MAGC Fall Conference October 2018

Transcription

1 Crisis and Critical Issues Communications MAGC Fall Conference October 2018

2 Perspective

3 Walk Toward the Crisis! 3

4 Crisis & Critical Issues Management BEST PRACTICES AND COMMUNICATIONS Walk toward the crisis Crisis is a when not an if Prepare and respond as a team Utilize communications tools 4

5 Overall Companies Are Getting Failing Grades 31 percent are ready for a crisis 50 percent have a crisis plan ready to go 69 percent failed to include social media in their planning 50 percent feel they don t have the right talent to manage a crisis 60 percent have not had a drill in past two years 33 percent can push out a press release in 30 minutes 5

6 Starbucks 6

7 Put SIMPLY, when THIS happens 7

8 Never Dig a Well When You Are Thirsty The worse time to handle a crisis is when you are in the middle of a crisis. The first minutes and hours can determine success or failure. Develop your crisis plan before something happens. Attorney and crisis communications team work in stride. 8

9 Think You Can Wing It? 9

10 Mass Casualties 10

11 Where Do Companies Go Wrong? People are afraid to report a crisis. Crisis team members are not able to connect. Focus is on outside world only. Seek to blame, not solve. Forget to trust one another. 11

12 Who s on the Team? Who is on your crisis team? Where is your crisis plan? When was it last updated/reviewed? Who would call whom? Who would be on-site? Who makes the decisions? Who would communicate with authorities, employees, customers, investors and the media? 12

13 General Response Protocols Initiate notifications usually through a central hotline Secure the site and gather the facts Immediately accounting for all employees Cooperate with authorities then get out of the way Get senior people engaged immediately Create command center, consolidate spokespeople 13

14 General Response Protocols continued Preparation Invite emergency responders on-site before a crisis Investigate and verify facts during the crisis Communicate openly and honestly Don t go it alone Review and critique response Update plans several times a year 14

15 Team Structure & Team Roles LEGAL TEAM This person or persons usually handles all communication to government leaders or legal representatives. This team also leads the investigation into the issue. This role is usually filled by the company s legal department. Quickly reviews all messaging and communication materials prior to distribution Provides legal guidance to the Crisis Team as needed Leads the investigation into the incident Ensures all applicable laws are being followed OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES Crisis Team Leader Internal Communication External Communication Legal Incident Commander 15

16 Situational Assessment Determine the crisis level and identify necessary response time Level Characteristics Response Time 4 HIGHLY INTENSE 3 INTENSE 2 MODERATELY INTENSE 1 MINIMALLY INTENSE Media have immediate and urgent need for information about the crisis. One or more groups of individuals express anger or outrage. Broadcast and print media appear at location for live coverage. Crisis causes growing attention from local and regional media. Media, stakeholders and community partners are present at location. Affected and potentially affected parties threaten to talk to the media. Crisis situation may/may not have occurred; the situation is attracting slow, but steady media coverage. External stakeholders (government agencies, industry trade organizations) receive media inquiries. The public at large is aware of the situation/event but it is attracting very little attention. Crisis attracts little or no attention. Pre-event information requests are received. Public and/or media are virtually unaware of the crisis. Immediate response (0-1 hour) required. Opening statement of empathy/caring may need to come before key messages are developed (within 30 minutes). Immediate response (1-2 hours) required. Respond if necessary (24-72 hours). Continue to monitor the situation, develop messaging and be prepared to respond quickly if situation escalates. Crisis Communications Management Team should monitor the situation closely. 16

17 Level Characteristics Communication Targets Internal Communication Outreach Assessment 4 HIGHLY INTENSE 3 INTENSE 2 MODERATELY INTENSE 1 MINIMALLY INTENSE Media have immediate and urgent need for information about the crisis. One or more groups of individuals express anger or outrage. Perhaps safety is at the heart of the issue. Widespread internal and external discussion (i.e., shooting at location). Crisis causes growing attention from local and regional media. Media, stakeholders and community partners are aware and discussing situation. Traditional and mainstream media active. (i.e., nationwide story). Crisis situation may/may not be attracting media coverage or discussion with key stakeholders. Coverage/discussion is likely to intensify (i.e., upcoming news story). External stakeholders (government agencies, industry trade organizations/ partners) receive media inquiries. The public at large is aware of the situation/event but it is attracting very little attention. Crisis attracts little or no attention. Pre-event information requests are received. Public and/or media are virtually unaware of the crisis. Internal discussion is minimal (i.e., workplace accident). All XXX (Communications updated ASAP) All XXX (where issue is occurring) (Communications updated 1-2 hours) Direct communications with Crisis Communication Management Team and XXX (where issue is occurring) (Communications updated daily/tbd by situation developments) Direct communications with Crisis Communication Management Team and (where issue is occurring) (Likely single communication) 17

18 The Right Mindset Ple ase Let Me Sur viv e!

19 I get to talk to the media versus I have to talk to the media

20 Rules of Communication Your audience is only capable of remembering two or three things. In order for your audience to remember your message, it must be repeated frequently or capture their attention. It s your job to make sure your audience hears your message. 20

21 The 10-Foot Rule 21

22 Key Message 1 My 4 Quarters Key Message 2 Key Message 3 Key Message 4 22

23 If you have only 15 minutes to prepare Use the 3 4 technique The 3 questions you EXPECT the reporter to ask The 3 questions you HOPE the reporter asks The 3 questions you hope the reporter WON T ask 23

24 Alternatives to No Comment I m not qualified to answer that question but I can tell you It s a bit early to answer that question but I can tell you It s not my field but I don t have that answer immediately available, but I can get it for you. Then do! It s our policy not to comment on rumors and speculation. 24

25 What to Expect From Media Sensationalism sells If it bleeds, it leads Reporters search for conflict Report first, confirm facts later With the speed of today s media channels, controlling the initial news cycle is critical 25

26 What to Expect From Social Media Nearly 8 in 10 online Americans use Facebook 92 percent of communication experts believe blogs and social media now influence mainstream news coverage 76 percent of crisis situations on social media could have been averted with a proper plan and social media monitoring It s OK. We re going to outsource our reputation, and we re comfortable with our customers defining it for us. 26

27 What to Expect From Social Media Companies simply cannot wait to get their bureaucratic ducks in a row before addressing the substance and content of negative information online. Twitter fastest moving social media platform Sixty seconds on social media ü500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube ü29 million WhatsApp messages sent ü448,800 tweets on Twitter ü65,972 photos uploaded on Instagram ü3.3 million posts on Facebook 27

28 What to Expect From Social Media MEDIA COVERAGE SPIKES Does social media decrease or increase? What is the tone of the media coverage? Red spikes = negative sentiment and tone Blue spikes = neutral sentiment and tone Green spikes = positive sentiment and tone 28

29 Works and Actions You must commit to a communication plan and take steps to show the world you are doing something about the problem. Review your crisis communication plan quarterly. Make sure company leadership has been media trained. 29

30 A Wise Man Once Said An issue ignored is a crisis invited. Henry Kissinger 30

31 Thank you! Contact: Bob McNaney PadillaCo.com