CRISIS & MEDIA LEADERSHIP“In times of crisis people want to know that you care, more than they care what you know.” - Will Rogers

The above quote by American humorist and social commentator Will Rogers is as true today as it was in his 1920’s newspaper column. People do not care about your degrees, stripes, or professional position until they know that you care about them and their families.

People must trust you - trust your facts, trust your judgment and trust that you will do your best on their behalf.

In today’s globally competitive environment, organizations must work harder than ever just to maintain the status quo. This is especially true when it comes to handling a crisis or controversy. The amount of media coverage and impact of social media, have raised the stakes considerably.

Every incident – in any organization, in any industry – that is handled poorly, increases public skepticism. And every incident that is handled well increases public expectations and trust. The manner in which you respond to a crisis will impact your organization’s reputation. Whether it’s negative or positive depends greatly upon the effective management of the media.

OPERATIONS LEAD COMMUNICATIONSWhen communicating during a crisis, begin with a basic premise: operations lead communications. If a company is strong operationally, it makes the job of communicating easier. But if a company has operational liabilities, no amount of communicating will make up for them in the event of a significant incident or crisis.

In other words, before you begin communicating during a crisis, you should answer two questions:

1. What operational decisions were made leading up to the crisis that are relevant to the current situation?

2. What will we or should we be doing operationally now that a crisis has occurred?

The answers to these two questions should guide your communication response both in the immediate aftermath of the crisis and as you move forward.

In a crisis, people tend to feel: afraid...

outraged...

angry...

confused...

perplexed...

abandoned...

threatened...

insecure...

vulnerable...

frustrated...

STRATEGY Protect and grow your brand and reputation uniquely written to support your business goals.

• Strategy Session• Communication Plan

Development• Issues Management

• Writing

EXECUTIVE SPECIALTY Strong leadership and strong communication skills go hand in hand. Our team provides tailored coaching that focuses on each executive’s specific needs.

• Executive Coaching

• Individual Prep Session

PRESENTATION The worst thing you can be is boring. Learn how to present with passion to stay on message and meet your business goals.

• Presentation Awareness• Presentation Training• Advanced Presentation

Training

MEDIA Today’s media is changing by the minute. Be prepared to manage tough issues and even tougher media questions with ease.

• Media Awareness• Media Communication Boot

Camp• Media Communication

Training

LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION Inspire others and lead with confidence, using proven techniques to communicate effectively.

• Leadership Communication Training

• Executive Leadership Communication Training

VIDEO Video services offer an effective way for clients to share important messages with their key audiences. From company overview and executive highlight videos to product launch and informational business productions we work with clients to develop videos that resonate.

CRISIS COMMUNICATION The strength of an organization is measured by how it manages bad news. Ensure your team is ready to communicate through a crisis.

• Crisis Communication Plan Development

• Crisis Communication Training

• Media and Crisis Communication Training

• Drill Support and Participation

SIGNATURE SERVICE OPTIONS AND TRAINING

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Connect with confidence as you speak with anyone from elected officials to local leaders with the media standing by for interviews. OPERATIONS COMMUNICATIONS

Wixted & Company is a strategic communication, crisis management, and training firm. For more than 20 years, our firm has been providing clients across the country and the globe with strategic communication training and counsel—in industries ranging from energy to health care and beyond. Our firm truly specializes in developing communication strategies that support organizational goals and drive business outcomes. We use these strategies to create results based on in-depth knowledge of our clients’ unique business needs and issues.

Eileen Wixted Lauri FrekingJeff Johnson Katie WardAndy Garman

www.thinkwixted.com | 515.226.0818 p | info@thinkwixted.com

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIAThe term social media can represent a variety of small-scale publishing venues through which a single person (user-generated) can develop and publish content without a newspaper or television station - and consequently without an editor. It may be small in scale - meaning it only takes one person to create and post - but it has large-scale implications. In a matter of hours or even minutes, a single tweet on Twitter can grow into an all-out media frenzy.

Social media, unlike traditional media sources, is viral. Traditionally a video would need to be shot by a professional, edited, and then publicized and shared through television networks.

Today, anyone with a smart phone can shoot a video and put it online. If the video is compelling, word of mouth spreads through YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and the audience grows.

Eventually, the mainstream media picks up the video and the story. In fact, today the mainstream media mines the online world for the next gripping video.

  Why should I care?

Traditionally we monitored television, radio and print. Today, we include the internet. However, the online world has grown from the traditional sources to a constant monitoring of all sources. We must be prepared to address rumors or negative customer feedback quickly and decisively whether it is through

traditional means, a Facebook post or a tweet.

MOTIVATING PUBLIC OPINION Twenty-first century technology has reshaped our notion of how, when, where and why we communicate. The internet and digital communication move volumes of information at warp speed. The result? To become more productive in a fiercely competitive marketplace, key constituencies face greater pressure than ever to absorb and process information. Against that backdrop, smart leaders use communication as a strategic tool to help drive public opinion. What type of communication will persuade change?

What is your business goal?

• To educate the public?

• To inform the public about a situation?

• To demonstrate leadership?

• To rebuild trust in your organization?

What is your message and to whom will you deliver the information? Only after addressing these questions can your communication strategy accomplish your goals.

You

Message

audience

Business goal

CRISIS MEDIA STRATEGYWhen immersed in a crisis situation remember the PEAR model of determining what is important. Early on in a crisis there is confusion and chaos both in the operational and, more frequently, in the communication response. There will be tension with not having enough information or not having enough of the right information. What do you share first? How do you organize your thoughts and ideas so that the key audiences and stakeholders have confidence?

THINK PEAR Too frequently communication strategists worry about the wrong things first. We tend to worry about reputation. The desire is to communicate effectively so that you can protect the brand and reputation of the company. The reality is that the company’s reputation will be protected if you first worry about People, Environment and Assets, then Reputation.

PEOPLE How have people been impacted because of this crisis? What are you doing to help and protect the people involved in this situation?

ENVIRONMENT How has the environment been impacted by the crisis? Is there a risk to the air or water supply? What about the physical location of the building or company? What are you doing to minimize the environmental impact or protect the environment?

ASSETS How have your assets been impacted? Are facilities flooded or destroyed? What are you doing to minimize the impact to your assets? What are your plans because your assets are no longer operational?

REPUTATION Take responsibility and communicate frequently. If your organization has past issues that may have precipitated this crisis be the first one to share that information. A review of successful crisis communication techniques in government and industry over the past two decades reveals a four-pronged message strategy. This strategy helps organizations return quickly to normal business operations.

PEOPLEENVIRONMENTASSETS REPUTATION

FOUR-PART MESSAGE MODEL FOR CRISIS

In your words and in your deeds, show how you are coordinating your response efforts with those of other organizations that may be involved. Help your audience grasp the cooperative nature of your response.

03 DEMONSTRATE YOUR COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE

Never assume that the media or any of your key audiences realize you have an emergency plan. Provide details for them regarding the steps you are taking to mitigate and resolve the incident.

02 DETAIL YOUR RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS

First and foremost, lead with your emotion. Above all else, a crisis is a human trauma.

01 SHOW YOUR CONCERN Do not let the gravity

or seriousness of the event defeat you or the company.

04 SHOW RESOLVE