2. The H1N1 Influenza A (swine flu) outbreak has served as yet another
reminder to public and private sectors alike that there’s no substitute when
it comes to pandemic preparedness. Effective crisis and business continuity
planning is not a nice-to-have – it’s essential for any organization to function
and respond properly and effectively.
PANIC VS. PANDEMIC
This is where H&K can help. Together with an international
network of crisis management, public affairs and communication
experts in offices in the region, Hill & Knowlton is well equipped
to advise and support your organization in developing a response
strategy to deal with pandemics should they arise.
The following guidelines are designed as a reminder for your
business to dig up and dust off your existing pandemic prepared-
ness plans with some easy-to-follow steps. At any stage, Hill &
Knowlton can be called upon to help your business upgrade its
readiness to address the pandemic threat.
In the event of a true pandemic, the most important thing
you can focus on is the security of your business’s operations,
starting with your employees. The world’s media will turn
primarily to government and healthcare leaders for content,
so your focus should be first and foremost on the well-being
of your staff. Only with a healthy and safe workforce will your
business be able to continue in some capacity, so in the first
instance revisit your existing pandemic plans – both for
business continuity and communication.
3. STEP 1 STEP 2
SCENARIO PLANNING PLAN TESTING: DESKTOP SIMULATION
AND REVISION Testing your plan will do two very important things: identify gaps in your plan and
give your response team some practical experience in implementing it.
This step is essential for determining what you’re
going to be able to handle in the event that the
Desktop simulations provide the opportunity for your team to learn their drills in
current threat becomes a real pandemic. If you
a step-through environment, which can then be stress-tested with a larger-scale
already have pandemic scenario plans, visit the WHO
simulation if required. Scenario inputs, such as telephone calls from government,
or your relevant government department websites to
the community, industry, employees and the media, and facsimiles of wire stories,
ensure that you’re working with the latest informa-
news coverage and television news programs, are used to set the scene, present the
tion. If you don’t already have a plan in place, it’s not
problems and introduce complicating elements. Participants use the draft Pandemic
too late. First identify the ways a pandemic can affect
Response Plan to respond to the situation in a systematic and structured way.
your business, and then determine what you need to
do to either avoid those problems or minimize their
The simulation also gives the Pandemic Response Team a thorough appreciation for
impact. Here are some tips to get you started:
the need to better engage with a wide range of audiences – local authorities, school
• Is the main threat to your business going to be officials, environmentalists, politicians – as well as the local and international news
the loss of your own staff, or perhaps the loss media taking into account legal, political, economic and employee considerations.
of a key supplier?
• What are your minimum staffing requirements
to continue operating?
STEP 3
• Can your staff work remotely?
PANDEMIC COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING
Once the key threats are identified, the next step is
to develop a centralized pandemic response plan to Regardless of how seasoned your spokespeople may be in front of the camera,
ensure that your business can respond quickly and most will never have dealt with an intensive crisis such as a pandemic. It’s therefore
with the discipline required to minimize the threat. essential that your spokespeople are up to the task of dealing with highly emotional,
The plan should include: very concerned stakeholders. Your spokespeople should be able to represent your
business’s position to any stakeholders, be they staff, colleagues, government or a
• A Pandemic Scenario Response Map for each waiting media pack.
identified scenario, outlining definition of a
crisis for that particular issue, as well as mes-
saging and response strategies for managing
media and other stakeholders more effectively STEP 4
• Checklists for all the team members, system-
atically outlining their roles and responsibilities
PANDEMIC RESPONSE
• Lists of external and internal audiences and Should a pandemic threat escalate to a significant level (identified by an upgrade to
their contact details WHO Phase 5 or 6), you’ll need to implement your plans. At this time it is invaluable
• Draft response material – statements, back- to have a skilled support team in place, and we’ll work with you to help your pandemic
grounders, fact sheets, questions and answers, response team respond effectively to the situation. Our role would be to:
employee correspondence etc.
• Activate your Pandemic Response Team
• Provide strategic counsel to the team
• Prepare communication materials – speaking notes for internal staff
communication, media releases, statements, Q&As, position papers,
backgrounders, third-party testimony
• Undertake media liaison
• Monitor media coverage, identify emerging issues and counter misperceptions
• Identify third-party influencers to support your position
• Serve as liaison with government and special-interest groups
• Set up and staff information hotlines
• Support web-based communication
• Arrange media conferences, media tours, satellite feeds and teleconferences
• Develop employee communication materials
• Work with outside groups including legal, investigation and insurance
firms as required
• Carry out post-crisis evaluation and action
4. DO CONTACT
• Minimize disruption – put measures in place to GLOBAL
ensure business continuity AnnaMaria DeSalva | Worldwide Director of Healthcare
• Remember good internal communication Hill & Knowlton
is vital 909 Third Avenue
• Keep open lines of communication with New York, NY 10022 | United States
all stakeholders +1 212 885 0315
• Ensure a single point of contact for AnnaMaria.desalva@hillandknowlton.com
urgent information
• Update your crisis plans UNITED STATES
• Test preparedness of procedures and Ron Bottrell | Senior Counselor – Crisis Management & Food Safety
personnel, especially pandemic response team Hill & Knowlton
• Demonstrate responsibility 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 275
• Listen to experts, not rumor Chicago, IL 60654
+1 312 475 5905
• Utilize principles of risk communication –
trust and credibility are key Ron.bottrell@hillandknowlton.com
• Ensure that all communications are calm
and rational EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA
Tim Luckett | Managing Director of Issues & Crisis Management, UK
• Communicate with clear, concise information
20, Soho Square
• Provide regular updates
London WC1A 1PR | United Kingdom
• Create channels for your external and internal + 44 (0) 207 413 3783
stakeholders to ask questions
Tim.luckett@hillandknowlton.com
• Get information translated into multiple
languages and ensure that it is culturally
ASIA PACIFIC
appropriate
Ray Rudowski | Regional Director,
• Make sure spokespeople are trained to Asia-Pacific Crisis Planning and Communications Training
handle media
Hill and Knowlton Asia Ltd
• Agree on key messages – when dealing with
36th Floor, PCCW Telecom Tower
media enquiries, your messages need to be
consistent across the board Taikoo Place
979 King’s Road
• Remind all staff of your media policy
and enforce it Quarry Bay, Hong Kong SAR
+ 852 2894 6206
Ray.rudowski@hilldandknowlton.com
DON’T LATIN AMERICA
Antonio Tamayo | President and Managing Director, Mexico
• Panic Hill & Knowlton Mexico
• Wait until your organization is affected Prol. Paseo de la Reforma
• Assume that your crisis plan is up to date No. 490-1st. Fl.
• Try to communicate when you have 01 10 Mexico, D.F. | Mexico
2
nothing to say + 52 55 9177 1860
• Ignore questions from staff Antonio.tamayo@hillandknowlton.com
• Always trust Twitter - having millions of people
wrap up all their fears into 1 characters and
40 CANADA
blurt them out in the public might have some Celeste Brown | Senior Vice President & National Practice Leader
dangerous consequences, networked panic Hill and Knowlton Canada
being one of them 1 Bloor Street East, Suite 700
60
• Rely on traditional modes of communication Toronto, Ontario
• Put forward spokespeople who aren’t M4W 3P7 | Canada
media trained +1 416 413 4651
• Allow anyone to speak to media without Celeste.brown@hillandknowlton.ca
agreeing on key messages beforehand
• Make assumptions – what you think is obvious
might not be apparent to your stakeholders
