November 7, 2007 Reputation Management Crisis Communication Planning, Response and Recovery Ellen Hartman President, Fitzgerald + C0 Public Relations [email_address] 404 266 7561

Today’s Discussion Crisis communications planning Crisis management Reputation recovery

Crisis communications planning

Crisis management

Reputation recovery

Attributes of a Crisis Potential to significantly damage reputation Damaging to consumer, shareholder, employee confidence Directly involves multiple audiences and stakeholders Of interest to the media Unique and entirely unpredictable

Potential to significantly damage reputation

Damaging to consumer, shareholder, employee confidence

Directly involves multiple audiences and stakeholders

Of interest to the media

Unique and entirely unpredictable

Goals of Crisis Communications Be equipped to quickly and accurately address any existing issue that has the potential to threaten reputation Build a network of advocates on your behalf, both internal and external Prevent an issue from escalating to a crisis Minimize the long-term impact of a crisis

Crisis: The First 24 How an organization acts and responds in the first 24 hours of a crisis situation sets the tone for the narrative Show leadership Actions speak louder than words Day 1: Crisis story Day 2: Company’s response Monitor the new media Communicate widely, and consistently

How an organization acts and responds in the first 24 hours of a crisis situation sets the tone for the narrative

Show leadership

Actions speak louder than words

Day 1: Crisis story

Day 2: Company’s response

Monitor the new media

Communicate widely, and consistently

Crisis Communications Cycle Pre-crisis Predict, Prepare, Prevent Response Act and Communicate Recovery Rebuild relationships Learn React Act

Pre-Crisis: Issues Management Identify and prepare Identify vulnerabilities Develop strategic planning matrix to guide response Create cross-functional team Define roles and responsibilities Draft scenario plans – holding statements, Q+A Identify potential 3 rd party advocates Identify spokespeople Monitor issues proactively Don’t neglect your good crisis planning work Have a x-functional team meet and track issues matrix Conduct annual training and simulation Debrief, learn and update plans

Identify and prepare

Identify vulnerabilities

Develop strategic planning matrix to guide response

Create cross-functional team

Define roles and responsibilities

Draft scenario plans – holding statements, Q+A

Identify potential 3 rd party advocates

Identify spokespeople

Monitor issues proactively

Don’t neglect your good crisis planning work

Have a x-functional team meet and track issues matrix

Conduct annual training and simulation

Debrief, learn and update plans

Crisis: Response Principles Tell it truthfully Forgetfulness can be forgiven, lies will not Demonstrate empathy Tell it accurately, quickly Rush to gather accurate information Do not let issues linger The First 24 Communicate regularly Tell it fully Have the facts Anticipate questions Never ‘no comment’ Tell it yourself Acknowledge responsibility Control the agenda Enforce message discipline Proportionate response

Tell it truthfully

Forgetfulness can be forgiven, lies will not

Demonstrate empathy

Tell it accurately, quickly

Rush to gather accurate information

Do not let issues linger

The First 24

Communicate regularly

Tell it fully

Have the facts

Anticipate questions

Never ‘no comment’

Tell it yourself

Acknowledge responsibility

Control the agenda

Enforce message discipline

Proportionate response

Crisis Communication Is An Art, Not A Science Maintain credibility Control the dialogue Establish sound relationships with the media in advance Employees and customers are important advocates

Maintain credibility

Control the dialogue

Establish sound relationships with the media in advance

Employees and customers are important advocates

Reputation Recovery Proactive reputation management is strategic and ongoing. Build up trust with customers and stakeholders. Acting sincerely, substantively is only way to reputation recovery. Accept responsibility for your role Help those immediately impacted Take long-term corrective action Address systemic problems Rebuild bridges with stakeholders Communicate openly and transparently Doing the opposite of any of the above is the WRONG choice

Proactive reputation management is strategic and ongoing. Build up trust with customers and stakeholders.

Acting sincerely, substantively is only way to reputation recovery.

Accept responsibility for your role

Help those immediately impacted

Take long-term corrective action

Address systemic problems

Rebuild bridges with stakeholders

Communicate openly and transparently

Doing the opposite of any of the above is the WRONG choice

Reputation Recovery Restore confidence Create a PR campaign Industry support Speakers Bureau Community Relations Media outreach Consumer education Develop an advertising campaign Implement government affairs programs

Restore confidence

Create a PR campaign

Industry support

Speakers Bureau

Community Relations

Media outreach

Consumer education

Develop an advertising campaign

Implement government affairs programs

Reputation, A Key Corporate Asset Reputation management is strategic, proactive and ongoing Bolster your “trust piggy bank” Conduct research to measure company perception

Reputation management is strategic, proactive and ongoing

Bolster your “trust piggy bank”

Conduct research to measure company perception

If you lose money for the firm by a bad decision, I will be understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless. Warren Buffet

If you lose money for the firm by a bad decision, I will be understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless.

Warren Buffet

November 7, 2007 Reputation Management Crisis Communication Planning, Response and Recovery Ellen Hartman President Fitzgerald + CO Public Relations [email_address] 404 266 7561