Some conferences go smoothly. Others end in the wake of an active shooter event. There is a lot of grey between those two extremes, and organizations sending personnel to conferences ought to have a communications plan in place for the unexpected.
Last month, my colleague Eileen Coyne and I were attending RISKWorld in Atlanta (April 30 to May 3). On the final day of the conference, ahead of the closing keynote, an active shooter event took place a few miles from the conference location.
Our first notification of trouble came in the form of an ABC News alert. Text alerts from our hotel and the convention followed. Digital signage at the conference turned green with white text, alerting everyone to shelter in place and that the conference center was not part of the active shooter scene.
We immediately reached out to our families as well as colleagues to advise them that we were fine, that the conference was shutting down and the event in question was not nearby. As it turned out, the shooting took place two blocks from our hotel. It would be hours before the hotel would come out of lockdown and allow guests to come and go.
In speaking with other attendees, it became clear that if their companies had formal crisis communications plans at all (and about half of most US organizations do not), they did not have protocols for staff attending off-site events during an emergency.
Given the current social climate, all organizations need to develop crisis protocols for off-site events. Contacting the staff attending the event, confirming they are safe and cascading that message across the organization – and potentially to the family of those staffers involved — should be part of any crisis communications strategy. This applies whether it’s your CEO speaking at the conference as well as employee attendees or sales team members staffing the company’s vendor booth.
Whether the crisis originates from the actions of a person or persons, Mother Nature or something else, having a plan for out-of-town staffers in case of emergency is key. And, importantly, those traveling should be trained in the details of the plan — including phone contacts and protocols if cell or other communication services are disrupted.
According to the FBI, active shooter deaths and injuries are at a 5-year high this year. Companies with traveling personnel who spend any significant time on the road should receive active shooter training. This includes the basic principles of run, hide and fight, as well as what to do when and if authorities arrive on scene if you are present during an active shooter event.
This may all appear extreme. And it may be, until your organization is receiving urgent calls from worried families, coworkers or clients in the middle of a crisis event. Being able to respond quickly, with a protocol to follow and facts in hand can help keep your team safe during a chaotic and worrying situation and allow you to communicate factually with all parties concerned.
The Academy Awards took place just a few short weeks ago, honoring the biggest movies and artists in cinema. What better time to hand out a few of our own “awards” to the biggest stories in PR of 2023 so far.
Without further ado, the “awards” go to:
The Hotseat Award: Adidas Yeezy Overstock
In October 2022, Adidas was in the hotseat for taking too long to cut ties with their spokesperson Ye (formally Kanye West) when he made public antisemitic comments on social media. Today, Adidas is left with over a billion dollars in Yeezy merchandise, the brand on which they collaborated with Ye that generated around 10% of Adidas’ annual revenue. In 2023, the company expects to take a significant loss as a result of pulling the merchandise.
Aside from the financial aspects of the ordeal, Adidas is still facing issues as many social media users, activists and more wait to hear what Adidas plans to do with the $1.3 billion of Yeezy overstock. From a crisis communications standpoint, Adidas continues to have a problem. Because their original response received considerable backlash, the brand must tread lightly as they balance their public reputation and their bottom line. Disposing of the merchandise could come off as wasteful, selling the merchandise would still financially benefit Ye due to contractual obligation and donating the merchandise could result in it surfacing in the resale market.
As Adidas executives mull over their options and offers roll in to take the Yeezy merchandise off their hands, the company’s future moves will impact its overall business and investors, collectors, activists and social media users. Communications pros are certainly curious to see what happens next.
There are a few things to learn from Adidas’s missteps. First, act quickly. A crisis communications plan is key to ensure businesses can confidently respond and are prepared with talking points, media training and more. Silence can sometimes be as bad – or worse – than saying the wrong thing and the ongoing speculation regarding what Adidas should do with the overstock merely keeps the crisis top of mind for many. Regardless of their final decision, the brand would do well to remain transparent through the process. When a decision is made, they should be prepared for people to ask tough questions.
The It’s About Time Award: The Academy Finally Gets a Crisis Communications Team
In an exclusive Time interview at the end of February, Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, revealed the organization hired a crisis communications team for the first time in its history. The development came after the infamous events of last year’s Oscar Awards Ceremony. As most will easily recall, actor Will Smith slapped comedian and MC Chris Rock on stage. If that wasn’t enough, a separate controversy erupted simultaneously around a campaign that led to Andrea Riseborough winning the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in a small indie film To Leslie. Some argued the promotional campaign to bring the little-known-at-the-time movie to the forefront violated Academy rules related to lobbying members for nominations. The organization had no crisis communications team on hand at the time and the headlines began to mount.
The events demonstrate that even an organization with 70 years of experience broadcasting an award show may not be prepared for everything. Today, a crisis communications plan and designated team is critical for almost any business or organization given how quickly narratives can take on lives of their own and social media can skew perception and sometimes results. Kramer recognizes in his interview with Time that while they cannot prepare for every scenario, having a crisis team and modifiable frameworks in place better positions the Academy to handle whatever comes next.
The Biggest Let Down Award: Google’s Bard Announcement
Modern technology is moving at record pace, especially since OpenAI’s artificial intelligence breakthrough in November 2022 with their large language model product ChatGPT. During the past few months, some of the largest technology companies in the world have quickly developed their own AI tools to compete in the race, including Google. However, in the first demo of their product Google posted to Twitter, viewers were quick to notice and call out the obvious flaws in the tool. Shortly thereafter, Google’s parent company’s shares dropped 7.7%, costing an estimated $100 billion and drawing national media attention in the likes of TIME Magazine, CNN and NPR.
While it may be tempting for brands to rush to tout their own products when a competitor breaks the internet, it’s important to recognize what is at stake. Consumers are keen for near perfect technology and there are enough players in the AI race for investors to explore other options. A proper launch takes meticulous planning and preparation, which requires time well spent.
Before a launch, a good PR team can help give business leaders a perspective of how their product, service or announcement may be perceived by media and the public. For example, in Google’s case, a more carefully crafted launch plan might address limitations of AI chatbot technology such as potential product accuracy issues. When things do go wrong, a PR team can help limit any additional damage by assisting with media requests, crafting statements to address the issue and help brands effectively connect with their audience, even when the audience may be losing trust.
And that’s a wrap on this round of awards highlighting some of the biggest stories in public relations so far this year.
In the span of just three months – one at the end of 2022 and two at the beginning of 2023 – the insurance industry has been at the center of significant crises situations that have played out in the media. While the scenarios cover a broad spectrum of what could go wrong, from each situation emanates one key theme – the value in planning ahead for a potential crisis.
In December, State Farm was the focus of an investigative feature story detailing allegations that the insurer discriminates against black homeowners in claims scenarios. With a human, empathetic approach to its response, State Farm struck exactly the right tone in a situation where the story would have proceeded with or without the company’s input. The response, shrouded in what appears to be sincere embarrassment, may ultimately serve State Farm well if the company continues to resolve the matter while owning any mistakes made.
The Norfolk Southern train derailment on Feb. 3, 2023 and the resulting chemical spill dominated most headlines and broadcast news coverage for most of February. As investigations proceed and claims likely exceed Norfolk Southern’s liability coverage, increased scrutiny will fall on railroad insurance generally and risk management practices in the transportation industry more specifically. In time, insurers will face questions about how the U.S. transports sensitive cargo and the safety measures it mandates of its insureds.
And finally, in late February, North Carolina investment firm founder Greg E. Lindberg again generated headlines when he was charged by a federal grand jury in a $2 billion fraud scheme. According to the indictment, Lindberg and others are accused of improperly taking money for personal use from insurance companies controlled by Lindberg. This news follows a 2020 bribery conviction of Lindberg that was overturned on appeal in 2022. Lindberg has since made several combative statements, issued a press release announcing planned actions by his defense team, and otherwise taken actions to ensure his name remains in the headlines, come what may.
And these are just a few of the more recent, audacious headline makers.
As has been said many times before, the insurance industry has a communications problem. And like so many other industries, the crisis communications capabilities of the insurance industry are lacking.
Countless businesses of all sizes are ill-prepared for crisis situations where they must communicate with multiple stakeholders: investors, board members, employees, vendors, the public at large, industry leaders, etc. Most lack a Crisis Communications Plan. And for those who might have a crisis plan of a sort, those plans are often out of date by many years and/or have never been stress tested. In fact, if you quizzed most senior executives at any number of organizations, they would be hard pressed to verify a Crisis Communications Plan exists for their company, and who is assigned to what roles on the designated crisis team.
Crisis Communications Plans give companies and non-profits a road map to follow, designate team members with clearly defined roles, and provide approved language for a range of scenarios that allow for the type of rapid response required in the current media environment. These plans also empower crisis team members with both formal training that helps them to avoid missteps and with the authority to act in the best interests of the organization within certain parameters. Lacking such a plan, most companies find themselves making it up as they go, which is akin to trying to close the barn doors while the horses are mid-stampede from that same barn. The best you can hope for in that scenario is not to be crushed in the experience.
Like insurance itself, a good Crisis Communications Plan is a hedge against disaster. While it will require an initial investment, the savings such plans provide can be incalculable in a true emergency situation. Some crises result in bet-the-business risks that often can only be resolved if the actions taken are deftly communicated. One need only look at recent bank failures – driven by crises of confidence primarily – to understand how vital quick, thoughtful and fact-driven communication can be in the life of any organization.
They could present as one (or more) negative online reviews of your business. Others manifest through the court system in the guise of lawsuits or other law enforcement actions involving executives, employees or clients/customers. Customer complaints, employee disputes or soured relations with the local community or other stakeholders can constitute critical crises situations. Still others might involve negative press coverage or complaints on social media. The worst crises involve issues of life and death.
In Crisis, You’re Surrounded. Sometimes Literally.
Try to imagine having your workplace or for senior leadership, your home, surrounded by numerous news vans for hours or even days; harassing your workers, customers, and neighbors relentlessly to secure comments about whatever negative issue has befallen your organization. Now try to imagine keeping to a business-as-usual schedule as the world puts you under an intense microscope.
You don’t have to be a crisis expert to recognize when your organization is mired in one. In 1964, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart described how he determined if something was obscene by famously saying, “I know it when I see it.” The same standard applies for leaders in determining if a crisis exists and how seriously it threatens the organization.
In more than 15 years of crisis communications management, I’ve seen all the above scenarios and quite a few more. Most of the organizations involved were wholly unprepared and found themselves, at best, struggling to manage.
Yes, they had lawyers. In nearly every case, the lawyers were excellent. But lawyers concern themselves with minimizing liability; their concern is rarely public opinion. And public opinion, frankly, will make or break a business’s bottom line or crush a non-profit’s fundraising capabilities, not to mention create reputational damage that can linger for years.
The Scariest Role Playing Ever
I like to pose the following to senior leaders, and while some may find these scenarios alarmist or extreme, they happened. My colleagues and I have managed them. Nearly every case was a bet-the-business situation and in each, the client lacked a crisis plan. This meant the best that could be done was to try to get their version of events out in front.
Imagine getting a text message or email that briefly outlines one of the following scenarios:
Your CFO has been arrested, is in custody and there will be a mug shot and perp walk in front of waiting press outside the police or district attorney’s office within the hour.
One of your workers has been killed on the job, either in a work-related accident or active shooter incident, and numerous local and national media are asking for a statement immediately.
Your CEO has been unexpectedly terminated or has died. The press are seeking an interview with whomever will take over, and the board of directors has called an emergency meeting expecting you to lay out how you will manage this situation.
Protesters have surrounded your business with signs and megaphones that are paralyzing your operations and drawing the attention of media regarding alleged poor worker conditions, or health code violations or claims that non-union labor was employed in a recent or ongoing renovation.
One of your leading donors has been arrested on charges of financial fraud and the media are reaching out asking if you will return the substantial funds provided to help compensate the donor’s alleged victims.
You have been accused of sexual harassment, law enforcement are at your door or on their way to interview you and the press have learned of this and are surrounding your workplace or home right now.
If you were involved in any of the above scenarios and you looked out your window, you would likely see a parade of news vans pulling up while your cell phone and email exploded with all manner of stakeholders asking questions. What would you do in the first 5 minutes? The first 10 minutes? The first hour? Most importantly, what would your plan be to manage the situation?
Calling the lawyers is a given, but they won’t manage the press.
Dozens of Questions at Once
What’s the process one follows to draft a statement the lawyers can live with that will also help the organization to try to stop the bleeding? Who will write that statement? How will they vet it? Does someone from the organization read the statement to the press? Is it emailed? What if the press keep asking questions? Do you do an interview, and if so, with which outlet? What are the pros and cons of doing an interview? Is the person to be interviewed media trained? Who is in charge of ongoing messaging? Who has to sign off on the messaging?
So many questions will emerge. Unfortunately, answers will be needed for most of those questions within the first hour or two. Otherwise, the situation can easily devolve to the point where it becomes nearly impossible to manage all the moving pieces.
Now, is every situation so extreme? No. A few bad reviews of your restaurant won’t prompt a media blitz. But, you’d better have a timely plan to message to your existing and prospective customers before reservations start canceling. However, every crisis scenario — from minor to major — requires timely communications, and that’s a challenge at best when there’s no plan and each passing hour might be damaging the organization.
If what I’ve shared raised an eyebrow or you actually tried to answer some of the above and struggled to clearly answer my questions even a little, then you are not prepared for a crisis. And you absolutely need to be.
Start By Asking for Help
Crisis communications planning, like life insurance, is something no one really wants to use. But to protect the people and things you care about you need both.
If you’re curious about what you might need in a crisis communications plan or what the process might look like for your organization to create one, get in touch with me.
Our agency offers free crisis communications planning consultation — which, of course, is different from crisis communications management. We do that too. But if you’re planning for 2023 and beyond for your organization, consider putting the development of a crisis communications plan at the top of your priority list. Because when a crisis comes, and one will, not only will you know it when you see it, you’ll wish you had a robust and tested plan to address it.
What’s next? We asked ourselves this question after 9/11 and after the great recession, and we’re asking again, now in the midst of a pandemic. The answer, of course, is no one knows. It could be another terrorist attack, another pandemic or another financial crisis, or more likely, something we never imagined.
One thing is certain: we need our organizations to be prepared. It’s better to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Those with a Business Continuity Plan/Emergency Preparedness Plan, Crisis Response Plan — or whatever you want to call it — will be better equipped to respond quickly and effectively.
Communications are a big part of any plan, and whether you have a stand-alone crisis communications plan or one integrated in an overall BCP, you should have one. And now, while we’re all thinking about the impact COVID-19 has had on our organizations, is a perfect time to get started. Below are some guidelines to get started.
Learn from the past
Start by taking a look back at how your organization responded to the COVID-19 outbreak. What did you do right? More importantly, what did you do wrong? What resources will you need if something like this happens again? What are the risks to your business?
For example, were you equipped to communicate quickly and accurately with your clients? If you were contacted by the media, did you have media response protocols in place? Were you effective in keeping your employees informed and productive? Was there a process in place to timely convey mission-critical messaging to vendors, suppliers or your sales force?
Gather a team
You’ll respond as a team, so prepare as a team. Put together a crisis response team that covers executive management, legal, human resources and those responsible for communications and relationships with your key stakeholders—clients, shareholders, employees, media, etc.
Evaluate your risks
Next evaluate your risks. Where is your organization vulnerable? What type of crises could damage its reputation? Are those responsible for managing and responding to a crisis trained and ready to do so? By answering these questions, you’ll know what you need to do to prepare.
Write the Plan
There are several key components to a crisis communications plan:
Introduction: Why the plan is important and how it fits into your organization’s overall missions and structure.
Scope and Objectives: What the plan is designed to accomplish, what it covers and what it is does not.
Vulnerability Assessment: As discussed above, where the organization is vulnerable what that means for the plan.
Crisis Communications Team and Responsibilities: Names, contact information and responsibilities of each team member. Include external resources such as public relations agencies, legal counsel and other experts.
Media Response Procedures: Who are the primary and secondary spokespeople and what is the protocol throughout the organization in responding to a media inquiry. Social media should be addressed as well.
Plan Triggers: What type of event will trigger the plan, from contagions, data breach to natural disasters to unexpected legal action or negative media coverage.
Communications response: Step-by-step guide to activating the plan (team member contact, assessment and next steps), planning and execution (determining a response and delivering messaging) and evaluation and follow-up.
Messages and prepared communications: While messaging will be tailored to each situation, some core messaging around specific types of crises can be done in advance to ensure consistency with brand and reputation.
A crisis communications plan, like a BCP, is a living, breathing document that should be practiced with tabletop exercises or other training tools, and updated at least once a year and always after a new crisis.
It’s also a good time to contact a crisis communications professional and tap into his or her expertise. It’s an investment that can pay dividends when the unexpected happens.
Five days. That’s how long it took for Mark Zuckerberg to respond publicly after the revelation that Facebook data was used by U.K.-based Cambridge Analytica to aid the Trump campaign. During that time, Facebook stock lost more than $30 billion in value and #deleteFacebook swept other social media platforms.
Did he respond as fast as possible, gathering all the facts and developing a plan? Or did he wait too long? I’m always a fan of a fast response in the face of a crisis, but also of a response that is strategic and made with all the facts. So, look at the Facebook timeline:
On Monday Paul Grewal, deputy general counsel at Facebook, made the first comment, saying in an email that the company is taking action to make sure the data harvested has been deleted: “We are in the process of conducting a comprehensive internal and external review as we work to determine the accuracy of the claims that the Facebook data in question still exists,” he said. “That is where our focus lies as we remain committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people’s information.”
Monday’s news read like this CNBC report: “The future of Facebook as an advertising platform was called into question by marketers, lawmakers and privacy activists on Monday after revelations that its data on 50 million users was harvested and used by Donald Trump’s political ad firm in 2016.” A hashtag also appeared: #WheresZuck, a sign that the world was waiting for the founder to speak.
On Tuesday, Facebook went further in a statement: “Mark, Sheryl and their teams are working around the clock to get all the facts and take the appropriate action moving forward, because they understand the seriousness of this issue. The entire company is outraged we were deceived. We are committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people’s information and will take whatever steps are required to see that this happens.”
Their strategy was clear: to say that they, too, were victims who were violated and they would take strong action. They also promised Mark would speak on Wednesday—by which time #DeleteFacebook was trending, a WhatsApp cofounder had joined the movement and tens of thousands of users had, indeed, deleted Facebook. Plus, governments on both sides of the Atlantic were calling for more regulation.
When Mark finally spoke on Wednesday, putting a long statement on Facebook, he took responsibility and laid out a plan to ensure this doesn’t happen again. But he stopped short of apologizing (which he did later in media interviews).
So, was five days too long to wait for the Facebook response? It seems so. Even if they needed time to gather all the facts and formulate a plan, Zuckerberg could have posted this himself, because it seems his audience only would hear from him, something he should have known. And what was never addressed was why nothing was disclosed about a problem that may have known about since 2015.
Dante Disparte outlines the problem nicely:
The coat of Teflon that usually shields Facebook and its affable leader, Mark Zuckerberg, who has matured into a techno statesman in the public eye, is beginning to wear thin. Facebook now joins a growing number of firms embroiled in a trust deficit with a case of reputation risk whiplash. …Facebook’s eroding market confidence appears to be self-induced by 5 days of silence and lax third-party risk management. Reports of more than 50 million personal records being accessed by Cambridge Analytica… is not only a terrible violation of consumer privacy, it highlights how trust (the new thrift of the modern economy), is hard to earn and easy to lose. (Read more in Disparte’s Wednesday article in Forbes.)
Losing the trust of regulators, business partners and the public—that’s what happens when your response to a crisis is too little, too late.
The majority of hotels recognize the critical need for crisis response planning. But have they factored in social media? Over at Hotel Executive, Gary explains eight ways hotels can be effectively using social media during a crisis response.
I’m on my way back from The Clean Show, where there was tremendous interest in my TRSA-sponsored educational session, “Crisis Communications: A Practical Guide to Protecting Your Reputation.” Whether they were commercial laundry operators or others in the textile industry, attendees recognized the importance of communicating effectively in a crisis.
Space ship or tunnel washer? You decide.
Among the highlights of my presentation were:
Having a crisis response plan that includes communications protocols for media, customers and other key audiences.
Identifying a spokesperson who can represent the company well.
Dos and don’ts of media interviews, focusing on honest, open communications.
Preparing talking points that drive all answers in media interviews.
Incorporating social media in a crisis communications plan
The role of leadership in navigating a crisis effectively.
Following the presentation, TRSA hosted a press conference to unveil results of a new survey that reported business and consumer perspectives on service professionals wearing uniforms. The conference also unveiled the new TRSA animated video we developed with videographer Tom Donnelly.
Opening day on the trade show floor was eye opening with the size of the equipment and advanced technology used by the commercial laundry industry TRSA represents. For me, it was a valuable window into an important, far-reaching industry.
A crisis is a time of uncertainty that requires the careful management of information. If you don’t move quickly to present the facts and explain your position, then others will do it for you – and that puts the accuracy of the words and images they use beyond your control.
The words and images you use can either spell success and strengthen your future or damage your company’s reputation for years to come. The impact of social media on the crisis communications process has been significant.
Today information flows faster is more complex and independent. It is spread through multiple channels, and as a result, is often less reliable and more difficult to control. You often have just a few hours or minutes to communicate.
Social media must be fully integrated in your crisis communications plan. That means, your social networks are of equal import as other audiences and your community manager should be an effective communicator, as well as a media-savvy professional with appropriate technical skills.
Messaging must be also consistent with other channels, but appropriate for social networks. Candor is expected and an authentic voice is critical. And, as crisis communications is a two-way process, listening through your social networks can inform your communications with many different audiences.
Above all, you need to consider and plan for all contingencies. Each type of crisis should be considered. Social media will play a critical role in communicating during and after natural disasters, terrorist attacks, cyber breaches and, of course, crises created by social media. But also consider its role in financial crises, human resources issues and (in the insurance world) claims and service issues.
Join me on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 at 11 a.m. EST for the IMCA webcast, “Integrating Social Media in Crisis Communications,” where I’ll explore these issues in more detail.
In the shadow of the Boston Marathon tragedy, it’s painfully apparent – if it wasn’t before – that crisis scenarios are part of our collective new normal. From threats of terrorism and senseless acts of violence, to economic chaos and world events, crisis events can easy overtake the best-laid plans of any business.
At these times, there is a balance to be struck between business operations and consideration of outside events. Customers don’t want to be marketed to and reporters don’t want your new product press release in times of crisis. In addition, your own employees – even many miles removed from events – might struggle to cope with news from towns like Boston, Aurora, Colo., Sandy Hook, Conn., West, Texas, and others.
What do you say or do as a business owner or manager? Your response in such times must be genuine, sensitive to events and true to the culture of your organization. There is no one-size-fits-all communication solution.
However there are three things you should not do in a crisis. Don’t:
Continue Your Social Media Strategy as Planned. The moment you start receiving breaking news alerts via smartphone apps, email or after watching the news, you need to assess the impact of your planned social messaging. Think about how your messages might be received against the backdrop of what is happening in the news. In most situations, you should pull your planned content immediately and take a wait-and-see approach for at least the first 30 minutes of the news event. This means deleting or rescheduling posts in HootSuite, TweetDeck and other social dashboards.
Assume It’s Not a Big Deal for Your Brand. Gather your public relations and marketing teams to evaluate next steps. Create a plan for what your external messaging (including social media) needs to look like in the first hours and, in some cases, the next several days after a national or global event. Poor planning can lead to significant customer backlashes and damage your brand. You need only look at American Apparel, GAP and others whose early social media efforts during Hurricane Sandy not only failed, but angered customers by appearing insensitive to those in Sandy’s path.
Ignore Your Crisis Communications Plan. If you have a Crisis Communications Plan, use it. This valuable tool will detail a methodical strategy and tactics for handling relevant crisis situations. Don’t try to wing it in the middle of a crisis. You’re more likely to miss something, and the risks can be enormous. If your plan is out of date or, worse, if it doesn’t exist, set a goal for updating or creating one and use the current scenario as a case study (for better or worse) to help guide your Crisis Communications Plan development later.
While you cannot plan for every eventuality, a good Crisis Communications Plan will best ensure your brand is protected while also being sensitive to events outside of your control.
Hits and Misses 