"what, me worry?": crisis and media training in 30 slides (or less)

Crisis & Media Training | AENC| 10.12.07

1© 2007 THE CATEVO GROUP CONFIDENTIAL NOT FOR DUPLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION

The Catevo Group

“What, Me Worry?”Crisis & Media Training in 30 Slides (or less)

Roger M. Friedensen, APRVice PresidentThe Catevo Group



What comes to mind when you hear . . .– Exxon Valdez?

What comes to mind when you hear . . .– Tylenol?

A Starting Point . . .

The Bottom Line

The Basics

Reputation Trashing 101

Crises

Public Relations



How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time

– Today’s presentation is not even a bite, more like a nibble . . .

But First, “Caveat Emptor”

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Square One … What is “Public Relations”? “A communications function of

management through which organizations adapt to, alter or maintain their environments for the purpose of achieving organizational goals.”

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Public Relations Communications-based (& that’s two-way

communications) Starts at the top Deals with change & adaptation Goal-oriented Logical part of today’s business

environment . . . The public has a stake in your biz (and

your members’ biz)The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



So What Makes News? Good news, like:

– Expansions, openings, awards, events– Mergers, acquisitions – New products, services, hires– Earnings, funding growth– High-profile visits– Contributions, donations– Human-interest stories

Bad news, like:– Well, just about everything else . . .

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Crisis? What Crisis? Any abnormal situation that interrupts

normal operations– Usually a surprise– Results in lack of control– Potential to attract attention/scrutiny– Time-sensitive, time-intensive– Threatens reputation, stability,

finances, competitive position, project viability, etc.

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



So What’s Been a Crisis for You?

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Crises Natural disasters Accidents (mechanical, human error) Legal or financial difficulties Government actions Criminal activities Employee incidents Environmental incidents High-profile events

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Types of Crises Sudden

– Exploding – Immediate– Demand attention

Smoldering– Building – Continuing

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



You can’t manage a crisis, butYou can manage your response

Rule #1

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Some Basic Guidelines Focus internally first Be swift, direct & honest Always tell the truth – if you mess up, ‘fess up Cover the bases Tell the bad news first – before you’re forced

to Stick to the facts – don’t speculate Be flexible, accessible & proactive Provide regular updates Stay focused on the goal (one-day story)

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Message Mapping High stress changes the rules

– 80% missed through negative dominance Message mapping involves SMEs,

communication specialists and public policy, legal and management expertise

Benefits of message mapping– Helps ensure accuracy and follow-up

through cross-section involved– Requires consensus– Yields organized and prioritized information

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Message Mapping Identify and prioritize stakeholders Determine specific concerns Analyze specific concerns for general concerns Brainstorm with message-mapping teams Collect supporting data for each key message

– Three key messages (seven to 12 words)– Three supporting facts each

Ask outside experts to test messages Plan delivery of messages and supporting

informationThe Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Stakeholders

Employees/families Members Board of directors Neighbors Emergency response Regulators (direct

contacts, PIOs, etc.) Government leaders

(appointed/elected) Community leaders

News media NGOs Vendors Contractors Customers Business leaders Industry thought

leaders Investors, analysts Funders, donors

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Address Core Values Health & safety of selves, families Value of possessions & property Environmental protection Economic security “Quality of life” issues

– Pride in community, career, etc.– Absence of conflict– Freedom from fear

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



An ExampleWest Nile Virus Message MapStakeholder: Citizens of a community threatened by the virusQuestion: How can we protect ourselves?

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations

Key Message:“Remove standing water”

Key Message:“Wear Protective Clothing”

Key Message:“Use Insect Repellant”

Supporting Fact 1.1Old Tires

Supporting Fact 2.1Long Sleeves

Supporting Fact 3.1Deet

Supporting Fact 1.2Flower Pots/Bird Baths

Supporting Fact 2.2Long Pants

Supporting Fact 3.223%

Supporting Fact 1.3Cat/Dog Dishes

Supporting Fact 2.3Dusk and Dawn

Supporting 3.3No Substitutes



Powerful Key Messages “Ultimately, the number is more than we can

bear. I believe from this tragedy the city, nation and world will become stronger. Stronger economically, politically and emotionally.”– Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani

“Clearly the events of the past several weeks have generated a great deal of media interest; however, HP hasn’t lost its focus on what is most important: our customers and our partners and our employees.”– Michael Moeller, HP spokesperson

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



Credibility is the Key Three components of credibility

– Trust– Expertise– Dynamism

It all starts – and ends – with trust

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



10 Ways to Trash a Reputation1. Wait till the last minute: why prepare

now if it may not happen at all?2. Ignore your employees or members: it’ll

just distract them3. Ignore the media: heck, they’ll just twist

the truth anyway4. Play by your rules only: why give a hoot

about what anyone else wants?5. Never accept responsibility or apologize:

my lawyer always knows best! The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



10 Ways to Trash a Reputation6. Ignore emotions: feelings are for wimps –

Facts Rule!7. Cooperate only when you really have to:

keep your head down & your mouth shut. 8. Provide only the bare minimum: why

invite confusion with details?9. Dazzle ‘em with jargon: if a little is good,

then a lot is even better!10.Ignore it & it will go away…

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



And About the Media . . . Significant influence on public opinion They determine what’s news, not you No obligation to make you look good Objectivity for journalists objectivity for

business Generally not biased unless given a

reason (& trained to be skeptical) May know little about your business Can’t report what they don’t know Helping them helps you The Bottom

Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



From the Horse’s Mouth

Sam Donaldson, Hold On Mr. President:“When people ask me how to get a favorable story, I tell them that you can't bribe me, you can't intimidate me, you may be able to bamboozle me (but when I find out about it, I'll be mad as hell), but you can get the best story possible by taking me seriously and leveling with me. And usually, it is far better to tell the press what you can if you want to avoid a bad story." The Bottom

Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



From the Horse’s MouthA North Carolina business editor:"The cooperativeness of a company and its communications officials very much affects our coverage. Cooperative companies are likely to get fairer treatment in stories because we're able to tell both sides of the story."

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



If You Remember Only Four Things Tell the truth – if you mess up, ‘fess up Be conversational, but remember it’s not a

conversation– Keep emotions and ego in check

Concise block answers built on:– Never speculate – focus on the facts as

you know them– Use key messages (<3) and sparklers– Use bridges

Prepare & practice . . . then practice some more The Bottom

Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



The Bottom Line Accept & embrace the media and the inevitable crises

– you will have to deal with them eventually Include public relations early at the management table Have crisis communications & issue-specific plans

ready Retain strategic counsel to supplement internal team

& provide objectivity Consider professional spokesperson coaching Practice for the good times . . . and the bad Conduct your business in a way that minimizes the

potential for crises and the disruption they bring Remember: it won’t last forever (the good or the bad).

The Bottom Line

The Basics


Crises

Public Relations



The Catevo Group

Thank You!Crisis & Media Training in 25 Slides (or less)

Roger M. Friedensen, [email protected]