In an age of instant, digital communications, you can’t afford to have the wrong crisis communications approach. Honesty and transparency are key to preserving your company brand and reputation. Here Morningstar Communications vice president Tricia McKim and account executive Brian Van Note share tips for crisis communications planning and management. Learn how to use social media to your advantage during a crisis and walk away with three action steps you can start immediately.

1. Clarify. Connect. Change.
@ 2016 Morningstar Communications
Crisis Communications
in a Social Era
Tricia McKim, Vice President, @TAMcKim
Brian Van Note, Account Executive, @BrianVanNote

3. *Photo Credit: USA Today

5. • Prepared
• Transparency and authenticity
• Omni-channel approach
• Fast response times

6. Today You Will Learn
• Why crisis communications planning is important and how to plan
• How to use social media to your advantage before and during a crisis
• Five tips for communicating in a crisis situation
• What you can do today to better prepare for a crisis tomorrow

7. A Crisis Is…
• An opportunity for marketing
communications to shine
• Your organization will be in
the spotlight
• How you handle it will shape your
brand for years

8. Types of Crisis
• Deliberate corporate action
• Smoldering crisis
• National or international risk
• Operational crisis
• Social media

9. Prepare.
Prepare.
Prepare.

10. 8 Tips for Crisis Communications Planning
1. Create a written crisis communications plan
2. Engage a communications leader
3. Conduct scenario planning
4. Determine roles
5. Define key stakeholders
6. Craft preliminary messages in advance
7. Know which channels you will use to reach stakeholders
8. Train your teams

11. Use Social Media to Stay on Top of Crisis Situations

12. Crisis is rarely a matter
of “if,” but rather “when.”

13. 5 Tips for Communicating in a Crisis
1. Deliver accurate and transparent information
2. Remember, tone matters
3. Take decisive action quickly
4. Never argue or put down your audience
5. Implement the strategy: Strengthen/Soften/Separate

14. Deliver Accurate and Transparent Information

15. Remember, Tone Matters

16. Take Decisive Action Quickly

17. Never Argue or Put Down Your Audience

18. Strengthen/Soften/Separate

19. Strengthen/Soften/Separate

20. Remember…
• Crisis communications is an ongoing priority, not a “plan on a shelf”
• Practice. Practice. Practice.
• Crisis communications is everyone’s job
• Lead with honesty and transparency
• The planning process never ends

21. Three Things You Can Do Today…
• Start monitoring
• Plan. Refresh. Practice.
• Commit to honest, transparent
communication

22. TRICIA MCKIM
TMCKIM@MORNINGSTARCOMM.COM
BRIAN VAN NOTE
BVANNOTE@MORNINGSTARCOMM.COM