Juda S. Engelmayer Crisis Preparedness and Communications
The Rules Have Changed Your Agitators - Great damage can be wrought at very little cost - Victim perception - Can be a single individual or a large organization Media Agenda - Clickbait - Shares/Viral Digital Landscape - Social Media - Permanence - Smear websites - Sharing of information, vulnerability
Preparedness Response Recovery Preparedness the science o This is where the emphasis is placed at the planning stage Response the art o No such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to crisis mitigation Recovery the process o Expectations
Preparedness Response Recovery Preparedness: Who do you communicate with? How do you communicate with them? Response: What message are you communicating? What are the goals of the message? Recovery: Who do you communicate with? How? With what message?
Preparedness
Preparedness: Crisis Communications Team Build the right team before a crisis Define roles and responsibilities 1. Identifying Spokespersons Who s the right person for the job, who will stay composed, who is most educated on the topic? 2. Executive Team Which issues are for the CEO, the CFO, etc? 3. Subject Matter Experts Medical, Distribution, Financial, Health, etc. 4. Public Relations Firm Can assess dicey situations with a different perspective and find the best ways to minimize damage to a company s public image
Preparedness: What Is Your Crisis? Product Failure Contamination, Recalls, Inefficacy Fiduciary Issues Short selling, shareholder activism, executive compensation Regulatory Issues Marketing claims, Packaging, Reporting, Inspections Internal Issues Workplace accidents, information leaks, whistleblower, production/manufacturing/handling issues
Preparedness: Who Are Your Agitators? NGOs Plaintiff s Lawyers Unions Shareholder Activists Bloggers Whistleblowers Disgruntled Employees Leakers Gov t Watchdogs Publicity Seekers Pundits Corporate Fronts Media Politicians Competitors Social Media
Preparedness: Who Is Your Audience? 1.Consumers/Public Your customers 2.Vendors/Partners Third parties 3.Shareholders Owners of the company 4.Retailers Sellers or vendors 5.Government Regulators, Agencies 6.Board Members 7.Employees 8.Others Case by case basis
Response
Rules for Responding* Do you respond immediately? Do you engage on Social Media? Do you apologize? If so, how? What do people already think about you? Your Reputation Transparency Your Limitations Public Education * Crisis Expert Eric Dezenhall The Glass Jaw
Response: The First 48 Hours Step 1: Confirm status as a crisis Step 2: Assess level of crisis Step 3: Organize and give assignments Step 4: Begin notification process Step 5: Prepare information and obtain approvals Step 6: Release information to public
Recovery
Response: Recovery Activities Return to business-as-usual Analyze what went wrong/causes of problems Conduct audience education where applicable Monitor messages and events (media, public, partners, stakeholders) Debrief crisis communication and response teams Review data on messages, delivery, and effects Develop results/lessons learned and report measures of success Listen to public and stakeholders Revise crisis communications plan
Response: Evaluate Messaging Evaluate message effectiveness in addressing the following: Knowledge Understanding Awareness Cooperation Support for policies/plans Attitudes Opinions Beliefs Intentions Behavior Actions Decision Trust in your company
Crisis Communications / Reputation Management Our firm specializes in highly strategic issues and crisis management for companies or individuals facing both expected and unexpected difficulties in the marketplace from rumors to recalls - responding within minutes on crisis PR issues. We help develop contingency plans in close coordination with each client s management team and their legal and financial advisors. We address the needs and vulnerabilities of our clients key constituencies including customers, employees, regulators, shareholders and prospective investors and chart the path forward in achieving the most desirable outcome. We ve handled a broad spectrum of issues: Business and personal litigation, product recalls, trade disputes, environmental problems, warranty and product liability claims, labor issues, criminal indictments and a variety of sensitive domestic and international political issues. After the crisis subsides, we go to work on restoring the client s credibility and reputation in the marketplace.
Juda Engelmayer 5W Public Relations 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl. New York, NY 10036 Phone: 917-733-3561