

We also created goals that we would like to achieve in the short-term as well as long-term. Our

short-term goals are things we would like to do in relation to our crisis either during the crisis or

immediately after the crisis has officially completed. The long-term goals look more at the future

of Hard Rock International, Inc. and how we would like to see the organization perceived in the

future.

Our short-term goals for the Josh Binastein situation are to:

Investigate the situation and reprimand employees as necessary

Create a short term media policy

Reach out to Josh and other vets to repair the relationship with the military

For our long-term goals, we would like to:

Maintain our reputation

Work philanthropically with military or military causes to show support

Have more training for handling difficult customers as well as in discrimination or

harassment to prevent future problems

Reevaluate our media policy to prevent opinions or the spread of false information

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After creating these goals, we were able to create strategies and tactics for this situation.

Our first strategy is to maintain Hard Rock International Inc.’s reputation. We will do this by

emphasizing our values, as well as our involvement with the David Lynch Foundation. Two

values we will emphasize the most would be that Hard Rock practices “honesty, integrity, and

professionalism,” and that Hard Rock takes “personal accountability for actions.”

A second strategy is to acquire necessary information, which we will do by conducting an

investigation. This investigation will be used to answer questions such as “Why was he removed

from the restaurant?” and “What was actually said?” It will also be used to gather key facts in the

situation.

We also want to disassociate the Hard Rock brand with the parties that were at fault in

this situation. We will do this by using the core message that “the opinions of those employees

do not reflect the values of Hard Rock International, Inc.”

Another strategy is to contact stakeholders. How we will tactically do this depends on the

stakeholder. The CEO, Vice President of Public Relations, lawyer, and other key players will be

informed via phone call. An email memo will inform all U.S. franchise owners regarding the

situation. And the media and customers will be informed via press release and press conference.

We will also release a statement on Facebook, as the original accusation by Josh Binastein was

made on Facebook. This will be aimed at our customers.

Also relating to the media, we decided that an updated media policy was needed by Hard

Rock in order to regulate who in the organization talks to the media. In the case it stated that

several waitresses were addressing the media and calling the military members that had been in

the restaurant “goons,” as well as other derogatory terms. We will create a temporary media

policy to be released in times of crisis, as well as reevaluate the media policy that is in place

currently and make changes as necessary. Both Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafés and the Chicago

Hard Rock Café will receive a phone call in order to emphasize the importance of following this

media policy. The media policy will be released to all Hard Rock establishments via email.

Another strategy we have is to address the media. Fox News and the Today Show asked

for a statement in the situation, as Josh will be appearing on the show. Also, Fox News asked if

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we would like to appear on the show. We will not be appearing on the show, but we will release

a statement to both shows that displays our core messages for this situation.

Our final strategy for the Josh Binastein situation is to improve customer relations in our

Hard Rock Cafés. We will do this by providing additional training for employees on handling

difficult customers, as well as on discrimination and harassment.

GOST- MERS Crisis

Regarding our crisis with the illness outbreak, we kept the same business goals we had in the

reputation crisis. Again, these business goals were to:

Retain customers

Have a safe and healthy environment

Maintain profits

In this situation, our communication goals were slightly different, as it was a different type of

crisis. Therefore, our communication goals were to:

Inform stakeholders

Coordinate with the CDC

Inform employees of prevention and symptoms

Educate employees on the media policy

Inform the public of the process we’ve taken

Again, we created long and short-term goals to achieve in this situation. Our short-term goals

were to:

Help victims

Inform stakeholders

Create and implement a short-term media policy

In the long-term, we wanted to focus on:

Maintaining Hard Rock’s reputation

Maintaining Hard Rock’s profits

Reevaluate the employee illness policy

Work with the CDC and hospitals philanthropically specifically for this illness

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These goals are evident in the strategies and tactics we created for this situation. Just like

the Josh Binastein crisis, our first strategy was to acquire necessary information on the situation.

Tactically, we will do this by working with the CDC to find out as much specific information

about the situation as possible. Such information would be: where it started, how it spreads, and

what exact illness this is.

Again, we will also need to inform stakeholders. We will do this by calling the CEO,

Vice President of Public Relations, lawyer and other key players. We will also be sending an

email memo to U.S. franchise owners. Finally, a press release and press conference will be

provided for the media.

In this situation, showing concern will be key to maintaining Hard Rock’s reputation.

Therefore we will team up with the organization’s victim manager to provide support to victims

and their families. Tactically, we will provide contact information of the victim manager to those

affected, and use the victim manager as liaison between them and the corporation.

Another strategy we have is to coordinate with the CDC and other medical professionals.

A CDC professional will be available to victims in order to answer questions. We will also

provide a grief counselor for anyone who requests it.

As this illness is spreading within Hard Rock employees, a strategy we have is to inform

employees of symptoms and prevention. We will send out a tip sheet with relevant information

for employees and anyone interested. The Vice President of Operations will serve as the liaison

between employees and the CDC. We wanted to have someone act as an intermediary between

employees and the CDC in order to not flood the CDC with simple questions that could be found

on the tip sheet or elsewhere.

Just with the other crisis, we will educate employees on the temporary media policy. The

Chicago and Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafés will receive phone calls in order to stress the

importance, and all others establishments will receive an email memo. Franchise owners will

receive the memo and be expected to disburse the information to employees.

We also want to stress our relationship with the Red Cross to show Hard Rock’s

commitment to health and safety. We will include this fact in our communications and stress

how we will continue this partnership into the future.

Our final strategy is to provide a healthy and safe environment for both employees and

customers. We will do this by evaluating our employee illness policy. This policy is in place to

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make sure that employees do not come to work while sick. When working with food it is

important to make sure that all employees are healthy, as it is easy to spread illness through food

that is sent out to customers. We will evaluate the current policy that is in place and make

changes as necessary.

Process Timeline (Prior to Press Conference)

In order to maintain the best possible communication among all parties involved with the

respiratory illness situation, there are a number of things we would do before our press

conference. We would begin by acquiring information through investigating the situation and

involving everyone that is part of the issue. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) would be

contacted immediately to attempt to control the spread of the illness. We would inform all of our

stakeholders about the development of the situation, which would be done through phone calls,

emails, and press releases depending on who we are contacting. In addition, we would partner

with Hard Rock’s victim manager and use her as a liaison between the CDC and our employees.

To address the issues related to Josh Binastein, there are several steps we would take

prior to our press conference. We would begin by investigating the issue and gathering as much

information as possible. Josh would be contacted, as well all of our necessary stakeholders. We

would create a response to be sent to the media outlets that addresses our concerns regarding the

discriminatory allegations. In addition, we would recommend a temporary media policy to be

sent to all franchise owners and distributed to their employees to eliminate additional

disrespectful comments from being made to the media.

Press Conference Strategies:

For our press conference, current issues at hand needed to be addressed while keeping in

mind the business and communication goals. We also wanted to tailor our strategies to each

specific crisis.

Our strategies for the Reputation Issue with Josh Binastein were to underscore and

explore the problem, focus on how to correct the issue and to highlight corrective action and

vocal commiseration. Vocal commiseration was used because we wanted to show concern

without admitting guilt. Since it could not yet be confirm whether the situation actually

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happened, it unwise to admit fault. We knew that corrective action would be needed based on

how our employees had referred to Binastein. We also planned on letting the public know what

steps were being taken to fix the issue, because it was a more effective topic of discussion. As for

our communication strategy, we chose to underscore and explore the problem. It was important

to give the problem attention, but make sure that information released was limited and

controlled. We also felt it necessary to create room for our audiences to express their concerns

and take it into consideration while we investigated the problem.

For the Respiratory Illness, our strategies were to underscore and explore the problem,

explain what is happening, an excuse and vocal commiseration. We decided that an excuse

would explain that we have no responsibility in the situation. On the other hand, we wanted to

express empathy for the victims. With these situations, the audience deserves information to

keep them safe, without creating frenzy. We decided to create dialogue with the audience to hear

their concerns and give them the necessary information, which is why we decided to use the

underscore and explore method. Our core messages were: “we are working with CDC to isolate

the situation,” and “we empathize with the victims and their families, and want to help in any

way we can” This shows that we care about what is happening and that we are working with

qualified professionals to come to a solution.

The core messages of this issue were, “our motto is ‘Love all – Serve All’ and we do just

that as military members have done for us”, “we are still investigating and will be taking the

corrective action on employees as necessary,” and “the alleged opinions do not reflect the values

of Hard Rock International, Inc.” These messages encompass our communication strategies by

expressing the company values, separation from the parties violating those values and correction

of any issues as a means of continuous improvements.

We recognized that we should not validate unconfirmed information because that would

create problems for the organization as a whole. We should avoid admitting fault because we did

not know what the direct cause of each issue at hand was. In one of our clues, the victims were

referred to as the “Hard Rock Hard Coughers”. We chose not to talk about them in that way

because the illness was life threatening and this term was inappropriate. Our main points of

discussion were to stick to the core messages, show empathy for the parties involved and show

what we are doing to resolve the problems.

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Process Timeline Proceeding Press Conference

To ensure that communication is maintained following our press conference, we will take

the following steps to address those involved with the respiratory illness. If customers are

potentially infected with the illness, the CDC will follow up with these people and provide them

with information to get the proper medical attention. We will continue to assist the CDC and

offer help in any way we can. In addition, we will continue to provide support for victims and

their families by being transparent and offering grief counseling. Finally, we will reevaluate our

employee illness policy to ensure sick employees coming to work do not spread illnesses.

We will also take several steps to follow up with those involved with the military veteran

situation. After all parties were contacted, we will create a response to be distributed via social

media stating our concerns and reinforcing our company values. We will also contact any

veterans who felt discriminated against at our facilities and those restaurants involved. In

addition, we will continue to follow up with comments or suggestions made by our customers

through social media. Finally, we will provide training for our employees to ensure they are

offering the best possible customer service to everyone who enters a Hard Rock establishment.

Rejected Solutions

Throughout our crisis we came up with several ideas we decided not to use. First, we

rejected the idea of not addressing the reputation issue. We decided that, because Josh and other

veterans were appearing on the national news, it would be best to express regret for the situation.

We believed that ignoring the situation would only make it worse. If the veterans had not

appeared on national news, we probably would not have spoken about the issue during the press

conference.

Another rejected solution was allowing the employees direct contact with the CDC.

Because the CDC is conducting an investigation, we believed that direct employee contact would

be distracting. Instead, the Director of Operations would act as the liaison between employees

and the CDC and take all employee questions. If she could not answer them, the questions

would then be directed towards the CDC.

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We also decided not to immediately address all Hard Rock establishments globally.

Because both crises were in the U.S., we think it would be beneficial to focus all of our energy

there. These crises do not directly affect any international locations and are probably not in any

danger. After the crises are over, we would then address all Hard Rock establishments globally.

Two of the three news stations the veterans are appearing on have asked for an

appearance from a Hard Rock representative. We decided not to do this for two reasons. First,

appearing on Fox News, a conservative station, would probably do more harm than good to the

Hard Rock brand. They would most likely take things out of context, and because we do not

have all the information yet, it would be difficult to speak about the issue. The second reason is

that the Crisis Management Team has a larger issue at hand, the health crisis. We decided that

most of our efforts should be focus on helping the CDC and containing the virus.

Our final rejected solution was to come out and say that the disease is MERS. Because it

is only a rumor, we believed it would not be in our best interest to state that is in fact the virus

killing our employees. Until the CDC officially confirms it to be MERS, we decided it would be

better for us not to validate the rumor.

Continuous Improvements

There were a few areas during the press conference would could improve on. First, we

would like to emphasize our core messages more during the press conference questioning. Our

spokesperson would like to make sure that she uses ‘ALT’ for each question asked. She would

also like to mention more of what we are doing during the actual press conference speech. For

example, we might have added the tip sheet to the actual speech as an example of actions taken.

As a result of these two improvements, we believe that we will appear more proactive and show

more strength during the entire press conference.

So What

After analyzing our crises and handling the situation effectively, three key insights helped

guide us throughout. In a time of crisis, we cannot confirm information to our audiences if we

have not verified that it is true. It’s important to consider what we know and what don’t know.

Second, legitimizing key issues is essential in a crisis. It’s impossible to address every single

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detail of what’s going on, but evaluating the most important issues will help get the company’s

message across to their audience. Finally, core messages are influential in the way the audience

perceives how we are handling the situation. Emphasizing key points in a number of different

ways throughout the crisis will, hopefully, show the audiences what the crises are, as well as

what we are doing to address them.

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reporter.com/article/20140405/NEWS01/140409689#.U0HyiygoxG4)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/

Halter, N. (2014, March 11). Hard Rock Cafe at Mall of America will have concert capacity for 1,200 - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Widgets RSS. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2014/03/11/hard-rock-cafes-

moa-location-has-1-200-concert.html

Hard Rock | Official Site of Hard Rock. (n.d.). Hard Rock | Official Site of Hard Rock. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.hardrock.com/

Hard Rock Cafe sold to Native Americans. (2006, December 7). CNNMoney. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/07/news/companies/hardrock_seminole/

Hemlock, D. (2010, March 18). Florida's Hard Rock expands casinos and hotels overseas. Sun Sentinel. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-03-18/business/fl-hard-rock-expands- 20100318_1_hollywood-and-

tampa-casino-hard-rock-international

Morrison, M. (2013, September 30). Hard Rock Cafe Puts Renewed Focus on Artists Rather Than Memorabilia. Advertising Age Special Report Music and Marketing RSS. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://adage.com/article/special-report-music-and-marketing/hard-rock-cafe- puts-renewed-focus-artists/244426/

Ruggless, R. (2014, February 13). Major restaurant chains make first moves in Alaska. . Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://nrn.com/latest-headlines/major-restaurant-chains-make-first-moves-alaska

Schuyler, D. (2013, November 1). Hard Rock signed on as Kenosha casino developer and manager - Milwaukee - Milwaukee Business Journal. Widgets RSS. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2013/10/09/hard-rock-signed-

on-as-kenosha-casino.html

Seminole Tribe. (n.d.). . Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.semtribe.com/

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Wong, V. (2014, March 25). Hard Rock Cafe Wants You to Forget That Old Time Rock and Roll. Bloomberg Business Week. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-25/hard-rock-cafe-wants-you-to-forget-that-old-time-rock-and-roll

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Appendix 1: Timeline of Crisis

1. Thursday- All: Marine Corps Image2. Thursday-All: Lungs image3. Saturday 9:02 p.m.-Katelyn: Josh Binastein entered the Hard Rock Café in Vegas. He

was wearing his military uniform. Employees escorted him out of the store without allowing him to make a purchase. He protested, but left peacefully. They tell him “people like you warmongers are not allowed in our café,” as he noted on his Facebook account. He also noted that he was also asked to stop soliciting for the wounded warriors campaign.

4. Saturday 9:05 p.m.- Danni: Josh B is a military veteran who served 2 tours of duty in Iraq and had 3 Purple Hearts.

5. Sunday 2:42 p.m.- Kaylie: Josh will be on the Rush Limbaugh show to tell his story. They heard from other vets that they have similar experiences of being discriminated against.

Rush Limbaugh supports the Marine Corps and law-enforcement foundation that provides scholarships to children of Marines and Federal law enforcement, personnel killed on duty or under extraordinary circumstances. In 2007 he said Iraq war vets who opposed to the war are “Phony Soldiers.”

Hard Rock partners with David Lynch Foundation: work with veterans with PTSD

6. Sunday 2:46 p.m.- Elizabeth: Josh and friends will be on Fox News called us and asked if they would like to appear and make a statement.

7. Sunday 2:48 p.m.- Danni: Today Show with other military members tomorrow.8. Sunday 2:52 p.m.- Rachel: Today show called Hard Rocks P.R. Department about

doing a segment on Josh’s story and wants to know if we want to comment.

5/2/2023 Page 23

Thursday

Lungs

Marine Corps

Friday Saturday

Josh kicked out of Las Vegas Hard

Rock Cafe

Sunday

News Stations asking for our

statement

Employees call in sick for Acute Respiratory

problems

Monday

Josh will be appearing on many news

stations



9. Sunday 2:55 p.m.- Katelyn: At the same Las Vegas Hard Rock Café that Josh was asked to leave several employees developed acute respiratory breathing problems. These employees so happened to call in sick today.

Acute means to come on suddenly Respiratory means something with breathing Possible causes: chemicals, anthrax Possible Responses: Call Fire Department and Hazmat team to clear building

10. Sunday 4:13 p.m.- Danni: The Wounded Warriors Foundation has posted an announcement asking for stories from other veterans if they have been discriminated against at a Hard Rock Establishment.

11. Sunday 7:49 p.m. – Elizabeth: “Several employees at the Vegas Hard Rock Cafe experienced severe coughing sprees at work tonight and asked to leave. Same thing happened in a Chicago location.”

12. Sunday 7:50 p.m. – Kaylie: “One of your Vegas employees sent to the hospital earlier has requested a priest and is on her death bed.”

13. Sunday 7:55 p.m. – Rachel: “TMZ has "reported" that Josh Binastein has at least 20 more vets who claim they experienced something similar at Hard Rock Cafes when asking for donations for the Wounded Warriors ... at least 5 of those claim they were NOT soliciting donations. TMZ can not verify any of these claims.”

14. Sunday 7:59 p.m. - Danni: All the "Hard Rock Hard Coughers" from the Vegas store have been quarantined at the hospital and the CDC has dispatched a private jet from Atlanta full of their professionals to investigate in Vegas.

15. Sunday 8:05 p.m. – Katelyn: “A local Fox TV station dispatched a reporter to your Vegas Cafe asking for information about Josh ... one waitress claimed he was asked to leave because he was coughing so loudly that he was disturbing other patrons. Two other waitresses could not recall any coughing and that the "military goons behaved themselves as well as they could given their profession". All the waitresses interviewed on camera were asked if they "felt endangered". No one felt that way and that management made the decision. In the middle of yet another interview and coughing manager asked the video team to leave and they did.”

16. Sunday 10:00 p.m. – All: Employee at hard rock Las Vegas who was on deathbed died. 17. Sunday 10:00 p.m. - All: Another Las Vegas employee died, and an additional one is on

the deathbed. 18. Sunday 10:00 p.m. - All: One more admitted to hospital in Chicago.19. Sunday 10:00 p.m. - All: Rumor around the Las Vegas hospital is all the employees

have been treated for MERS. And everyone has been quarantined. 20. Sunday 10:00 p.m. - All: Josh Binastein reported on Facebook account that he is having

a severe coughing spree and is not sure if he will be appearing on Limbaugh show in morning. (But assume he does appear.)

21. Tuesday 8:00 a.m. – All: Another employee in Chicago has died.

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Appendix 2: Incident Report Forms

Incident Report Form: Reputation IssueThis report is to be used in any and all cases that emergency personnel are contacted or when

further action must be taken following an incident involving the Hard Rock brand and its affiliates.

Crisis Management Team Member(s): Katelyn Staaben, Kaylie Fisher, Elizabeth Smeaton, Rachel Buhl, and Danielle Washington.Date: 4/26/2014 Time: 9:02 PMLocation: Las Vegas Hard Rock Café Witness/Informant: Katelyn Staaben

Stakeholder(s) Involved: Franchise owner, franchise employees, Josh Binastein (short-stay guest), media, Executive Board, Seminole Board of Directors, lawyerContact information: Please refer to stakeholder contact sheet.Have they been contacted? X Yes _____NoAudiences Impacted: Military, other hard rock guests, Josh’s veteran friends, anyone else related to the military.

Date of Incident: 4/26/2014 Time of Incident: 9:02 PMLocation of Incident: Las Vegas, Nevada Hard Rock Café and possibly othersDescription of Incident: Josh Binastein entered the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas. He was wearing his military uniform; employees escorted him out of the store without allowing him to make a purchase. They supposedly tell him “people like you warmongers are not allowed in our café.” He protests but leaves peacefully but posts the above information on his Facebook account. Josh is a military veteran who served two tours of duty in Iraq and has three purple hearts. Employees say he was escorted out after being asked to stop soliciting customers and employees for the Wounded Warriors Campaign. He will be appearing on multiple news media outlets with other veterans who may have had similar experiences.

Response Taken: Contacted all parties involved and conducted an investigation.Intended Outcome: To maintain our reputation and reestablish a respectable relationship with the military and its veterans.

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Incident Report Form: Respiratory IllnessThis report is to be used in any and all cases that emergency personnel are contacted or when

further action must be taken following an incident involving the Hard Rock brand and its affiliates.

Crisis Management Team Member(s): Katelyn Staaben, Kaylie Fisher, Elizabeth Smeaton, Rachel Buhl, and Danielle Washington.Date: 4/27/2014 Time: 2:55 PMLocation: Las Vegas Hard Rock Café Witness/Informant: Katelyn Staaben

Stakeholder(s) Involved: Franchise owner, franchise employees, media, Executive Board, Seminole Board of Directors, lawyerContact information: Please refer to stakeholder contact sheet.Have they been contacted? X Yes _____NoAudiences Impacted: Employees and possibly customers.

Date of Incident: 4/27/2014 Time of Incident: MorningLocation of Incident: Las Vegas, Nevada Hard Rock Café and Chicago, Illinois Hard Rock CaféDescription of Incident: Several employees developed acute respiratory breathing problems at the Vegas Café. Several more employees at this location and now Chicago are experiences severe coughing sprees at work and ask to leave. One employee ends up in the hospital and dies. All employees with symptoms in Las Vegas are quarantined and the CDC starts and investigation. Another Vegas employee dies and another is on his/her deathbed. One employee was admitted to the hospital in Chicago and later dies. It is rumored they are being treated for MERS.

Response Taken: Contacted all parties involved and conducted an investigation.Intended Outcome: To maintain our reputation and reestablish a respectable relationship with the military and its veterans.

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Appendix 3: Crisis Worksheets

Crisis Worksheet: Josh Binastein

1. Prepare Crisis Center and Assemble Crisis Management Team

Primary Crisis Center Location: ____MAC Hall________________________________

Crisis Management Team Members: ___Katelyn Staaben, Kaylie Fisher, Elizabeth

Smeaton, Danielle Washington, and Rachel

Buhl__________________________________________

2. Identify the Crisis

Specific Crisis: ______Military Discrimination_____________________________

10

Likeliness

0 Impact 10

Level of Responsibility (Circle One)

5/2/2023 Page 27

HighLow

Natural Disasters

Public Misconduc

t

Personnel

Manufacturi

Financia

Healt

Securit

y

Reputatio

Corporate

Misc

. Harassment



Determine what we know and do not know:

Know Don’t Know

Veteran with three purple hearts

Posted on social media about Hard Rock

Entered HRC in Vegas in uniform, felt

discriminated against

Is planning on speaking with radio and TV

There are supposedly other reports of other

vets being discriminated against

TMZ reported Josh has 20 more vets and

most were soliciting donations

Josh may or may not do interviews due to

illness

Did they call him a warmonger?

How many military friends?

Why specifically was he kicked out?

Anything about other vets and if they exist

3. Audience Analysis

Who are our primary audiences for this crisis: ____Military and veterans, All American

Hard Rock Customers______________________________________________________

Who are our secondary audiences for this crisis: ______Franchise owners and

employees, competition____________________________________________________

List Victim’s Manager:___Elizabeth Smeaton________________________________

Are there victims? (Circle one) Yes No

If so, how are they associated with the organization? (Circle all that apply)

a. Executive

b. Employee

c. Customer

d. Partner

e. Competition

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f. Bystander

g. Other _______________________

How will you respond to victims and families?: __Directly contact Josh, address other

military as we know of them, general address to the public via press release and news

conferenc

e______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

List Stakeholders to be contacted: __________Franchise owners and employees, Josh

Binastein, News, President of HRC, Human Resources, Seminole tribe, Lawyer, Vice

President of Public Relations___________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Primary Contacts:

1. Hamish Dodds 2. Seminole Board Of Directors

CEO of Hard Rock Seminole Tribe of Florida

Phone: (800) 333-3131 Phone: (800) 333-4343

Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Additional Contacts: ___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

Media Contacts:

1. Associated Press Local Contact: ____________________

5/2/2023 Page 29

mailto:[email protected]




Phone: (212) 621-1500 ____________________________

Email: [email protected] ____________________________

4. Goals

Retain Customers Have a respectful, pleasant

environment (“Love All, Serve All”) Maintain Profits

Emphasize current involvement with the David Lynch Foundation

Love All, Serve All Educate employees on media policy Inform public of steps being taken

Short-Term Long-Term

Investigate the situation and

reprimand employees as necessary

Short term media policy

Reach out to Josh and other vets to

repair relationship with the military

Maintain reputation

Work philanthropically with military

or military causes to show support

Training for handling difficult

customers and

discrimination/harassment to prevent

future problems

Reevaluate media policy to prevent

opinions or false information being

spread

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Business Goals Communication Goals

5. Strategy

Choose a strategic option (Circle all that apply and order based on importance)

a. Full Apology & Corrective Action: Admitting responsibility and making

corrections for damage done.

b. Corrective Action: Making corrections for damage done.

c. Ingratiation: Remind audiences of previous good deeds.

d. Justification: Providing explanation for actions, while minimizing the

seriousness of the problems.

e. Excuse: Providing rationale for actions like “no control” or “no bad

intentions”

f. Denial: Stating that no crisis exists.

g. Attack the Accuser: confront, threaten, file a lawsuit, etc. against those

accosting organization

Rationale: ________________Vocal Commiseration- Regret to show we are upset and

wish it hadn’t happened. Also use corrective action to show what actions we will take to

deal with it ______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_

Message Strategy: Strategic Options:

a. Who a. Spray and Pray

b. What b. Sell and Tell

c. Where c. Underscore and Explore

d. When d. Identify and Reply

e. Why e. Withhold and Uphold

f. How

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6. Review above information

Amendments and rationale: _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

7. Addressing the Crisis

Create Core Message(s) and list audience:

1. ____”Love All Serve All” Just as the military does for us __________________

2. ______Current Military charity work__________________________________

3. ______Emphasize the process- corrective action _________________________

List Tactical Responses: __Media policy, Press release, Press conference, Social media

response, television response_______________________________________________

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Crisis Worksheet: Respiratory Illness and Deaths

1. Prepare Crisis Center and Assemble Crisis Management Team

Primary Crisis Center Location: ____MAC Hall________________________________

Crisis Management Team Members: ___Katelyn Staaben, Kaylie Fisher, Elizabeth

Smeaton, Danielle Washington, and Rachel

Buhl__________________________________________

2. Identify the Crisis

Specific Crisis: _____Respiratory Illness and Deaths____________________

10

Likeliness

0 Impact 10

Level of Responsibility (Circle One)

5/2/2023 Page 33

HighLow

Natural Disasters

Public Misconduc

t

Personnel

Manufacturi

Financia

Healt

Securit

y

Reputatio

Corporate

Misc

. Illness/Death



Determine what we know and do not know:

Know Don’t Know

Several employees called in sick, citing

acute respiratory breathing problems

Las Vegas Hard Rock Café

Several more employees have coughing

sprees and ask to go home

Employees in Chicago are sick as well

Two die and another dying in Vegas

Vegas employees with symptoms are

quarantined

CDC is investigating

Unofficially- it is MERS

One died in Chicago

Source

Confirmed illness

Connection between Chicago and Vegas

Are customers sick

Is Josh involved with this or is it a

coincidence

3. Audience Analysis

Who are our primary audiences for this crisis: _Victims_________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Who are our secondary audiences for this crisis: __Hard Rock Employees in the U.S.,

franchise owners, Customers, Media_____________________________________

List Victim’s Manager: ____________Elizabeth Smeaton_________________________

Are there victims? (Circle one) Yes No

If so, how are they associated with the organization? (Circle all that apply)

h. Executive

i. Employee

j. Customer

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k. Partner

l. Competition

m. Bystander

n. Other _______________________

How will you respond to victims and families?: ___Grief counselor, CDC representative

for questions____________________________________________________________

List Stakeholders to be contacted: _____CEO, Seminole Tribe, Media, Franchise

Owners, Employees, lawyer, Vice President of Public Relations________________

Primary Contacts:

2. Hamish Dodds 2. Seminole Board Of Directors

CEO of Hard Rock Seminole Tribe of Florida

Phone: (800) 333-3131 Phone: (800) 333-4343

Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Additional Contacts: ___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

Media Contacts:

2. Associated Press Local Contact: ____________________

Phone: (212) 621-1500 ____________________________

Email: [email protected] ____________________________

5/2/2023 Page 35






4. Goals

Business Goals Communication Goals

Retaining customers

Have a safe and healthy environment

Maintain profits

Informing stakeholders

Coordinating with the CDC

Inform employees of prevention and

symptoms

Educate employees on media policy

Inform public of steps that are being

taken

5. Strategy

5/2/2023 Page 36

Short- Term Long-Term

Help victims

Inform stakeholders

Create a short term media policy

Maintain reputation

Maintain profits

Reevaluate illness policy

Work with the CDC and hospitals

specifically for this illness



Choose a strategic option (Circle all that apply and order based on importance)

a. Full Apology & Corrective Action: Admitting responsibility and making

corrections for damage done.

b. Corrective Action: Making corrections for damage done.

c. Ingratiation: Remind audiences of previous good deeds.

d. Justification: Providing explanation for actions, while minimizing the

seriousness of the problems.

e. Excuse: Providing rationale for actions like “no control” or “no bad

intentions”

f. Denial: Stating that no crisis exists.

g. Attack the Accuser: confront, threaten, file a lawsuit, etc. against those

accosting organization

Rationale: __Vocal commiseration- concern that it happened and condolence to grieve

for the loss. This fits better with an illness situation than any above_________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_

Message Strategy: Strategic Options:

g. Who a. Spray and Pray

h. What b. Sell and Tell

i. Where c. Underscore and Explore

j. When d. Identify and Reply

k. Why e. Withhold and Uphold

l. How

6. Review above information

Amendments and rationale: _______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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7. Addressing the Crisis

Create Core Message(s) and list audience:

1.____We are working with the CDC (shows concern and control) ____________

2.____We’re grieving for the victims (shows concern)_______________________

3. __Did not originate with Hard Rock __________________________________

List Tactical Responses: _____Press conference, Press release, tip sheets

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

__

8. Preparation

Prepare and assemble anything needed for press conference.

Spokesperson: _____Danielle Washington__________________________________

Title: ______Vice President of Marketing____________________________

Contact Info: [email protected]___________________________________

______414-364-1536_________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Tips for the Spokesperson:

a. Avoid technical jargon and slang.

b. Do not say ‘no comment’.

c. Repeat the core message(s) often.

d. Remember concern, clarity, control, confidence, and competence.

e. Do not argue with the reporters.

f. Challenge incorrect information.

g. Assess the assumptions of the questions.

h. Think Analyze, Link, Turn

Questions to Be Answered: ____What happened, What Hard Rock is doing to solve the

problem, we are concerned but in control of the situation_____________________

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_______________________________________________________________________

_

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Practice the Press Conference & Evaluate:

The Good: ______Concise, clear, answer to the questions ________________

________________________________________________________________

The Bad: ____Directly address problems if they can be directly addressed_____

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_

The

Ugly:_______NA________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_

5/2/2023 Page 39



Appendix 4: Tactical Examples

Respiratory Illness Reported at Hard Rock Café

LAS VEGAS – An illness which caused employees to experience acute respiratory breathing

problems and coughing attacks has been reported at Hard Rock Cafe. Several employees at the

Las Vegas and Chicago Hard Rock Cafés have been hospitalized and the Chicago and Las Vegas

Hard Rock Cafes have been temporarily closed.

We have not yet confirmed what illness our employees have, but we are working with the CDC

to isolate the situation. We empathize with the victims of this unfortunate event and we are doing

everything in our power to help

“We are working tirelessly to learn more about what this illness is and how to resolve it,” stated

a representative from the CDC, “We have partnered with them to help contain the problem.”

Hard Rock International and the CDC are committed to helping the victims. We are also

assisting the prevention of any further outbreaks at Hard Rock locations.

“Hard Rock International, Inc. takes these situations very seriously and are determined to

determine the source,” Hamish Dodds, CEO of Hard Rock International, Inc.

Hard Rock International, Inc. in contact with the victims and their families and is assisting the

CDC in research. The Las Vegas and Chicago locations have been temporarily closed in order to

contain the spread of the illness. While the CDC is sure that Hard Rock International, Inc. is not

the source of the illness, the restaurants have been closed as a precaution.

“The safety of our customers and employees of the utmost importance to Hard Rock Vegas,”

said Andrew Courtney, owner of the Las Vegas Hard Rock Café, “If we need to temporarily

close in order to keep them safe, then we will.”

5/2/2023 Page 40

Media Contact:

Danielle [email protected]

For Immediate Release

April 29




Hard Rock International, Inc. continues to provide support to those affected and assist the CDC

in this matter.


Operating under the motto “Love All – Serve All”, Hard Rock International, Inc. is a renowned

hospitality and entertainment company with more than 165 restaurant, hotel, casino, and concert

venues in 52 countries. In addition, memorabilia and merchandise are a large part of the

organization. Hard Rock is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the corporate office is

located in Orlando, Fla. Any media inquiries can be sent to [email protected].

###

5/2/2023 Page 41



Hard Rock International, Inc. Responds to Discrimination Claims

LAS VEGAS – A member of the military has reported on Facebook of an act of discrimination

at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Café. Hard Rock International, Inc. is currently investigating the

situation.

Hard Rock International, Inc. has contacted both the employees and the customer and is

investigating the situation. Once the details of the situation have been determined Hard Rock will

be taking any corrective action deemed necessary.

The alleged opinions do not reflect the values of Hard Rock International Inc. Hard Rock is very

committed to several charities that help veterans, including the David Lynch Foundation.

“Hard Rock International Inc. understands the importance of Veterans in our community,” says

Founder and CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, David Lynch. “They have been working with

our foundation that aids Military veterans with PTSD. Hard Rock has been instrumental in

helping to aid veterans for many years now.”

All cases of discrimination of harassment are taken very seriously and Hard Rock International,

Inc. is committed to making sure nothing of this sort happens again.


Operating under the motto “Love All – Serve All”, Hard Rock International, Inc. is a renowned

hospitality and entertainment company with more than 165 restaurant, hotel, casino, and concert

venues in 52 countries. In addition, memorabilia and merchandise are a large part of the

5/2/2023 Page 42

Media Contact:

Danielle [email protected]

For Immediate Release

April 29




organization. Hard Rock is owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the corporate office is

located in Orlando, Fla. Any media inquiries can be sent to [email protected].

###

5/2/2023 Page 43



Temporary Media Policy

Good Morning Hard Rock Café Franchise Owner,

As you are now aware, there are several situations that Hard Rock Cafés are currently involved

in. Due to these situations, we have a media policy we would like to be followed in regards to you and

your employees contact with the media.

No employee should post any opinions or personal feelings regarding this situation online,

including on social media. Any online comments on social media or on websites will be made by

the Hard Rock corporate accounts.

No café employee, franchise owner, or employee of any other division of Hard Rock

International, Inc. should talk to the media. Our official spokesperson in this situation is our Vice

President of Marketing. Any requests by the media to interview anyone at an individual café

should be directed to:

Danielle Washington, Vice President of Marketing

[email protected]

414-364-1536

All official communications regarding this issue will come from the corporate office. Any

information distributed by the media should not be considered to be factual unless verified by the

corporate office.

If you, or your employees, have any questions regarding this situation or how to manage the

media, please send them to [email protected].

Thank you for your continued support of Hard Rock International, Inc. and for your cooperation

regarding this situation. Please meet with employees as soon as possible to release this information, and

manage any situation that may arise with the media appropriately.

Sincerely,

Katelyn Staaben

President of Crisis Management


Illness Policy

5/2/2023 Page 44




HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL, INC. EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Hard Rock International, Inc. Employee Illness Reporting Policy is to ensure

that all employees notify the Owner/General Manager, or other person-in-charge when you

experience any of the conditions listed. This will allow appropriate steps to be taken to preclude

transmission of food borne illness or communicable diseases.

POLICY

Hard Rock International, Inc. is committed to ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our

employees and customers while complying with all health department regulations. All

employees shall report if they are experiencing any of the following symptoms to the person-in-

charge:

• Diarrhea

• Fever

• Vomiting

• Jaundice

• Sore throat with fever

• Sudden onset/severe cough

• Lesions (such as boils and infected wounds, regardless of size) containing pus on the

fingers, hand or any exposed body part

Employees should also notify the person-in-charge whenever diagnosed by a healthcare provider

as being ill with any of the following diseases that can be transmitted through food or person-to-

person by casual contact such as:

• Salmonellosis

• Shigellosis

• Escherichia coli

• Hepatitis A virus

Any acute respiratory illness, or

5/2/2023 Page 45



Norovirus

In addition to the above conditions, employees shall notify the person-in-charge if they have

been exposed to the following high-risk conditions:

• Exposure to or suspicion of causing any confirmed outbreak involving the above

illnesses

• A member of their household is diagnosed with any of the above illnesses

• A member of their household is attending or working in a setting that is experiencing

a confirmed outbreak of the above illnesses

HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL, INC. EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITY

All employees shall follow the reporting requirements specified above involving symptoms,

diagnosis and high-risk conditions specified. All employees subject to the required work

restrictions or exclusions that are imposed upon them as specified in the law, the regulatory

authority or person-in-charge, shall comply with these requirements as well as follow good

hygienic practices at all times. Employees that are unsure as to whether or not they should work

should contact their person-in-charge on the phone ahead of their shift.

PERSON-IN-CHARGE RESPONSIBILITY

The person-in-charge shall take appropriate action as specified in the Department of Health Rule

564 IAC 6-21 to exclude, restrict and/or monitor employees who have reported any of the

aforementioned conditions. If person-in-charge or employee is unsure whether the employee

should attend work, cancel their scheduled hours, until symptoms reside, to prevent the spread of

disease. The person-in-charge shall ensure these actions are followed and only release the ill

employee once evidence, as specified in the food code, is presented demonstrating the person is

free of the disease causing agent or the condition has otherwise resolved.

The person-in-charge shall cooperate with the regulatory authority during all aspects of an

outbreak investigation and adhere to all recommendations provided to stop the outbreak from

5/2/2023 Page 46



continuing. The person-in-charge will ensure that all employees who have been conditionally

employed, or who are employed, complete the employee health questionnaire and sign the form

acknowledging their awareness of this policy. The person-in-charge will continue to promote

and reinforce awareness of this policy to all employees on a regular basis to ensure it is being

followed. Hard Rock International, Inc. takes employee and guest health and safety seriously.

Any disregard for this policy will be grounds for termination.

Department of Health and Human Services

HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL, INC. EMPLOYEE HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE

All staff and volunteers whose functions require or necessitate contact with participants or food

preparation shall complete a health questionnaire.

Name:________________________________________________________________________

Job

Title:_________________________________________________________________________

1. Do you have any serious health problems or illnesses that may be contagious to others around

you?

Yes No If yes, please give

details:_________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you have limitations on your ability to perform the work described in your job description

and/or duty statement?


details:_________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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3. Do you have any health conditions that would create a hazard to participants or other staff?


details:________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

I declare that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge:

____________________________________ _____________________

EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE DATE

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Response to Fox News and the Today Show

News Comment (For Josh situation):

Recent attention has been brought to alleged reports of discrimination toward military veterans

by our employees. While the situation is currently under investigation and corrective actions are

being taken toward involved employees as necessary, we want to remind our loyal customers

that the alleged opinions do not reflect the values held by Hard Rock International Inc. As our

motto states, we strive to “Love All – Serve All,” just as our military veterans have sacrificed

their lives to serve us. Our partnership with the David Lynch Foundation supports the

organization’s efforts to build resilience and heal the wounds of war suffered by our military

personnel. Hard Rock International Inc. thanks and honors all past and current military personnel

for protecting our freedom and serving our country.

Social Media Response

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Appendix 5: Media Kit

Cover Letter

April 29, 2014

Dear press representative:

Please take some time to review the information provided in this media kit. The documents included provide resources to help your organization better understand the recent situations involving Hard Rock International, Inc.

The enclosed documents provide clarification regarding the recent allegations of discrimination by our employees toward military veterans, as well as the illnesses suffered by several of our employees. These documents also outline the steps being taken by Hard Rock International, Inc. to isolate the problem and provide support for everyone involved.

For additional information, please contact Danielle Washington, Vice President of Marketing, at [email protected] or 414-364-1536.

Thank you for your time and for attending our press conference.

Sincerely,

Katelyn StaabenPresident of Crisis ManagementHard Rock International, Inc.

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General Fact Sheet

The first Hard Rock Café was opened in 1971 in London.

Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, two young Americans were the founders.

Hard Rock International has over 175 restaurant, hotel and casino, and music venue

locations in over 55 countries.

Eric Clapton was the first artist to have a memorabilia item displayed in a restaurant.

Hard Rock has a record label.

Hamish Dobbs is the current president and CEO of Hard Rock International.

Hard Rock International, Inc. was purchased by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in 2007.

Operating Values

o Practice honesty, integrity, and professionalism.

o Encourage everyone to maximize their potential.

o Take personal accountability for getting results.

o Create brand excitement through innovation.

o Deliver kick-ass service.

Mottos

o Love All – Serve All

o Take Time to Be Kind

o All Is One

o Save the Planet

Mission

o To spread the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll by creating authentic experiences that rock.

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Timeline

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Photos

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Tips for Acute Respiratory Illness

A Quick Reference Sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Hard Rock International Inc.

What is an Acute Respiratory Illness?

An Acute Respiratory Illness comes on quickly and can prevent normal breathing. Symptoms include

severe coughing sprees and common cold like symptoms. If illness advances difficulty breathing and

dizziness may occur.

Contact your healthcare professional immediately if symptoms exceed 72 hours or you experience

advanced symptoms

How can I protect myself?

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds and help young children do the

same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze then throw the tissue in the

trash.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact, such as kissing, sharing cups, or sharing eating utensils, with sick people.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs

Where can I find more information?

Contact your local healthcare professional

http://www.cdc.gov/

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Tips for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

A Quick Reference Sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Hard Rock International Inc.

What is MERS?

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is an acute respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus

called MERS-CoV. Symptoms of MERS include fever and pneumonia within 14 days of exposure; as well

as respiratory illness with a cough, fever, and shortness of breath.

Please contact your healthcare professional if you begin experiencing these symptoms

How can I protect myself?

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds and help young children do the

same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze then throw the tissue in the

trash.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact, such as kissing, sharing cups, or sharing eating utensils, with sick people.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs

Where can I find more information?

Contact your local healthcare professional

http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/MERS/

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Appendix 6: Agendas and Minutes

Liger’s Inc. Meeting Agenda- 3-31-14

Cofrin Library, Room TBD- 3:30 p.m.

1. Discuss information gathered from 100 factsa. Decide who will compile the information

2. Begin brainstorming potential crises that the Hard Rock Café may face3. Begin discussing potential ways of dealing with those crises.

Liger’s Inc Agenda 4-2-14

Cofrin Library- Room TBD, 4:00 p.m.

1. Discuss any additional research done since last meeting. 2. Create a timeline for the project.3. Continue discussion of potential crises.

Ligers Inc. Agenda 4-7-14

Cofrin Library 605M, 3:30 p.m.

1. Fact Sheets- Any problems? Any interesting insights from these?2. Timeline- Does it need to be changed at all after class on Thursday3. Start discussing likely crises situations

Liger’s Inc Agenda- 4-9-14

MAC Hall- 5:30 p.m.

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1. Continue creating Impact vs Likelihood charts for each division of Hard Rock.2. Create one main Impact vs Likelihood chart for all of Hard Rock.3. Discuss other charts or evaluation tools to create for Hard Rock.

Ligers Inc. Agenda 4/14/14

Cofrin Library- Room TBD, 3:30 p.m.

1. Discuss any updates/changes we want to make to the charts we completed last week. a. Criminal –them and Criminal –Us names

2. Begin work on the strategy planning worksheet

Remember- Professional pictures on Wednesday

Ligers Inc Agenda- 4-16-14 and 4-21-14

MAC Hall, Room TBD- 4:00 p.m.

1. Take professional pictures. 2. Discuss any work we did over the weekend that we still needed to go over (if necessary).3. Continue work on strategy planning worksheet4. Begin working on the incident report form5. Discuss what we are able to split up (diagrams?) and the paper.

Minutes

March 31, 2014

Each of us shared our facts gathered

Potential Crisis

Non-Franchise Hard Rocks causing issue Stolen memorabilia Food problems- menu labeling, gluten Free/vegetarian (NOT), food tampering Sexual harassment

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Celebrity charity events Something happen at concert Scandal with musician that is partnered with Hard Rock Café Death of important Hard Rock officials Discrimination Disease outbreak Going against any of their models Merchandise and sweatshops Embezzling Not following employment regulations Hiring illegal immigrants Guest getting injured National disaster Anything with CEO

Put Potential Crisis in parking garage to think about

Work on 100 facts more

Minutes

April 2, 2014

Discuss any additional research done since last meeting.o Look more into their competitors: Planet Hollywood, Bubba Gump, Landry’s,

Johnny Rockets, TEX, Rainforest Café Game Plan

o Breakdown for further research Seminole Tribe/HR Corporation- Kaylie HR Café- Katelyn HR Hotel/Casinos- Elizabeth HR Live (venues)/HR Records- Rachel HR Memorabilia/Merchandise - Danni

o Created an organized fact sheet for your topic Post on Facebook Make a section for potential crisis ideas

o 100 Facts Add to Google Docs Kaylie made Ideas for CMT Titles

CEO

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Security/Safety PR Victim Manager- Elizabeth Spokesperson Tribe/Corporate Café Hotel/Casino Live/Records Memorabilia/Merchandise

Create a timeline for the projecto 4/7: Likely scenarioso 4/9: Charts (impact), decide speaking roleso 4/14: Strategy and Tacticso 4/16: Group pictures DRESS UP, Strategy and tactics, ++o 4/21: Catch-upo 4/23: Paper Day/Prepo 4/25-4:28: Crisiso 4/29: Presentation

Continue discussion of potential criseso Parking Garage until next week after research is complete

Next Meeting:

Day: Wednesday, April 9 Location: WINTER Garden (not garden café) ;) Time: 5:45

Minutes

April 7, 2014

Florida Seminole Tribe and Corporateo Potential Crisis

Tribe Illegal Gambling Practices Bankruptcy Government Disrupt (tribal council) Change in government regulations regarding tribe

Corporate Boycott Strike Scandal Embezzling Bankruptcy Credit Card Fraud

Hard Rock Caféo Potential Crisis

Food poisoning

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Disease outbreak Food tampering Violence or Death at Restaurant Anything that would happen at an un-authorized restaurant Theft Sexual harassment Harassment Discrimination Not following employment regulations Natural Disaster Credit card fraud

Venues and Record Companyo Potential Crisis

Venues Acts of violence or terrorism at event Event attendees getting injured Fire Legal issues

o Copyright Construction Issues

Record Company Legal issues Funding issues Not enough interest

Merchandise and Memorabiliao Potential Crisis

Merchandise Sweatshops Resources Unauthorized locations making copies of their merchandise

Memorabilia Fraud Theft Illegal acquisition Destruction of the memorabilia

Hotels and Casinoso Potential Crisis

Guest getting harmed by (stabbing/attack) Foodborne illness Terrorist Attack Money laundering Guest information leaked Prostitution Bombing or major Fire Hostage Taking or Kidnapping Civil disturbances

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Natural Disasters/Environmental Hazards Casino is not licensed Loan Sharks in Casinos Cheating the system of Casinos People boycott casino Gamblers embezzling money to fund gambling addiction

(http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20140405/NEWS01/140409689#.U0HyiygoxG4)

Big Trendso Moneyo Violenceo Food

Started making impact vs. likelihood graphs for each category. Please refer to Facebook images.

Minutes

4/9/2014

Broke up the different duties of Crisis Plan/ Press Kito Kaylie: Backgrounder and Fact Sheetso Katelyn: Timeline and Headero Rachel: Photos, CMT Members, and CMT Contact Sheeto Elizabeth: Stakeholder Contact Sheeto Danni: Crisis Control Center and Rehearsal Dates

Positions:o Katelyn: CEO expertise in Caféo Elizabeth: VP HR-V manager ~ expertise in Hotel and Casinoo Kaylie: VP of Operations ~ expertise in Seminole Tribe and Corporateo Rachel: VP of Finances ~ expertise in Venues and Record Companyo Danni: VP of Marketing ~ expertise in Merchandise and Memorabiliao Herbert Norb Jr: Lawyer ~ expertise in Law

Created Categories for Crisiso Criminal o Personnel

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http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20140405/NEWS01/140409689#.U0HyiygoxG4

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20140405/NEWS01/140409689#.U0HyiygoxG4



o Manufacturingo Healtho Financialo Naturalo Reputationo Security

Created a “sexy” charto Triangle-Refer to Facebook

For next meeting: 4/14/2014

Finish part of kit Post contact information

Minutes

April 14, 2014

Revised our chart of responsibilityo Changed criminal us to Corporate Misconduct, and criminal them to Public

Misconduct. Worked on Strategy Planning Worksheet

o Please refer to Google Doc for rough draft.

FOR NEXT MEETING- DRESS UP FOR PICTURES

Minutes- 4/16/14

Took picutres! Change Katelyn’s title to President of Crisis Management Went over everyone’s paper portions

o Add a stakeholders analysis and core messages- Elizabetho Add rehearsal evaluation, incident report, amendment form- Rachelo Beef up crisis center stuff, strategy/tactics sexy chart of responsibility – Dannio Katelyn will do diagrams and introduction, crisis assessmento Strategy planning worksheet, Association overview- Kaylie

Business v Communication goals Talk about proprietary information tomorrow

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Minutes

April 16, 2014

Made updates to the crisis worksheet Reviewed CMP Created Biz, Communication goals and strategies/tactics

o Put in the parking garage until crisis occurs Created a list of Proprietary information Created strategy and tactics for corporate misconduct, rep., security, health money,

manufacturing, and personnel.

Presentation/Paper:

Speaking: Danni (press conference), Kaylie & Rachel for the plan Compiling 1st Paper: Katelyn Compiling 2nd Paper: Elizabeth

For Next Week:

Finish up individual assignments

Minutes

April 21, 2014

Reviewed crisis papero Add Rock and Roll into propriety information.o Add Fact Sheets to Hard Rock Press Kit Contentso Add Stakeholder contact information

Strategies and Tacticso Security

Strategies: 5C’s (Especially Control) Communicate through multiple channels Pinpoint problem

Tactics: Showing plan of action

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Make no guarantees Appropriate channels for each stakeholder

o Health Strategies:

Acquire necessary information about situation 5 C’s, especially concern Provided Resources

Tactics: Contact a medical professional Contact Victim Manager to address victims Tip Sheet for victims

o Financial Strategies:

5C’s, especially control and confidence Contact stakeholders

Tactics: Use appropriate channels to contact stakeholders

o Manufacturing Strategies:

5C’s show concern and clarity Contact Interindustry players Contact Stakeholders Pinpoint problem

Tactics: Issue a report for interindustry players Use appropriate channels to contact stakeholders Conduct safety evaluation

o Personnel Strategies:

Include Human Resources 5 C’s, especially concern and competence Retention Attempt to understand

Tactics: Contact Human Resources Address indirectly affected employees (thank for loyalty) Investigate concerns

o Public Misconduct Strategies:

5 C’s, especially control and concern Clarify situation Contact stakeholders Team up with Victims Manager

Tactics: Assign responsibility Use appropriate channels to address stakeholders

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Continually update Use Victims Manager as a liaison

o Natural Disasters Strategies:

Show 5C’s, especially competence and confidence Prepare Team up with Victims Manager

Tactics: Use Victims Manager as a liaison Understand potential for incidents

Stakeholder Contact Sheeto Add in actual numbers

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Documents

Cases Hard Rock Crisis