Transcript Crisis Communications - National Alcohol Beverage Control

What to do Before it Hits the Fan!
Crisis Planning & Communications
National Alcohol Beverage Control Assn.
2010 Symposium
March 9, 2010
Amy Philpott, ©2009 Watson/Mulhern LLC
Presentation Outline
What is a crisis?
Crisis planning
Crisis Communications
A note about why it is so important that
communication and legal professionals
interact before and during a crisis
PLANNING
Crisis Management
A crisis, properly managed, can result in:
 Dissipation of issue – public never hears about it
 Low or no profile
 Brand or company image preserved or
enhanced
 Strengthened relationships with key audiences
 Minimal or reduced cost
 Personal advancement or accolades
What is a crisis?
Crisis: n (Kri’sis)
 Crucial
or decisive situation
 Turning point
 Sudden change for worse
 Where hostile forces are in the tensest state
of opposition
 An emotionally stressful event or a traumatic
change in a person’s life
-American Heritage Dictionary
Defining a Crisis in Business Terms
Any situation that could:
 Interfere with normal business operations
 Fall under close media scrutiny
 Jeopardize public image of company, its
leaders or its brand(s)
 Damage the bottom line
 Escalate in intensity
The Crisis Cycle
Pre-crisis
Resolution
Acute
Chronic
PLANNING
“There cannot be a crisis next week.
My schedule is already full.
-- Henry Kissinger
U.S. Secretary of State
Crisis Planning
You must be prepared to:



Identify the crisis -- Quickly
Isolate the crisis -- Quickly
Manage the crisis -- Quickly
Avoid analysis paralysis
Managing means making decisions
Crisis Planning
Be Proactive
Think the unthinkable: Not a question of if, but when?
Formulate corporate philosophy, policy, goals and
options
Select crisis management team
Develop threat-specific plans, procedures, checklists
Conduct training/simulation/test exercises
Develop a business contingency plan
Test your plans
Crisis Communications
 Part of a larger crisis management plan
 Crisis communications is a key component of
managing your company’s reputation
 Essential for competing in today’s marketplace
 Critical part of your investment in image and
brand-building with all audiences:
Customers
Employees
Investors
Consumers
Government
Community
Communication Decisions
What to Release
When to Release it
How to Release it
Where to Release it
Whom to Release it to
Why Release it
HOW TO SAY IT
Crisis Communications Plan
Purpose of your plan:
Familiarize all managers with integral role of
communications in crisis situations
 Assure guidelines for handling communications
have been formalized
 Assure spokespersons are identified and
materials drafted for quick response

Crisis Communications Plan
Plan Objectives:
Detail specific communications actions
necessary for responding to a major event
 Assign responsibilities and roles to each
employee involved
 Identify and prioritize key audiences which
must be contacted during incident
response

Crisis Communications Plan
Plan Objectives:

Prepare for the media



Prepare generic, pre-approved media
statements for use by managers during early
stages of incident
Alert key staff to information necessary for
satisfying external audiences
Outline techniques for interacting with the media
Crisis Communications Plan
What should be in your plan?
List of crisis management team members
 List of sub-teams for types of crises
 Description of roles & responsibilities
 Complete, updated crisis team member
contact information
 List of all possible audiences

Crisis Communications Plan
What should be in your plan?

Company fact sheets
•
•
•
•
•
•
Products
Facility locations
Workforce size
Financials (if public company)
Bios and profiles
Brochures
Crisis Communications Plan
What should be in your plan?
Company/product graphics, logos, images, broll, video
 News release format
 Key media contacts/media lists
 Key customer contacts
 Key political, regulatory, workforce leadership
contact info

Crisis Communications Plan
What should be in your plan?
Scenario planning scripts, Q&As
 Pre-written standby statement (fill in blanks)
 Pre-written draft customer letters/employee
memo
 Technical systems/process descriptions (if
needed)
 Instructions/call scripts for telephone
operators

Story Phases
Losses/Rescue (who was hurt and how what happened)
Search for Causes (why did this happen)
Bereavement (get to know the victims on a
personal level in order to make pinning the
blame stage easier)
Pinning the Blame (find the villain, conflict)
Boredom (search for new angle to keep story
alive)
Communicating During a Crisis
1. Controlling the message
2. Handling a hostile press
3. Rebuilding public trust
STEP 1 Controlling The Message
“Does anyone have any questions
for my answers?”
Dr. Henry Kissinger
at the opening of a
press conference
Controlling The Message
In a crisis, you must talk to the
media
Remember your audiences
 Employees
 Government/community
 Customers
 Families
of victims
 Media
 Consumers
 Investors
leaders
Controlling The Message
You must have a message
Be the first with bad news
Quickly fine-tune company statements
to specifics of the situation
Generally, 3 things to emphasize:
Compassion for those affected
 Commitment to resolving the problem
 Cooperation with relevant authorities

Controlling The Message
Do




Keep message short
and focused
Cut to the chase –
relevant info only
State action steps
Repeat your message
Don’t





Use technical jargon
Attack
Promise or guarantee
Use condescending
language
Use humor
Caring/Empathy
“People want to know that you care
before
they care what you know.”
- Will Rodgers
Controlling The Message
Be positive
Control forum and format (gently)
Blocking and bridging
Don’t take “No comment” route – It is a
comment
Rehearse the hard ones
Move discussion from “problem” to “solution”
Over-communicate with key audiences
STEP 2:
Handling The Hostile Press
Only your answers make the news
Be positive
Don’t fall for “either/or”
Control the forum and the format (gently)
“No comment” is a bad one
It’s on the record
Don’t stonewall
Get trained
Rehearse the hard ones
Aggressively – but fairly – correct mistakes
Be accessible
Be concerned
STEP 3:
Rebuilding Public Trust
Demonstrate regret
Prompt and responsible restitution
Over-communicate with essential
audiences
Publicize new prevention plans/avoidance
initiatives
Signal openness and accessibility
In a crisis, you need to be both!
Do you want to be right?
(reduce liability)
or
Do you want to be married?
(keep relationships w/ stakeholders)
Where Legal & Comm. Meet
Information collection and recording
Terms/definitions
Showing regret, caring, compassion
Acts of compensation
Cooperation
Where Legal and Comm. Meet
Legal and communication people
should get to know one another in the
planning stage
Mutual understanding and respect is
important
Management must hear and understand
the different perspectives
Include both functions in a mock crisis
exercise
PLANNING
Final Thoughts
 Be pro-active

Have a plan that reflects your company
 Be prepared

Best way to survive a crisis is to prepare for one
in advance
 Be first

Make sure the media hears from you before
anyone else
 Be well

Do the best you can
Crisis Principles to Live By
 Know what you stand for – it may be the
only thing you have to say for a while
 Tell the truth – but don’t spill your guts
 Show compassion – put a human face on
the issue
 Don’t be defensive – no blame game
 Keep your cool, no matter what – don’t let
them see you sweat
Acknowledgements
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Vincent T. Covello
Peter M. Sandman
“Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications – By Leaders
for Leaders,” U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
“Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication,” U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
Questions?
Amy Philpott, APR
Watson/Mulhern LLC
Communications & Public Affairs
www.watsonmulhern.com