Social Media and Crisis Communications (Revisited) Shel Holtz, ABC April 27, 2009

Baseline: What is a PR crisis? An unanticipated event or disclosure that threatens your organization’s/client’s reputation

An unanticipated event or disclosure that threatens your organization’s/client’s reputation

The conundrum Nothing’s changed Crisis principles remain unaffected Everything’s changed Solution: Apply crisis basics to Web 2.0 crises

Nothing’s changed

Crisis principles remain unaffected

Everything’s changed

Solution: Apply crisis basics to Web 2.0 crises

Crisis basics The public is risk-averse The public attaches little credibility to business advocates Media’s role is based on conflict Advocacy groups will exploit your crisis to their own ends Emotion, not logic, is at issue If you engage in debate, you’ll be seen as defensive Crises are characterized by symbols

The public is risk-averse

The public attaches little credibility to business advocates

Media’s role is based on conflict

Advocacy groups will exploit your crisis to their own ends

Emotion, not logic, is at issue

If you engage in debate, you’ll be seen as defensive

Crises are characterized by symbols

Exxon Valdez

Enron

Ford Explorer/Firestone Tires

Key crisis goals Survive the crisis Present/maintain positive image Maintain constituent support Monitor / listen (a given) Address misperceptions and misinformation Eliminate or alter the symbols

Survive the crisis

Present/maintain positive image

Maintain constituent support

Monitor / listen (a given)

Address misperceptions and misinformation

Eliminate or alter the symbols

Tylenol (at first)

Tylenol (long-term)

Strategies Respond quickly, accurately, professionally, with care Be transparent and accessible Treat perceptions as fact Acknowledge mistakes Tailor messages to address the “angry” party Note other side’s concerns Make no public confrontations Emphasize existing relationships

Respond quickly, accurately, professionally, with care

Be transparent and accessible

Treat perceptions as fact

Acknowledge mistakes

Tailor messages to address the “angry” party

Note other side’s concerns

Make no public confrontations

Emphasize existing relationships

The reality of crises today Erupt with unprecedented speed An insatiable thirst for news Anyone can break news Porous boundaries between social & mainstream media

Erupt with unprecedented speed

An insatiable thirst for news

Anyone can break news

Porous boundaries between social & mainstream media

How fast does news break?

What is news? Not just major announcements or milestones Instead: Frequent, regular updates We’re in meetings discussing it New information is emerging These updates will drive the 140-character news cycle Without them, other content will

Not just major announcements or milestones

Instead: Frequent, regular updates

We’re in meetings discussing it

New information is emerging

These updates will drive the 140-character news cycle

Without them, other content will

Original Blog Post or Tweet ReTweet Blog Post Video Delicious Digg Blog Post ReTweet ReTweet Blog Post Video Delicious Digg Blog Post ReTweet ReTweet Blog Post Video Delicious Digg Blog Post ReTweet ReTweet Blog Post Video Delicious Digg Blog Post ReTweet ReTweet Video Delicious Digg Blog Post ReTweet ReTweet Blog Post Video Delicious Digg Blog Post ReTweet Blog Post Mainstream Media

Three case studies MotrinMoms AmazonFAIL Domino’s Pizza

MotrinMoms

AmazonFAIL

Domino’s Pizza

Motrin video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmykFKjNpdY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmykFKjNpdY

MotrinMoms

Motrin parody video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpqpAGLS2t4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpqpAGLS2t4

AmazonFAIL Began with a single blog post

Began with a single blog post

Why Amazon failed No apology Insisted it was just a “glitch” Never acknowledged aggrieved parties

No apology

Insisted it was just a “glitch”

Never acknowledged aggrieved parties

Domino’s

Domino’s preliminary response AdAge: Don’t add fuel to the fire Ragan.com: It hasn’t spread to mainstream media

AdAge: Don’t add fuel to the fire

Ragan.com: It hasn’t spread to mainstream media

Is the Dominos symbol changing?

Why use social media in a crisis? It’s where people increasingly go for information Online social interaction centers around the "emergency period" of an event – University of Colorado at Boulder Instant updating Human voice Accommodates public’s emotional response Produce a record Two-way communication is more credible

It’s where people increasingly go for information

Online social interaction centers around the "emergency period" of an event – University of Colorado at Boulder

Instant updating

Human voice

Accommodates public’s emotional response

Produce a record

Two-way communication is more credible

Richard Edelman and the Trust Barometer on “FIR Live:” http://tinyurl.com/asq52d

Why a blog is a prerequisite Media follows them Your critical publics read them

Media follows them

Your critical publics read them

Engage!

138 total tweets to 32,000-plus

Release assets into the wild Core facts Photos on Flickr Videos on YouTube Documents on Scribd Presentations on SlideShare

Core facts

Photos on Flickr

Videos on YouTube

Documents on Scribd

Presentations on SlideShare

Leverage your existing relationships

Acknowledge mistakes

How about right now?

Don’t: Filter the Negative The 100% illusion of our publics are happy with us of the time

The 100% illusion

Key things I didn’t have time for… Use your employees Drill! The key: Stick to your values

Use your employees

Drill!

The key: Stick to your values

Questions? Shel Holtz, ABC Phone: 415.367.3820 Email: [email_address] Web: www.holtz.com Blog: blog.holtz.com Podcast: www.forimmediaterelease.biz Skype: shelholtz Twitter: www.twitter.com/shel 2 nd Life: Shel Witte Friendfeed: shelholtz Copyright applies to this document – some rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-non commercial-share alike 3.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Shel Holtz, ABC

Phone: 415.367.3820

Email: [email_address]

Web: www.holtz.com

Blog: blog.holtz.com

Podcast: www.forimmediaterelease.biz

Skype: shelholtz

Twitter: www.twitter.com/shel

2 nd Life: Shel Witte

Friendfeed: shelholtz