Crisis Communications: How to protect your brand

Sports Summit 2014

Jo Bullen and Caroline Nagle

Who are we?

Jo Bullen

Issues management expert with nearly 20 years experience

Caroline Nagle

Crisis management expert from public to private sector

Agenda for next hour

• Knowing when you’re dealing with an issue and when it’s a crisis

• Protecting your brand

• What to do when an issue hits

• Breakout

• Questions

ISSUE VS CRISIS

What is an issue?

Examples of issues

What is a crisis?

Examples of crisis

Example crisis: Qatar FIFA bribes• The Sunday Times published emails

from Qatari officials to African FA members detailing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes at the time of the 2022 World Cup vote

• The news broke on 1st June and was instantly picked up by news outlets all over the world

• Many high profile football officials are now embroiled in this ongoing scandal

Lifecycle of an issue - FIFAGravity ofGravity of

IssueIssue

TimeTime

Vulnerability/Vulnerability/problemproblem

IssueIssue

Problem notProblem notaddressed/solvedaddressed/solved

Growing internal/Growing internal/external concernexternal concern

Discussions amongDiscussions amongkey influencerskey influencers

The issue hits top-tier mediaThe issue hits top-tier media

Issue is out of control –Issue is out of control –Risk of inappropriate responseRisk of inappropriate response

Potential damagePotential damageto business andto business and

reputationreputationCrisisCrisis

Growing social media noiseGrowing social media noise

Accusations of Accusations of corruption during corruption during Qatari bid not Qatari bid not addressed at the addressed at the timetime

Triggered media Triggered media speculation speculation including a including a Sunday Times Sunday Times investigationinvestigation

The Sunday Times The Sunday Times publish emails publish emails alleging bribes were alleging bribes were mademade

How the media behaves

Knowing you’re in crisis Key stakeholders are involved or impacted It’s been picked up rapidly and widely by national

media or is leading the news agenda The authorities need to be involved Location affected (e.g. strike/accident)? Interested parties are commenting publicly Wide spread debate on social media, trending on

Twitter

Taking time to breathe

PROTECTING YOUR BRAND

Risks and issues planning

Being prepared

Crisis communications

manual

Proactive Issues ManagementGravity ofGravity of

IssueIssue

TimeTime

Vulnerability/Vulnerability/problemproblem

IssuesPrevention

IssuesManagement

CrisisManagement

Issues are managed/Issues are managed/controlledcontrolled

Crisis is avoided/containedCrisis is avoided/containedto issues managementto issues management

IssuesPrevention

IssuesManage-

ment

CrisisManage-

ment

Theory into practiceGravity ofGravity of

IssueIssue

TimeTime

Vulnerability/Vulnerability/problemproblem

IssuesPrevention Crisis

Management

Problem persistsProblem persists

Issues are managed/Issues are managed/controlledcontrolled

Crisis is avoided/containedCrisis is avoided/containedto issues managementto issues management

News of Ryan Giggs’s affair comes out

Manchester United PR response Sift focus from private life to football

IssuesManage-

ment

CrisisManage-

ment

WHEN AN ISSUE HITS

Awareness during a crisis

If a crisis hits

Always be

Demonstrate leadership and authority

The don’t forgets

If you’re in charge?

Post-crisis

1. Evaluate and learn lessons

2. Understand what went wrong & change

3. Win back trust and reputation

And finally

• Don't be surprised and be prepared

• Anything can happen and usually does

• Know the facts first

• Communication is a boardroom issue

BREAKOUTS

Crisis simulation• Situation

– You are Head of Comms for the Lawn Tennis Association – a private email from your Chief Executive has leaked to a national newspaper containing sexist comments, the story appears.

– A group of former tennis professionals lead by Sue Barker have called for the Chief Executive to resign over the emails as it’s causing negative publicity ahead of Wimbledon

– You’ve just been in a meeting with the under fire CEO who has refused to resign and you have a long list of journalists who require a response

• Where would you start?

QUESTIONS?