Navigating a Crisis in a 24/7 Digital Age Presented by:

Dan Ronan

Senior Director, Communications, Media & Marketing, ABA and

Michelle Wiltgen

Asst. VP & National Commercial Marketing Manager, National Interstate Insurance At ABA’s Marketplace “Women in Buses”

Overview

Crisis Management Dealing with the Media Company Survival 2

You’ve Had a Catastrophic Accident or Incident 3

What Are Your Priorities?

Your Passengers, Guests in your Hotel or at your Attraction Law Enforcement & Investigators Your Employees The Insurance Companies News Media 4

Before an Incident Assemble a Catastrophic Response Team Who should be involved?

Your Company’s Leadership and Key Employees Insurance Company Defense Attorney ABA, Outside PR Firm or Internal PR Leader

Determine who should be doing what

5

What is Your Insurance Company Doing?

Focus on: *Coverage *Liability *Exposure Defense Counsel Involvement Claims Adjusters Reconstruction Experts

6

Conference Calls    First several hours and possibly days Everyone involved Efficient, but stay focused on operational details  Eliminates “telephone” game 7

Effective Internal and External Crisis Communication is Critical

Always be prepared!

8

Most Companies Are Not Prepared for the Media  In This 24/7 World, News Travels Fast • A motorcoach crash or accident at a high profile destination/hotel with injuries/deaths is big news • Reports on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram in minutes • Smartphone pictures and video will be available to the media before news crews arrive. Smartphones are new first line of coverage • ABA uses a 24/7 media/social media monitoring/alert system. 100 plus emails a day 9

Everyone has a Smartphone  Washington Redskins player on Twitter sent this picture and message while inside a team bus that just had an accident. 10

If There’s an Accident  Reporters Will Cover the Story • It’s their job. They have the right to ask questions and can be aggressive • We can’t make the accident go away • We will be professional, truthful and honest • Tone and timing of your messaging is critical • ABA or your PR leader will assist with messaging to protect your company’s reputation to traditional media and social media 11

“No Comment” Is Not an Option        “No Comment” = You’re hiding something and you’re unaccountable The accident or incident is not going away The truth gets out, in the media, a deposition or in court room The media faces competitive pressures and will be unrelenting, especially if it suspects wrongdoing You run a great company, you are accountable Take control of your message – have a plan Keep people informed through traditional media, social media, let them know you are working with law enforcement, injured victims, the families, your insurance carrier, ABA and others 12

How Not to Handle a Crisis 13

Get Your Message Out     The company is cooperating with the police investigation into the crash and is focused on helping the passengers involved and their families.

We are working with law enforcement officials and the Red Cross to collect and secure the luggage and other personal items of the passengers to have it returned to them.

The company set up a phone number for families of passengers to call. Our company wishes to express its concern for the Police Officer who sustained what are reported as minor injuries. We work closely with the Minneapolis Police Department, the State Patrol, the Vikings, and the National Football League to provide safe, high-quality transportation services. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and all interested parties in the investigation of this accident.

14

Funneling Communication to the World   Who is your spokesperson?

Do they know what to say?

• Important to show concern • Showing empathy does not mean your company is admitting guilt. • It shows you have concern and compassion for your customers and 15

The Media’s Impact

In a digital world, stories never go away.

• • • •

No longer just the local paper, radio, 6 and 10p news.

Washington Redskins accident, 191,000 Google results Yellow Arrow accident, fall 2014, 105,000 Goggle results New York accident, 2011, 1.9 million New Orleans accident, 2013, 1.53 million 16

Facebook, Twitter, You Tube  Both are Very Big News Providers • Twitter : 500 million accounts worldwide, increasing by 35 million a • month Facebook: Worldwide 1.23 billion. Combined U.S. and Canada 250 • million users.

Every news organization uses Twitter and Facebook for breaking news pictures and video. Media outlets routinely search YouTube for “Breaking News” content.

• First video of some of decade’s biggest news events were on social media first. Aurora Colorado Theatre Shooting, The “Miracle on the Hudson,” US Airways water landing, San Francisco International Airport Plane Crash 17

Reputation Management

“….A smart lawyer can keep a killer out of jail, a smart accountant can keep a thief from paying taxes, a smart reporter could ruin your reputation- unfairly.”

Gov. Mario Cuomo Gov. of New York (1983 to 1994) 18

Public Perception

How the public perceives your reaction to a Crisis is

CRITICAL

19

What ABA Does for You  How We Do It: • Act as your company’s spokesman.

• Advise and consult with you and your insurance company in preparing written statements to the media and forming a media plan.

• Assist your company by providing accurate information to balance any inaccurate reporting made by the media.

20

At the Scene    Is the driver able to deal with passengers?

How do you communicate with driver?

Driver should not talk with police if at all possible until Company Representative or Adjuster hired by insurance company arrives • • Very tricky Inform police that company rep is on the way • Admissions against interest of liability 21

Driver Management

Begins with the first phone call What is the right course of action & when Know impact of intended disciplinary action Work through the process Keep lines of communication open with driver Consult attorney before taking action

22

Driver Management

If driver is cited:

 Criminal/Civil  Know what is admissible  Limitation on directing criminal aspect

If driver is retained:

 Follow up training  Following your internal procedures  Monitoring “frame of mind” of driver (especially when lawsuits begin) 23

At the Scene or Your Business  Documenting the scene  Accident event recorders  Witness statements 24

Record Retention Policy  If you have a record retention policy follow it!

 If your policy is to keep logs for six months, then only keep logs for six months  If you have 10 years of logs, your information can be used 25

Plaintiff Attorney Action      Targeting our industry Maximizing their recovery Tort reform has limited other revenue sources You will be sued Big part of insurance policy is defense 26

Exceeding your Policy Limits   Your assets will be valued Can you contribute settlement funds?

27

How to Survive a Catastrophic Accident…

Survival starts long BEFORE a loss…

28

Your Insurance Policy…

…is NOT a blanket you can throw over a catastrophic loss to cover everything!

29

Expenses   PR firm not covered How do you pay for customer immediate needs for: • Shelter • Personal property • Transportation • Other requests for funds 30

Expenses   These are company decisions – not insurance decisions Funds should be perceived as goodwill gesture from company – not admission of guilt for insurance company 31

Other Considerations     Loss of part of your fleet Loss of use – not covered by insurance Cost of hire to replace that unit Coach payments still due 32

Other Considerations Out-of-Pocket expenses Travel Employee Expenses 33

Other Considerations How do you provide for the wellbeing of your employees working 24/7 in the midst of a crisis?

Back Up Support Counseling

34

Other Considerations - Luggage    

Example:

Bus catches fire Burns to the ground No other vehicle involved It is determined to be a manufacturing defect

You are not liable Luggage claim will be denied Understand your liability

36

Have a Plan      Catastrophic response team Media relations Recordkeeping Relationships Talk to someone who had a catastrophic loss  Insurance policy limits 37

If you knew then what you know now… 38

Michelle Wiltgen

AVP & National Commercial Marketing Manager

[email protected]

Office: 800-929-1500 Cell: 440-821-1961 Dan Ronan

Senior Director, Communications, Media & Marketing

[email protected]

Office: 202-218-7220 Cell: 469-583-7070

Questions/Comments 40