Presentation and exercise on message development during a crisis situation, given at the DePaul PRSSA "Get in the Loop" conference in Chicago on February 12, 2010.

1. Communicating During a Crisis February 12, 2010

4. In a crisis… … You can respond using any number of media, but it’s important to step back before you jump in.

5. What are the most important factors in crisis response? - Speed - Intelligence - Messaging It’s not the medium, it’s the message.

6. You can’t ‘control your message,’ but you can control what you say. And how you say it, when you say it, can influence the conversation about you.

9. You The Scenario: vs. E. coli

13. Health Tips: E. coli - Listen to information from public health officials on what foods to avoid - Cook ground beef to 160 degrees - Keep raw meat away from other foods - Wash your hands!

14. Time to write the messaging.

17. Develop Answers: Key Messages & Message Mapping – Focus on Consumers/Media

19. Develop Answers: Key Messages & Message Mapping – Focus on Consumers/Media

20. Now, how will we communicate and where?

21. Discussion