Crisis Communications & Marketing: Preparing to Communicate in a Disaster May 1, 2009

Crisis Communications & Marketing: Preparing to Communicate in a Disaster

May 1, 2009

August 13, 2008 Riverwalk at Millennium

August 13, 2008

SITUATION Fire began at 4:30 p.m. at an adjacent construction site Spread to Riverwalk in under 15 minutes and escalated to an eight-alarm fire Community staff and firefighters went door-to-door evacuating residents and pets More than 300 firefighters responded and battled flames for six hours

Fire began at 4:30 p.m. at an adjacent construction site

Spread to Riverwalk in under 15 minutes and escalated to an eight-alarm fire

Community staff and firefighters went door-to-door evacuating residents and pets

More than 300 firefighters responded and battled flames for six hours

SITUATION Two buildings (of four) ultimately destroyed – 189 units Media onsite BEFORE fire department Most importantly, NO resident injuries

Two buildings (of four) ultimately destroyed – 189 units

Media onsite BEFORE fire department

Most importantly, NO resident injuries

SITUATION 300+ residents permanently displaced All residents temporarily displaced 50+ Bozzuto volunteers immediately responded All residents placed in temporary housing within four hours

300+ residents permanently displaced

All residents temporarily displaced

50+ Bozzuto volunteers immediately responded

All residents placed in temporary housing within four hours

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

SITUATION

FIRST RESPONSE On site staff took immediate action to restore safety, protect employees and the public, limit damage and restore operations (no brainer). Notified appropriate company individuals.

On site staff took immediate action to restore safety, protect employees and the public, limit damage and restore operations (no brainer).

Notified appropriate company individuals.

FIRST RESPONSE Property staff determined press was present: Took action to keep them off the site and away from emergency, rescue and investigation operations.

Property staff determined press was present:

Took action to keep them off the site and away from emergency, rescue and investigation operations.

AUDIENCES Crisis team agreed upon critical and ongoing messaging needs for each audience: Displaced residents Existing residents Employees (including employee volunteers) Press Clients Industry

Crisis team agreed upon critical and ongoing messaging needs for each audience:

Displaced residents

Existing residents

Employees (including employee volunteers)

Press

Clients

Industry

COMMUNICATION Existing & Displaced Residents Email blasts (we had 93% of all resident emails) Text messages Websites Bozzuto.com (unique page linked from homepage) RiverwalkApts.com ConshyCares.blogspot.com Personal calls & meetings (mainly new housing-related) In-person meetings Town hall-style meetings Re-occupancy day

Existing & Displaced Residents

Email blasts (we had 93% of all resident emails)

Text messages

Websites

Bozzuto.com (unique page linked from homepage)

RiverwalkApts.com

ConshyCares.blogspot.com

Personal calls & meetings (mainly new housing-related)

In-person meetings

Town hall-style meetings

Re-occupancy day

COMMUNICATION Riverwalk Tenants Network Facebook group / support group – 143 members Founder: public relations professional Extremely well-organized; clear goals In-person meetings with senior executives We assisted with their communication

Riverwalk Tenants Network

Facebook group / support group – 143 members

Founder: public relations professional

Extremely well-organized; clear goals

In-person meetings with senior executives

We assisted with their communication

COMMUNICATION Employees (including employee volunteers) Lead volunteer coordinator Email updates Internal newsletter Bozzuto.com

Employees (including employee volunteers)

Lead volunteer coordinator

Email updates

Internal newsletter

Bozzuto.com

COMMUNICATION Press Immediate statement via email, phone, website Regular, proactive updates via email, phone, website Limited community access; no access to resident meeting Responsiveness, accessibility, complete transparency Continual contact with ownership to ensure consistency Website updates Bozzuto.com RiverwalkApts.com ConshyCares.blogspot.com

Press

Immediate statement via email, phone, website

Regular, proactive updates via email, phone, website

Limited community access; no access to resident meeting

Responsiveness, accessibility, complete transparency

Continual contact with ownership to ensure consistency

Website updates

Bozzuto.com

RiverwalkApts.com

ConshyCares.blogspot.com

COMMUNICATION Donations Program Manage donations from community, residents, employees Identify displaced residents’ specific needs Communication Coordination Consider current residents

Donations Program

Manage donations from community, residents, employees

Identify displaced residents’ specific needs

Communication

Coordination

Consider current residents

LESSONS LEARNED We Were Fortunate Fire started offsite Fire started while most residents were at work; no injuries Exceptional support from Red Cross / SPCA Ownership paid for five nights’ hotel stay Ownership required renter’s insurance Management collected emails / cell phone #’s at lease signing This information was WEB-BASED (Yardi) Outpouring of support / donations from community

We Were Fortunate

Fire started offsite

Fire started while most residents were at work; no injuries

Exceptional support from Red Cross / SPCA

Ownership paid for five nights’ hotel stay

Ownership required renter’s insurance

Management collected emails / cell phone #’s at lease signing

This information was WEB-BASED (Yardi)

Outpouring of support / donations from community

LESSONS LEARNED While we were fortunate…. We had prepared for the worst. This ensured we were well-equipped to handle the crisis.

While we were fortunate….

We had prepared for the worst. This ensured we were well-equipped to handle the crisis.

WAYS TO PREPARE? Collect emails / cell phone #’s at lease signing This is the SITES’ responsibility; make sure they know this Ensure information is web-based Ensure web / IT team is ready to produce and update online crisis hub Make certain all social media pages are established and ready to be utilized during a crisis (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Establish solid news/blog/web monitoring vehicles BurrellsLuce, Cision, Factiva

Collect emails / cell phone #’s at lease signing

This is the SITES’ responsibility; make sure they know this

Ensure information is web-based

Ensure web / IT team is ready to produce and update online crisis hub

Make certain all social media pages are established and ready to be utilized during a crisis (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Establish solid news/blog/web monitoring vehicles

BurrellsLuce, Cision, Factiva

WAYS TO PREPARE? Educate site employees: Focus on Their Job: Refer all media inquiries to PR department/representative. Off-the-Record: A fantasy, so don’t do it. Tell them to be certain they’d be happy reading / seeing anything they say in the papers or on TV. No Comment: Discourage “no comment” as a response (it means “guilty as charged”).

Educate site employees:

Focus on Their Job: Refer all media inquiries to PR department/representative.

Off-the-Record: A fantasy, so don’t do it. Tell them to be certain they’d be happy reading / seeing anything they say in the papers or on TV.

No Comment: Discourage “no comment” as a response (it means “guilty as charged”).

WAYS TO PREPARE? “ It’s not the questions that get us in trouble; it’s the answers.” – Former NBC Anchor Tom Brokaw

“ It’s not the questions that get us in trouble; it’s the answers.”

– Former NBC Anchor Tom Brokaw

WAYS TO PREPARE? If pressed, encourage site staff to provide one of the following statements: “ The accident is still under investigation. As soon as we have reliable information, we will make it available.” “ We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of individuals and to assist the rescue and investigating personnel.” “ I am not yet aware of the specifics with respect to the situation and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.”

If pressed, encourage site staff to provide one of the following statements:

“ The accident is still under investigation. As soon as we have reliable information, we will make it available.”

“ We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of individuals and to assist the rescue and investigating personnel.”

“ I am not yet aware of the specifics with respect to the situation and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.”

THE POSITIVES Immediately after the fire, a dozen residents chose to move to one of the two undamaged buildings. To date, approximately 25 residents who moved elsewhere have chosen to return to the community.

Immediately after the fire, a dozen residents chose to move to one of the two undamaged buildings.

To date, approximately 25 residents who moved elsewhere have chosen to return to the community.

THE POSITIVES

THE POSITIVES

THE POSITIVES

CONTACT Lauren McDonald Bozzuto Management Company Office: 301-623-1579 Cell: 240-429-8051 [email_address] : LoMcD : www.linkedin.com/in/lpmcdonald

Lauren McDonald

Bozzuto Management Company

Office: 301-623-1579

Cell: 240-429-8051

[email_address]

: LoMcD

: www.linkedin.com/in/lpmcdonald