This document provides guidance on crisis management and responding to potential public relations crises. It outlines several steps to take including evaluating the crisis, monitoring online conversations, determining an appropriate response, identifying communication channels, crafting a message, and reviewing the response. It emphasizes choosing the "least bad" option, acknowledging fault appropriately, and monitoring the situation after the initial response. The overall message is on preventing and managing crises through careful planning and response.

2. Chandler Epp
@chandlerepp
Drew Hawkins
@drewhawkins
#SoCon14

3. # S o C o n 1 4
W H E N I T H I T S T H E F A N

4. Now what?
@drewhawkins @chandlerepp#SoCon14

5. E VA L U AT E C R I S I S
W h a t ’ s t h e s t o r y ?

6. PR problems are often
management problems gone public.

7. M O N I T O R O N L I N E
C O N V E R S AT I O N
W h a t ’ s t h e d a m a g e ?

8. Crisis management is like gambling,
and we don’t always get it right.

9. 9
D E T E R M I N E R E S P O N S E

10. All crises amount to
choosing the “least bad”
from a series of bad options.

11. @drewhawkins @chandlerepp#SoCon14

12. All crises amount to
choosing the “least bad”
from a series of bad options.

13. R E A L I Z E T H AT: Details will come out.

14. R E A L I Z E T H AT: Leaders will be more visible.

15. R E A L I Z E T H AT: Opponents will relish in
signs of scandal.

16. R E A L I Z E T H AT: Correcting incorrect info
won’t solve a PR crisis.

17. R E A L I Z E T H AT: Sometimes no response is
the best response.

18. I D E N T I F Y C H A N N E L S

19. What audiences?
In what order?
By what means?
I D E N T I F Y C H A N N E L S

20. 20
C R A F T M E S S A G E

21. Stature sends signals.

22. @drewhawkins @chandlerepp#SoCon14

23. Stature sends signals.

24. #6 - Review
• Review again.
• Then publish.
• A wisdom test trumps all tests. (it’s own slide)!
• What’s the wisest thing to do?
• Notice we did not say “a legal test” or a “moral” test or any other
standard.
• Don’t fool yourself into thinking “because I can, I should.”
• If it could be perceived incorrectly or negatively, it fails the test.
• If you have to explain it - you’ll never be able to explain it.
R E V I E W
R e v i e w a g a i n .
T h e n p u b l i s h .

25. A wisdom test trumps all tests.

27. If you have to explain it, you’ll never
be able to explain it to everyone.

28. 28
S TA R V E
T H E B E A S T

29. C A S E S T U D Y

30. T H E I S S U E

31. T H E
R E S P O N S E

33. S TA R V I N G
T H E
B E A S T ?

34. C A S E S T U D Y

35. W H AT H A P P E N E D ?

36. T H E R E S P O N S E

37. 37
M O N I T O R
A F T E R S H O C K S

38. A C K N O W L E D G E T H E
S I T U AT I O N

39. Where should you acknowledge fault?
!
How are we doing now?

40. Evaluate crisis.
Monitor online conversation.
Determine response.
Identify channels.
Craft message.
Review. Review again. Then publish.
Starve the beast.
Monitor aftershocks.
Acknowledge the situation.
R E C A P

41. I t h a p p e n s .

42. @drewhawkins @chandlerepp#SoCon14

43. # S o C o n 1 4
Q U E S T I O N S ?

44. S T U P I D - P R O O F
Y O U R S O C I A L
CAN PREVENT A
SOCIAL MEDIA
CRISIS

45. 45
Photo credit: Brintam / Foter.com / CC BY-NC
M INIMI ZE
P OT EN TIA L
D A M A G E

46. When “It” Hits The Fan!
3 P.M. @ #SoCon14!
@drewhawkins!
@chandlerepp!