Crisis Communications in the Age of Social Media. Presented by Sandra Fathi at the Ragan Corporate Communicators Conference, June 11, 2014, Chicago #raganCCC
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Crisis Communications in the Age of Social Media
1. Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media
Sandra Fathi
President, Affect
Email: sfathi@affect.com
tweet: @sandrafathi
web: affect.com
blog: techaffect.com
Ragan Corporate Communicators Conference
June 11, 2014
#RaganCCC
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
Internal
• Employees
• Facilities
• Vendors/Suppliers
• Distributors/Resellers
• Product
External
• Acts of Nature
• Market
• Legal Restrictions/Law
• Customers
• Advocacy Groups
Anticipating & Understanding Threats to a Business
People, Products, Facilities, Environment
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**
16. 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
17. 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
18. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
TACO
BELL
“We have strict food handling
procedures and zero tolerance for
any violations. We believe this is a
prank and the food was not served
to customers. We are conducting an
investigation and will be taking swift
action against those
involved.”
Employees Gone Wild!
25. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
PAULA
DEEN
"Food Network will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this
month.”
Executive Blunders: Open Mouth, Insert Foot
27. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
EXAMPLE:
PAULA
DEEN
“After spending all day soul searching and trying to
figure out how to deal with what I did, I recorded a
video trying to do the right thing. In the end, I felt
that I needed to just be myself, say I am sorry and
beg for forgiveness.
What I said was wrong and hurtful. I know that
and will do everything that I can do make it right. I am
not about hate, and I will devote myself to showing
my family, friends and fans how to live a life helping
others, lifting us all up, and spreading love.”
3,782,839 views
33. 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
34. 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
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
10
THINGS
TO
KNOW
36. Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media
Sandra Fathi
President, Affect
Email: sfathi@affect.com
tweet: @sandrafathi
web: affect.com
blog: techaffect.com
Slides Available: Slideshare.net/sfathi
#RaganCCC