Sandra Fathi, president of the PR and social media firm Affect, gave a presentation on leveraging social media for crisis communications. She outlined the 4 phases of crisis response - readiness, response, reassurance, and recovery. Fathi discussed developing crisis plans, toolkits, and standard communications for each phase. She provided examples of how companies like Taco Bell, Nutella, and Con Edison used social media effectively during crises. Fathi's presentation aimed to help organizations get ahead of damaging situations and diffuse crises.

1. Get Ahead of a Crisis: Leveraging Social Media to
Diffuse Damaging Situations
Sandra Fathi
President, Affect
Email: sfathi@affect.com
tweet: @sandrafathi
web: affect.com
blog: techaffect.com
PRSA Digital Impact Conference
June 28, 2013
New York, NY
@PRSADIconf
#PRSADIconf

2. PRESENTER BIO
SANDRA
FATHI
• Founder and president of Affect, a public relations and
social media firm specializing in technology, healthcare
and professional services
• Career Highlights:
o Technology Journalist
o Marketer – VCON, Nokia, Radvision
o Agency Experience – Edelman
• Organizations:
o Board Member/Past President PRSA-NY Chapter
o Past President PRSA Technology Section
o WOMMA
• Clients: Caron Treatment Centers, Con Edison, IDT911,
INTTRA, Navis, Radware, Regus etc.
sfathi@affect.com
@sandrafathi
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

3. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
CORE
CONCEPTS
4 Phases of Crisis Communications
• Readiness
• Response
• Reassurance
• Recovery
Readiness
Response
Reassurance
Recovery
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

4. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
RECOGNIZING
CRISES
Internal
• Employees
• Facilities
• Vendors/Suppliers
• Distributors/Resellers
• Product
External
• Acts of Nature
• Market
• Legal Restrictions/Law
• Customers
• Advocacy Groups
Anticipating & Understanding Threats to a Business
People, Products, Facilities, Environment
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

5. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
CRISIS
SCENARIOS
IN
THE
AGE
OF
SOCIAL
MEDIA
1. Senior manager accused of inappropriate conduct including lewd
photos with employee – Now on Instagram
2. Employee arrested for hit and run accident – Now Appearing in Google
Search
3. Employee caught abusing drugs – Now Posted on his Facebook Profile
4. Customer credit card details leaked – Now On Twier
5. Employee posts rant on company and exposes confidential
information – Now on YouTube
6. Company accused of making children’s toys with poisonous lead paint
– Now on a Mommy Blog
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

6. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
READINESS
Anticipating a Crisis
1. Crisis Mapping (SWOT Analysis)
2. Policies and Procedures (Prevention)
3. Crisis Monitoring
4. Crisis Communications Plan
5. Crisis Action Plan
6. Crisis Standard Communications Template
Readiness
Response
Reassurance
Recovery
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

7. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
RESPONSE
TIMES
How long before the $@!& hits the fan?
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

8. 1. Develop materials:
• Messages/FAQ
• Prepared statements
• Press release template
• Customer leers
2. Train employees
• Awareness
• Anticipation
• Organizational Preparation
3. Prepare channels:
• Hotline
• Dark site
• Social Media
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
RESPONSE
What’s in the Toolkit?
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

9. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
RESPONSE
Preparing a Response
1. Don’t delay
2. Acknowledge situation
3. Acknowledge impact and ‘victims’
4. Commit to investigate
5. Commit to sharing information and
cooperation with relevant parties
6. Share corrective action plan if
available
7. Respond in the format in which the
crisis was received**
Readiness
Response
Reassurance
Recovery
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

10. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
REASSURANCE
Who to Reassure? How to Reassure?
1. Develop full response plan
2. Put plan into action: Immediate
remedy
3. Communicate results of plan and
impact
4. Reaffirm commitment to correction
5. Demonstrate results of program
Readiness
Response
Reassurance
Recovery
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

11. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
RECOVERY
Preparing a Long-term Recovery Plan
1. Review need for operational,
regulatory, environmental and
employee changes
2. Develop long-term plan including
policies and prevention tactics
3. Reassess crisis plan
4. Regain customer/public trust
Readiness
Response
Reassurance
Recovery
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

12. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
TACO
BELL
“We have strict food handling
procedures and zero tolerance for
any violations. We believe this is a
prank and the food was not served
to customers. We are conducting an
investigation and will be taking swi
action against those
involved.”
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect
Employees Gone Wild!

13. June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
TACO
BELL

14. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
TACO
BELL
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

15. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
TACO
BELL
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

16. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
NUTELLA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect
From Brand Fan to Hater in 60 Seconds

17. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
NUTELLA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

18. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
NUTELLA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

19. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
PAULA
DEEN
"Food Network will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it
expires at the end of this month.”
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect
Executive Blunders: Open Mouth, Insert Foot

20. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
PAULA
DEEN
VS.
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect
LOVE HATE

21. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
PAULA
DEEN
“Aer spending all day soul searching and trying to figure out how to deal
with what I did, I recorded a video trying to do the right thing. In the end, I
felt that I needed to just be myself, say I am sorry and beg for forgiveness.
What I said was wrong and hurtful. I know that and will do everything that I
can do make it right. I am not about hate, and I will devote myself to
showing my family, friends and fans how to live a life helping others,
liing us all up, and spreading love.”
3,782,839 views
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

22. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
Con
Edison
&
MTA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

23. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
Con
Edison
&
MTA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect
Hurricane Sandy Social Media Facts: Con Edison
• 6,500 Twier Followers to 23,000 within 2 Weeks
• 25 videos posted on pre-Sandy preparation
• 100,000+ views and multiple broadcast airings of
videos
• 2500 Press Release RTs
• 140,000 Flickr restoration image views

24. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
Con
Edison
&
MTA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

25. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
Con
Edison
&
MTA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect
Hurricane Sandy Social Media Facts: MTA
• Empower street crews
• Empower consumers
• Update MTA.info, YouTube, Flickr, Twier,
FaceBook
• Utilize Urban Digital Panels
• Email/Text Alerts
MTA’s 4 Categories of Media Shared:
• Before: Preparation
• During: Storm Hits
• Aermath 1: Damage
• Aermath 2: Restoration

26. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
Con
Edison
&
MTA
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

27. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
CORE
CONCEPTS
REVIEW
4 Phases of Crisis Communications
• Readiness
• Response
• Reassurance
• Recovery
Readiness
Response
Reassurance
Recovery
June 28, 2013 PRSA Digital Impact Conference ©
Affect

28. Get Ahead of a Crisis: Leveraging Social Media to
Diffuse Damaging Situations
Sandra Fathi
President, Affect
Email: sfathi@affect.com
tweet: @sandrafathi
web: affect.com
blog: techaffect.com
Available on Slideshare.net/sfathi
@PRSADIconf
#PRSADIconf