Crisis Communications Webinar - June 10

“ Staying Ahead of the Game: The Steps to Effective Crisis Communications Planning”

Today’s Presentation

Anne Sceia Klein , APR, Fellow PRSA, President, Anne Klein Communications Group, LLC

Building an Effective Crisis Communications Plan

Irv Lipp , Principal, LippService LLC

Preparing for Crisis Communications: Running Drills

David Weiner , Senior Account Supervisor, PR Newswire

The Role of Social Media in Crisis Communications

Building Effective Crisis Communications Plans

A crisis should not come as a surprise

“It can’t happen here.”

“ Yes, it can!”

Preparing for a crisis

Plan ahead.

Know your role.

Understand your organization’s vision, mission and values.

The first steps

CEO/Leadership buy-in.

Convene a planning team.

Play the “what if” game

What could happen?

How likely is it?

How big an impact?

What keeps you awake at night?

What would you do?

The “Right Thing.”

Your first response.

The media’s “Golden Hour.”

Express caring and concern

FIRST!

Then use your prepared initial response.

Identify

Key audiences and contacts.

Executive spokespersons.

Technical spokespersons.

Get presentation and media training

Practice with drills.

Organize backup material

Organization key messages.

Q&As.

White papers.

Fact sheets.

Remember

24-hour news cycle.

Instantaneous news on the Internet.

Have crisis Web site ready.

Have a toll-free number ready.

Have e-mail address ready for Q&As.

Monitor blogs, tweets, etc.

Pre-select location

Media Center

When the crisis occurs

Start talking.

Position the organization.

Put things in perspective.

Set the right tone.

Talk to your closest friends first

Use your key messages.

Don’t let silence or rumor fill the void.

Distribute new information immediately.

Keep the pipeline open

Rapid response strategies.

Two-way communications.

The goal

Win in the court of public opinion.

After the crisis

Thank you.

Response to victim and families.

Don't forget

Write everything down during planning phase.

Have plan available in multiple formats:

Thumb drive

Company Intranet

CD

Don’t forget

Back up electronics with hard copy.

Get plan pre-approved by legal.

Questions to ask yourself

How will you and your team get called?

Are there checklists to call key staffers?

Do receptionists, operators and security know what do to?

Do key people know who the spokespersons are?

Words of Wisdom

Don’t lie.

Do the right thing.

Anne Sceia Klein President, Anne Klein Communications Group, LLC www.annekleincg.com 856-866-0411 [email_address]

Crisis Management Exercise Or, Are You Ready ? Why, How and When? LippService, LLC Wilmington, DE

The Events of 9/11 Proved Value of Drilling

The chairman asked one simple question on 9/11/01 when the corporation’s Crisis Management Committee was convened at 10:15 a.m.

He said, “Where are the Crisis Management Principles?”

He knew the success of his management team depended on using the principles!

HE LEARNED THAT FROM DRILLING!

To Understand a Drill

WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE ACTUAL INSTRUCTIONS OF A DRILL.

YOU WILL SEE THE VALUE OF A DRILL!

TO DRILL: YOU GOTTA HAVE A PLAN!

Objectives of a Drill (BE SPECIFIC)

Validate capability of Small Business or Corporation to coordinate an effective response to a simulated crisis

Validate understanding of command and control structure and concept of operations

Validate understanding of roles and responsibilities

Validate understanding of the meet and manage process

Objectives (continued)

Assess information flow and frequency of briefings between the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) and established or ad hoc crisis teams

Assess information flow and frequency of briefings between Strategic Business Units (SBUs) and Regional Offices/Staff, applicable

Assess ability to manage the unexpected.

Date, Time & Duration, Location

One day of drilling and evaluation

Europe (London, Paris)

Davenport

Chicago

Unannounced exercise

Will take place in the first half of “XX year”

Simulation

Participants will be asked to carry out response activities to a simulated crisis

Simulators are role-players acting out the roles of non-participating individuals or organizations

Simulators are technically knowledgeable about the areas they are simulating

Simulators use pre-scripted messages by telephone or other communications means, or spontaneous reactions to Participants

Parameters

Full use of plans and procedures

No mobilization or external costs

Calls limited to drill participants

No calls to persons or organizations outside of Company and its Business Units

Use drill telephone directory for simulation numbers and contact info

Background

Background Information

Utilize currently known or anticipated events, activities, and information

Background

Participants

Corporate Crisis Management Team (CMT)

Corporate Crisis Advisory Teams (CATs)

European Regional Crisis Team (Brussels)

Subsidiary Crisis Response Team and Leadership Team (Davenport, Iowa)

Subsidiary European Regional Crisis Response Team (Paris and London)

Biosolutions Enterprise European Regional Coordinator (Paris)

Background

Simulated

All other non participating company groups, including:

Support Functions and Business Units

Plants or units not involved

All external groups (e.g., Customers; Financial Community; Media, Political and Regulatory officials; Contractors; General Public, etc.)

Participant Guidelines – This is Critical

During

Participate as real

Response should reflect realistic implementation time

Communications only through agreed means (phone, email, crisis management database, fax, face-to-face)

Act in accordance with organization policy, plans and procedures; never jeopardize safety

Contact Simulation Cell to reach all non-playing groups or persons

Participant Guidelines

During

Use telephone directory provided (call “OTHER” number at the bottom of the directory if in doubt who to call)

Answer Controller/Evaluator questions

Accept all messages and scenario information as real

Participant Guidelines

After

Provide Controller/Evaluator with all Exercise materials

Complete Participant Evaluation Form

Participate in debriefing session

List positive performance as well as items for improvement

Participant Debriefings

Assess

Participant and organizational structure

Decisions

Adequacy of plans and procedures

Areas of improvement and recommendations

Specific comments on exercise conduct

Real Events

In the event of an actual emergency or crisis:

Participants will complete appropriate emergency notifications by stating “THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE”

Notify the nearest Controller/Evaluator

Response to an actual event will take priority over drill activities

Real Events

For real medical emergencies:

Dial Security at (in US)

(In Europe and Des Moines) use standard notification procedures

For real media inquiries:

Contact Media Relations at

(In Europe) contact

(In Des Moines) contact

Golden Rule #1

“ It doesn’t do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations if you happen to live near one.”

— The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien

Media’s Four Act Drama

What happened?

Who’s to blame?

What went wrong?

How was the crisis managed?

“ We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” --Benjamin Franklin Golden Rule #2

How To Avoid Looking Like the Villain?

Rapid, real-time communications

An effective message targeted to key audiences

A credible spokesperson

How to Work with the News Media

Usually your PR Contact/consultant is the “gate” to

News Media

Assess potential of interview opportunity

Know something about the reporter doing the

interview

Know how and where the interview will be used

“ Pre-interview” the reporter

What questions do you have for the answers I have today?

Anticipate tough questions

Determine your objective in advance

Prepare key messages

Practice key messages

DURING THE INTERVIEW: WHAT TO DO

Relax and be yourself.

Speak informally - AVOID JARGON.

Give attention to reporter - not camera.

Answer questions openly, honestly and

candidly.

When you finish answer, STOP TALKING.

Don’t open a door you don’t want to.

Seek opening for key messages.

DURING THE INTERVIEW: WHAT TO DO (cont’d)

Use concrete examples, anecdotes,

personal experience, numbers.

When asked a complicated question,

listen, think, THEN reply.

Don’t accept reporters’ facts and figures.

Challenge incorrect statements.

If you don’t know, say so and get information

later.

If you are asked multiple questions, answer the

one you like!

SIX THINGS TO REMEMBER

Accept interviews to communicate key messages.

Do Not Over Answer

Avoid “off the record”

Avoid “No Comment”

WHAT YOU SAY WILL BE ON

YouTube, Blogged, Twittered and Facebooked

Create a Monitoring System for Social Media

Spokesperson Training Effective Delivery of the Message G. Irvin Lipp, Principal, LippService LLC (302) 652-2385 This is just the highlights. WE OFFER one-day and two-day courses on this subject. Made even more critical by today’s SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW TO RESPOND. ASK MARS CANDY…140 CHARACTERS CAN GET YOU IN TROUBLE.

(888) 776.0942  information@prnewswire.com  www.PRNewswire.com The Social Landscape

“ 71% of consumers indicate that word of mouth is the number 1 influencer IN their purchasing decisions” - AC Neilsen

“ Recommendations from consumers’ is ranked number 1 in levels of trust in forms of advertising, far above traditional advertising” - Forrester Research

Never before was it so important to stay in tune with what customers are saying

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