This document provides guidance on reputation management and crisis planning. It discusses identifying potential issues and crises an organization may face, such as denial of service attacks, hacker attacks, or unhappy employees. It stresses getting contact lists and spokespeople in place in advance of a crisis. The document also recommends regularly playing "what if" scenarios to plan responses. It defines the difference between problems and crises and notes crises can damage operations, image and finances. Finally, it introduces the Crisis Grid for assessing the impact and probability of potential crises.

1. What do I do now?
The Beginner’s Guide to Reputation
Management
 Issues Management  Crisis Management
– Ask the hard ?s – Get a contact list NOW
– Review reputation of – Get all phones, faxes, etc.
principles – ID THE spokesperson
– Employees and affiliations = – ID THE technical
friends or foe? spokesperson (if diff.)
– Ask what would happen if – Get the “lists” for impt. calls
 DoS (denial of service)
 Hacker attacks
 Investors
 Web graffiti  Media
 Credit card theft
 Layoffs
 Analysts
 Stock drops  Champions
 Loss of VC
 CEO dies – Develop the content
 Code stolen
 Unhappy employees
 Unhappy customers
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

2. Key for Success
 Make sure U in the  Communicate with your
loop PR agency
 If company is a “need
 Honesty is best policy
 Make sure understand the
to know”, ask if you
goals for the company
are one of the “knows” – Get bought out?
 Find someone who can – Long haul to IPO?
be your deep throat if – Secure relationships with
investors?
not a “know” person – Customers are king?
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

3. What do I do now?
The Beginner’s Guide to Reputation
Management
 Issues Management  Crisis Management
– Ask the hard ?s – Get a contact list NOW
– Review reputation of – Get all phones, faxes, etc.
principles – ID THE spokesperson
– Employees and affiliations = – ID THE technical
friends or foe? spokesperson (if diff.)
– Ask what would happen if – Get the “lists” for impt. calls
 DoS (denial of service)
 Hacker attacks
 Investors
 Web graffiti  Media
 Credit card theft
 Layoffs
 Analysts
 Stock drops  Champions
 Loss of VC
 CEO dies – Develop the content
 Code stolen
 Unhappy employees
 Unhappy customers
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

4. Play What Ifs
 Sit down with CEO and  Every month – have a
senior management different “what if”
 Ask “what if” ?s scenario day (could be on
 Tell them you are email and take three
preparing for the un- minutes)
preparatory  Play “devil’s advocate”
 Ask what is their preferred  Play “media demon”
mode (offense or  Play investor from Hell
defense?)
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

5. “Problem” or “Crisis”?
 Problems: commonplace;
predictable; quickly resolved; and
may go unnoticed.
 Crises: less predictable; time-
consuming; costly; and bring
unwanted public attention.
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

6. Crises Run the Risk of:
 escalating in intensity.
 falling under close scrutiny.
 interfering with operations.
 jeopardizing image.
 damaging the bottom line.
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

7. A Crisis:
 isa major event that has
potentially negative results.
 may significantly damage an
organization and its employees,
products, services, financial
condition, and reputation.
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

8. The Warning Stage
Warning Stage
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2000

9. Point of No Return
Warning Stage
Point of No
Return
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2000

10. Cleanup Phase
Warning Stage
Point of No
Return
Cleanup
Phase Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2000

11. Things Return to Normal...
But Have We Learned Anything?
Warning Stage
Point of No Things Return
Return to Normal
Cleanup
Phase Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2000

12. The Crisis Grid
 Developed by Steven Fink, Crisis communications
consultant
 Created a Crisis Grid design for risk assessment
 Vertical axis – crisis impact value
– Crisis escalates – how intense can it get?
– Crisis catch notice of stakeholders and audiences?
– Crisis interfere with normal operations?
– Crisis impact bottom line?
– (add total and divide by 5)
 Horizontalaxis – crisis probability factor
 Way of organizing potential crises
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein

13. The Crisis Grid
CIV
High/Low 10 High/High
(amber zone) (red zone)
CPF
0% 100%
Low/Low Low/High
(green zone) (gray zone)
0
Copyright 2003, Roberta Silverstein