Crisis management plans Identify first response steps Tactics used in crisis/ issue response Timing and message response Module 5 Overview This week we address what to do when the storm hits…as we explore how to engage – Give yourself freedom to adjust as needed to what comes your way… 1 Crisis Assessment Who has keys to the office at 10 PM on Sunday night? Who has passwords to take down website photos, social media posts on Saturday night at Midnight? Do you have numbers for these contacts? If this is in your Go-Bag you’re already way ahead of what’s coming.  Do you have numbers for these contacts? If this is in your Go-Bag you’re already way ahead of what’s coming. On questions to ask---  Who is in the control tower? What is out there already? What needs to be corrected? Who are hateholders? What are their first, last name, city …comb through social media …google alerts.  2 Crisis Trajectory This is typically how crisis move….If general the worst heat of a crisis comes in the first 72 hours…after the first week things move from the ICU to rehab--- USUALLY1 3 Natural disasters Protests Suicides Cyber-theft attacks Sudden deaths leaving vacuum in leadership Allegations- ‘left field’ Sudden facility closures Twist in ruling, interpretation Online smear campaigns Innocent mistakes Unexpected, Ambush Crises Let’s take a quick refresh of the types of crises…. 4 Potential Filed lawsuits Unhappy employee leaves Firing of popular employee/executive Announced investigations, audits Mergers or acquisitions Innocent mistakes (accounting errors) RAINY DAYS 5 Entrenched Other side has dominated the narrative for a sustained period of time.  You're on defense  Issue dominates online search results of entity's name Causing continued business disruption, loss of influence Requires sustained effort to change, re-establish better, accurate image 6 Stop credibility bleeding Control and or participate in narrative via consistent messaging  Avoid further damage   Restore confidence  Reactive                       Overcoming Objectives in Crisis PR Imagine an accident on a busy highway. Police rush to the scene and cone off the area to protect the injured from oncoming traffic; paramedics arrive and move the injured ASAP…same is true in crisis work: Immediately find out if Comm Policy/Protocols in place. If so, may need to send gentle reminder of where inquirises should be directed. WHY is this Critical? If someone comments who is NOT in the ATC – not aware of the position it can make things explode. Imagine a manager at a Colorado office not knowing what or why the situation occurred at the company’s Nevada office begins to speculate or worse, take blame for whatever occurred. This not only compounds the crisis it now sets the company up for legal liability. 7 Crystal Rockwood () - error signs in saving this doc: Noto sans symbol something not transferring... Crisis Assessment Verify ...

1. Crisis management plans
Identify first response steps
Tactics used in crisis/
issue response
Timing and message
response
Module 5 Overview
This week we address what to do when the storm hits…as we
explore how to engage – Give yourself freedom to adjust as
needed to what comes your way…
1
Crisis Assessment
Who has keys to the office at 10 PM on Sunday night? Who has
passwords to take down website photos, social media posts on
Saturday night at Midnight? Do you have numbers for these
contacts?
If this is in your Go-Bag you’re already way ahead of what’s
coming.

2. Do you have numbers for these contacts? If this is in your Go-
Bag you’re already way ahead of what’s coming. On questions
to ask---
Who is in the control tower? What is out there already?
What needs to be corrected? Who are hateholders? What are
their first, last name, city …comb through social media
…google alerts.
2
Crisis Trajectory
This is typically how crisis move….If general the worst heat of
a crisis comes in the first 72 hours…after the first week things
move from the ICU to rehab--- USUALLY1
3
Natural disasters
Protests
Suicides
Cyber-theft attacks
Sudden deaths leaving vacuum in leadership
Allegations- ‘left field’
Sudden facility closures
Twist in ruling, interpretation
Online smear campaigns
Innocent mistakes

3. Unexpected, Ambush Crises
Let’s take a quick refresh of the types of crises….
4
Potential
Filed lawsuits
Unhappy employee leaves
Firing of popular employee/executive
Announced investigations, audits
Mergers or acquisitions
Innocent mistakes (accounting errors)
RAINY DAYS
5
Entrenched
Other side has dominated the narrative for a sustained period of
time.
You're on defense
Issue dominates online search results of entity's name
Causing continued business disruption, loss of influence
Requires sustained effort to change, re-establish better,
accurate image

4. 6
Stop credibility bleeding
Control and or participate in narrative via consistent messaging
Avoid further damage
Restore confidence
Reactive Overcoming
Objectives in Crisis PR
Imagine an accident on a busy highway. Police rush to the scene
and cone off the area to protect the injured from oncoming
traffic; paramedics arrive and move the injured ASAP…same is
true in crisis work: Immediately find out if Comm
Policy/Protocols in place. If so, may need to send gentle
reminder of where inquirises should be directed. WHY is this
Critical? If someone comments who is NOT in the ATC – not
aware of the position it can make things explode. Imagine a
manager at a Colorado office not knowing what or why the
situation occurred at the company’s Nevada office begins to
speculate or worse, take blame for whatever occurred. This not
only compounds the crisis it now sets the company up for legal
liability.
7
Crystal Rockwood () - error signs in saving this doc: Noto sans
symbol something not transferring...

5. Crisis Assessment
Verify legitimacy of claim, source.
Assess accuracy of all points claimed, magnitude of impact:
internal/external.
Assess internal bandwidth.
Determine objectives, prioritize for initial and secondary phases
with caveats for surprise flare ups.
Review scenario plans for holding language.
Assign monitoring: Story, key individuals.
This is the “typical” process when assessing a situation and
engagement begins.
8
No place for egos
Titles count less
Can do attitude
Know what you don’t Know
Everyone in the ATC is united in getting the same results: Do
not shoot your own planes down, have all land safely. Even
great news can be sabotaged as in this example: A company’s
Washington DC office was gearing up to announce a nationwide

6. initiative …in the works for three months. The manager of the
LA office who loved publicity about himself, called the top tier
media outlet for the company’s industry and told them about a
collection of antiques in his office. Intrigued, a reporter and
photographer arrived. The day before the DC office was set to
roll out the massive media campaign – a cover, feature article
appeared on the cover about the LA Manager and his collection
of memorabilia. Naturally – the media was not going to run two
large stories about the same organization in the same week.
Results? The national inititave was reduced to a small blurb
buried in the publication.
9
Encourage a culture of reporting in order to head off any
crises—know your company's vulnerabilities!
Trust your internal experts and hire external experts to address
any vulnerabilities
Crisis plans need to include the Crisis Management Team:
leadership, communications, legal, and departments core to
company's mission
Crisis Management Plans: Tips from Readings
10
Train members of the CMT in media relations before a crisis
Have procedures for activating the CMT and response team
Keep your messaging clear and simple
Have remote operations plans in place in case of a crisis that

7. disrupts the office (COVID-19, workplace violence, etc.)
Crisis Management Plans: Tips from the Readings
Crisis Management Teams operating in the ATC should have
basic media training and be equipped to work quickly with
access to any other decision makers around the clock.
11
Structuring Crisis Response: Proactive and Reactive
The Book of Crisis Management Strategies and Tactics,
PRNews
Here is a different way of viewing the engagement process when
an issue presents a threat
12
In Their Shoes…
What first steps would you take?
Who are the impacted audiences?
What response comes to mind for someone needing to respond
in 30 minutes?

8. As you read these series of cases affecting various entities stop
and try this experiment. It will not be graded so RELAX! Read
each case and stop before going the next. Give yourself 5
minutes and ask these questions. Don’t write them down – Trust
what you’ve learned so far and YOUR GUT. Go with it, think
quickly and don’t judge yourself. Learning to process several
steps at once will happen…HAVE FUN DON”T WORRY! YOU
GOT THIS!!!
13
A company headquartered in Australia has to close an operation
in the states. They must lay off half the people in 48 hours, the
other half will be asked to stay through end of the year--and
then operations will be moved to Mexico. There is tremendous
anger in the news over jobs being shipped overseas.
Lay Offs and
Moving Offshore
Severe sleep deprived college senior stressing over finals in wee
hours of morning, posts words from violent rap music playing in
the background. Friend who knows him texts “What??!” Senior,
utterly shocked he posted the message, quickly takes down
post... but not before another student takes a screen shot and
sends it to campus police. They notify city police, which the
media overhear on the police scanner and drive to campus
immediately.
Accidental Social Media Post

9. Fired employee steals client list, creates fake studies, writes key
clients about incorrectly installed underground pipes hinting
public danger element.
Client‘s Clients: Cities
Targets of fake studies: Mayor, City Manager, City Attorney,
PIO, media
Manufacturer Issue: Cyber Assassin
16
Internal implosion of family business
(national chain valued at $1.2B). Internal war attracts hostile
takeover attempts, senior management making raid on brain
trust for competing businesses. Same time IRS and state tax
audits start while competition launches online and print
campaigns hinting at dirty laundry in effort to woo clients.
Family Business
Storms
An upset parent complains to the media about a school.
Reporter contacts the school. Spokesperson delays response and
finally asks their attorney to handle. Attorney responds in a way

10. which further inflames the reporter, who decides to show up on
campus.
School Issue:
Angry Parent
The founding partners of a consulting firm have a bitter falling
out. Both their names are on the building and highly visible to a
major freeway. One partner says he wants to ‘retire’ but wants
his name removed. “Secretly,” he begins to poach managers and
key staff members to form a competing firm.
Firm Split
Strategy
Consider strengths and weaknesses of each possibility
Remember optics of each to those in your audience profile
Message
Messenger

11. Method
Timing
Chess moves: Will you be ‘jumped’? Can you defend
your points? What will be asked 5 days from now, two
weeks? What should your first move look like so your second
and third are successful?
What third parties can collaborate your POV? Are there external
sources you can cite for credibility?
See example…..
20
3rd party commentary weaved into PR real estate
Domino messaging around hostile media
Steal the Thunder
3rd party protest, threats
Filing lawsuits
Tactics Used
Method channels -
Advertorials
Letters-to-editors, opinion pieces
Editorial boards, media tours, press conferences
Fact sheets, one sheets
Timelines
Singular, joint- articles
News releases
21

12. Holding Statements and Q&A's
Anticipate
22
Timing & Message Rollout
TimeTaskPoint PersonDescriptionMethodSeptember 19,
20208:00 aPresent to BoardDavidMeeting with the board to
discuss C-departureIn person Presentation10:30 aMeeting with
DCMindi & SamMeet with DC to discuss contract status;
response options; all subsequent messaging will advance from
there; listed times are estimates.In person meeting12:45 pNoti fy
Board of DC’s decision and messagingGeraldNotify Board of
DC choice; review speaking points (not to be copied, emailed,
or distributed to anyone); RCC informed of inquiries to adjust
message points, if needed.Live by phone1:00 pNotify Executive
TeamDavidInform Executive Team of CEO change; review
narrative speaking points; clarify media policy/guidelines; NEW
C present.In person or live by phone; no voicemail, texts or
emails1:30 p
Schedule All Staff MeetingDavidInform all supervisors to
notify their departments and make a note of who will miss the
meeting. Keep message to: “Please make every effort to attend
an All Staff meeting today at __ pm in the ___ for a special
announcement from the Board.”Mass communications to all
staff – email, supervisors to inform, etc.3:00 pAll Staff

13. MeetingMindi, Veronica and Senior TeamUse scenario,
appropriate narrative and speaking points; emphasize ABC
media policy/guidelines in inquiry response; all staff, who
oversee absent staff and/or volunteers, to be briefed on how to
deliver the news.In person meeting; supervisors to meet with all
missing staff as soon as on premises (no voicemails, texts,
emails to absent staff)
23
Timing & Message Rollout
TimeTaskPoint PersonDescriptionMethod2:00 p [Messages left
days 2.3; follow up can take weeks]Notify Donors
(30k+)Cynthia KCommence immediate outreach to Key Donors;
“I wanted to personally let you know about an important
development at ABC. This can wait until your return. I look
forward to talking with you at that time. Thank you.”Live by
phone (no texts or emails unless using indicated message, see
“Description” to left)3:00 p [Can take several business
daysNotify Community PartnersMark T
Jose
VeronicaNotify local community partners including ___ using
scenario appropriate narrative and speaking points. In person or
live by phone; no voicemail, emails, text messages4:00 p [Can
take up to a few business days]Notify partner agenciesJose
VeronicaNotify key partner agencies using scenario appropriate
narrative and speaking points. In person or live by phone; no
voicemail, emails, text messages
24

14. Relational Capital
Discuss the role of relational capital in crisis management –
finding out if you have it or not
25
Place a number by any steps you would take in priority order,
and of the ones you picked, explain in 100 words or less why
the top five are in the order you placed them and how this
would help your strategy.
Case Profile:
State Attorney General holds news conference announcing five
companies accused of fraudulent billing for outpatient services.
You do not know the company or anything about the news
conference. Your friend and top referral source (someone who
has sent a lot of business your way) wants to retain your
services now. You are at a doctor's appointment and say you
will call back ASAP which may be an hour.
He calls back in 15 minutes and says ABC just pulled in front of
his client’s office. You cancel your appointment and
immediately:
· Have the receptionist tell the reporter the owner is not
available.
· Do an online search to find the press conference or any
coverage of it.
· Tell your friend to conference you and his client at once on a
call.
· Ask if the company has any communication protocols or
policies in place.

15. · Find out if the head of the company has any training on
dealing with reporters.
· Find out which reporter is covering the story.
· Ask your friend if his client is guilty of the charges.
· Prepare a statement for the company based on what your
friend knows and tell him to give it to the head of the company.
· Tell your friend you can help but you need to check out
exactly what was said at the news conference first before you
can reasonably draft a statement.
· Advise your friend to quickly alert the staff what is going on
and ask them to post rebuttals on social media.
· Tell the company owner this is a special circumstance when
“no comment” is acceptable because he has not even seen or
heard what the state attorney general said about his company.
· Ask an employee to meet the reporter and camera crew outside
first and offer them something to drink.
· Find out which news outlets covered the press conference as
they are bound to have the story too and if you’re going to
respond it should be to everyone at once with the same message.
· Direct the receptionist to inform the reporter whoever she asks
to see is not available, ask what the reporter’s deadline is and
promise the reporter’s message will be quickly delivered to the
person they asked to speak with.
· Have the receptionist tell the reporter they are trespassing
private property and need to leave.
· Tell the owner: Immediately lock the doors in order to buy
time.
· Tell the office manager to meet with the reporter and give a
brief tour of the facility showing all the plaques on the wall
about the many recognitions and awards the company has
received over the years.
· Tell the owner to meet the reporter at the front desk requesting
she interview one of the other companies named because his
attorney is fighting these allegations and don’t wish to
participate in a witch-hunt story.
To qualify for this assignment your response must reflect the

16. case profile given, indicate which bullets you would include in
your response and show supporting reasons (citing material
covered in class to this point) as to why the top five steps were
chosen, and placed in that sequence.