Dealing with Harsh Headlines | Presented at eduWeb Digital Summit 2019
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Harsh headlines can damage your reputation within seconds, miscommunications can run rampant. What can you do as higher education marketing and communications teams to support your institutions during a crisis? In this presentation, we’ll cover best practices and detail what worked in real world settings when Quincy College was hit with a series of harsh headlines that affected enrollment numbers and community morale.
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Dealing with Harsh Headlines | Presented at eduWeb Digital Summit 2019
- 1. DEALING WITH HARSH HEADLINES MARCOM’S ROLE IN SUCCESSFUL CRISIS MANAGEMENT BY DANIELA HUYNH + KATY SPENCER JOHNSON QUINCY COLLEGE
- 2. THE MARCOM TEAM 1 Social Media Strategist + Public Relations Coordinator 1 Online Content Coordinator + Videographer 1 Graphic Designer + Brand Manager 1 Assistant Director + Project Manager 1 Associate Vice President + College Spokesperson ____________________________________________________ 500 sq. ft. office
- 3. IN THE NEWS…
- 5. THE LESSONS
- 6. THE SITUATION A small, two year college of 4,000+ students loses accreditation for one of its most profitable academic programs. Nursing
- 7. LESSON 1 It’s never too early to ask the wrong questions.
- 8. WHAT QUESTIONS ARE THE WRONG QUESTIONS? • Is my organization reactive or proactive? • What if there is an active shooter situation on campus? • Is there a designated person to speak to media/press? • How quickly can we evacuate the campus if necessary? • Is there a communications plans in place for campus emergencies? • What are your tools? • What is your organizational hierarchy for decision making? • Who is responsible for what?
- 9. LESSON 2 Nothing goes according to plan.
- 10. A CRISIS CAN EVOLVE Loss in accreditation Shift in leadership Dead stop in communications
- 11. AND ANOTHER CRISIS CAN APPEAR Loss in accreditation Shift in leadership Dead stop in communications Campus Emergency News Reporters, Camera Crews, & Student Interviews
- 12. LESSON 3 It’s ok to go dark.
- 13. GOING DARK DOESN’T MEAN BURYING YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND • Confirm communication channels & expectations • Listen and monitor • Use “No Comment” judiciously • Be wary of the rumor mill • Control the narrative
- 14. LESSON 4 Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
- 15. PROGRESS COMES FROM DISCOMFORT • What happens when you do not engage after prolonged silence? • What avenues can the public take to air their grievances? • Who is on your front line to address these concerns?
- 16. LESSON 5 The world doesn’t stop spinning.
- 17. BALANCING THE CRISIS WITH BUSINESS AS USUAL Day-to-day deadlines Letters and reports Federal regulations Award ceremonies Athletic events New programs and initiatives Existing marketing campaigns
- 18. THIS TOO SHALL PASS Not all crises are the same.
- 19. LESSON 6 It takes a village.
- 20. REBUILDING YOUR COMMUNITY AFTER THE CRISIS • Time • Solidarity • Advocacy • Positive Reframe
- 21. THE REFRAME • MyQCStory • Faculty Focus
- 22. QC IN THE NEWS
- 23. Q&A Ask away! Additional Questions? Want to give a shout out on Twitter? Connect with us! Katy Spencer Johnson @katyb_spencer kjohnson@quincycollege.edu Daniela Huynh @wheresdanith dhuynh@quincycollege.edu
Editor's Notes
- Who do you think will take the brunt of the impact of losing a program?
- Harsh headlines happen every day, and none of them are the same.
- Miscommunication can run rampant, and
- What does losing accreditation mean? Students can no longer enroll into or graduate from your program Credits earned may not transfer to other institutions Financial losses will incur due to refunds and a lack of incoming prospects
- Play the what-if game Find out who the points of contacts are Find out what the process is What plans are in place for emergencies? Document, Document, Document!
- Shift in Leadership On campus emergency Plans go out the window Be nimble. Be flexible. Be responsive.
- Know when to disengage. Give your teams and departments direction, so they don’t burn out or say the wrong thing in a heated moment. Listen. Assess. Address. Rinse and Repeat
- Community Impact QHS meeting with all nursing students Campus meeting with all faculty Phone Calls with Parents Getting dragged on social
- You can’t stay dark forever, because that’s prolonging the delay of reengaging with your community. A crisis means that your students aren’t going to fade away and forget what happened, but will grow more and more angry as time passes and you don’t address the situation. Today, your stakeholders have many avenues they can take to shine a spotlight on your unfortunate situation if you choose not to take steps to manage the crisis.
- Local vs. National news Typhoid fever at a local daycare Balancing Crisis with Business as Usual Rebuilding community and reputation