Presented at Ragan's Breakthrough Strategies for Corporate Communications in Dallas, TX, at AT&T, Nov. 12, 2014. This presentation covers the four stages of a crisis and how to help prevent, mitigate and respond to a full-blown crisis.
How to Create an Effective Crisis Communications Plan Before Disaster Strikes
1. How to Create An Effective Crisis
Communications Plan before Disaster Strikes
Ragan Breakthrough Strategies for Corporate Communicators
Conference
Nov 12, 2014
Sandra Fathi
President, Affect
Email: sfathi@affect.com
tweet: @sandrafathi
web: affect.com
blog: techaffect.com
#Raganstrategies
2. PRESENTER BIO
SANDRA
FATHI
• Founder and president of Affect, a public relations and
social media firm specializing in technology,
healthcare and professional services
o Tri-State District Chair, PRSA
o Past President, PRSA-NY Chapter
o Past President, PRSA Technology Section
sfathi@affect.com
@sandrafathi
4. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
RECOGNIZING
CRISES
Anticipating & Understanding Threats to a Business
People, Products, Facilities, Environment
Internal
• Employees
• Facilities
• Vendors/Suppliers
• Distributors/Resellers
• Product
External
• Acts of Nature
• Market
• Legal Restrictions/Law
• Customers
• Advocacy Groups
5. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
CRISIS
SCENARIOS
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 abusing drugs – Now Posted on his Facebook Profile
4. Customer credit card details leaked – Now On Twitter
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
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
11. 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**
12. 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
13. 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
26. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
10
THINGS
TO
KNOW
1. Implement Policies to Address Potential
Vulnerabilities
2. Use Social Media as a Tool for Crisis Monitoring
3. Understand the Response-ability of Social Media
4. Establish a Framework for Response
5. Build a Social Media Crisis Toolkit
27. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
10
THINGS
TO
KNOW
6. Know Where to Respond
7. Prepare Your Employees in Advance
8. Establish the Proper Tone
9. Kill the Automation Switch
10. Be Honest, Be Transparent