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Crisis Communications Planning

Barbara Pierce, APR

Tipping Point Public Relations

November 8, 2012

What is a “crisis”?

Critical event or point of decision which, if not handled

in an appropriate and timely manner (or if not handled

at all), may turn into a disaster or catastrophe.

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Types of Crises

•What does a “crisis” look like to your organization?

– Product issue

– Service issue

– Financial issue

– HR issue

• Discrimination

• Harassment

– Employee misconduct

– Executive misconduct

– Board misconduct

– Facilities issue

– Natural disaster

– Mistake

– Accident

– Injury or death

– Protest

– Coordinated external

campaign (e.g., online)

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What happens to people in crisis?

A flood of epinephrine, norepinephrine and other

hormones cause changes in the body:

• heart rate and blood pressure increase

• pupils dilate

• veins in skin constrict

• blood-glucose level increases

• muscles tense up, energized by adrenaline and glucose

• smooth muscle relaxes so more oxygen gets to the lungs

• nonessential systems (digestion, immune system) shut down

• trouble focusing on small tasks (brain is directed to focus only

on big picture to determine where threat is coming from)

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The “Fight or Flight” Response

“When our fight or flight system is activated, we tend to

perceive everything in our environment as a possible

threat to our survival…We may overreact to the

slightest comment. Our fear is exaggerated.

Our thinking is distorted... Fear becomes the lens

through which we see the world.”

- Neil M. Neimark, M.D., The Body/Soul Connection

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“Fight or Flight” in a business crisis`

•Overreaction

•Defensiveness

•Aggression

•Paranoia

•Anger

• Tunnel vision

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Crisis Communications Plans

•Planning for potential issues when we’re in a

thoughtful and coherent frame of mind

• First-aid kit

• Fire escape plan

•Hurricane plan

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When Opportunity Knocks…

Wei Chi

crisis = danger + opportunity

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Crisis Communications Plans

•Are not disaster response plans

– Do the right thing

– Utilize (or define) established operational and

emergency response protocols

•Are never final

– Continually adjust to meet current realities

– Set schedule for regular reviews and updates

– Quarterly or biannually

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Crisis Communications Objectives

•Minimize the impact of a crisis on operations and

target audiences

•Minimize the amount of time spent focused on the

crisis

– Internally

– By our constituents

•Regain control of the situation and the conversation as

quickly as possible

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Crisis Communications Approach

•Anticipate

– Identify potential threats

– Monitor areas of risk

•Prepare

– Define key information in advance

•Respond

– React quickly and efficiently

– Utilize standard processes and procedures

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ANTICIPATE Identify potential threats, monitor areas of risk

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Threats Analysis

•Brainstorm areas of threat:

– What is likely to happen?

• Typical/expected issues within your organization

• A negative outcome of your day-to-day operations

• Issues you, your counterparts, or your competition

have experienced in the past 10 years

– What is the worst thing that could happen?

• Areas of big risk

• Show-stoppers

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Monitor Areas of Risk

• Incorporate discussions of threats and brewing

situations during regular internal meetings

– Add as standing topic on management meeting

agendas

• Listen!

– Traditional media

– Google Alerts, RSS feeds

– Social media: Facebook, Twitter

– The employee and customer grapevine

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Manage Issues (before they’re crises)

•Minimize threats

– Proactively pursue solutions to potential issues

– Make changes to preempt potential problems

•Address problems quickly and directly

– When issues arise, address them directly and

immediately

– Follow organizational policies and procedures to the letter

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PREPARE Define key information in advance

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Emergency Protocols

•Establish, document and communicate emergency

protocols

– Ensure internal teams know and practice processes and

procedures in the event of emergencies

– Document protocols to ensure clarity and help educate

teams on proper processes

• Documented protocols, signed by staff and volunteers,

support communications efforts later

•Ensure Crisis Communications Protocols dovetail with

Emergency Protocols

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The Crisis Communications Team

• Whom do you need on your team to manage

communications around the potential threats?

• Define their roles (not their titles!)

• Define their responsibilities on the crisis

communications team

• How will you reach them?

– Relevant contact information

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The Crisis Communications Team

•Spokesperson

•Media Relations Lead

•Social Media Lead

•Communications

Counsel

• Legal Counsel

• Front Line Lead & Team

Members

•Operations Lead

•Board Liaison

•Employee Liaison

• Funder Liaison

•Volunteer Liaison

• Liaison to National

Organization/Parent

•Others

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Crisis Communications Command Centers

• Team Command Center

– Where does the Crisis Communications Team meet?

– What resources will your team need to effectively

coordinate in a crisis?

– What’s your back-up plan?

•Media Command/Update Center

– How will you update the media?

– What resources will they need?

– How do you protect the team and employees while

regularly sharing key information?

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Communications Policies & Procedures

•Media Relations and Social Media Policies &

Procedures, e.g.,

– No informal conversations or communications about the

crisis via email, text, or other written form

– All communications reviewed by legal

– Only designated spokesperson(s)

– No “off the record”

– Define procedures for press conference updates

– Establish procedures for Social Media Lead to feed

information into team about online conversation

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Communications Policies & Procedures

• Inbound Inquiry Protocol, e.g.,

– No Crisis Team member should answer inbound calls

from unknown numbers (or known media numbers) – let

calls go to voicemail and check voicemail often

– Communicate standard reception messages

– No Crisis Team member or employee should comment to

anyone about the situation – refer all inbound inquiries to

Front Line or Communications Lead

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Communications Policies & Procedures

•Other important Policies and Procedures for

communications to:

– Funders

– Employees

– Families or Other “Affected Audiences”

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Communications Resources: Lists

Updated lists, contact information, and details:

•Management Phone Trees

•Media Lists

•Employee Distribution Lists

•Communications Consultant Contact Information

• Legal Consultant Contact Information

•Monitoring Services

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Communications Resources: Templates

•Media Statement Template

•News Release Template

• Fact Sheets

– For likely issues

• Fact Sheet Template

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Communications Resources: Your Brand

•Reminders of what you stand for

– Prepare yourself to recognize opportunities in the mess

•Standard Organizational Key Messages

•Organizational Fact Sheet

•Key Issues

•Boilerplate

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Prepare the Team

•Alert team members that they’re on the team!

•Brief the Team

– Review Crisis Communications Plan

– Discuss their individual roles & responsibilities and how

they engage with their teammates

– Conduct regular review briefings – bi-annual at least,

during which you review updated plan

•Media Train Spokespeople

– Conduct regular refresher trainings

– Remind them of the core brand/key messages

•Drills

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Get Ready to Get Ready to Respond

•Develop checklists and worksheets

– Identify the key questions you’ll need answers to –

before you’re in crisis mode

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RESPOND React quickly & efficiently, utilize standard processes & procedures

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Scope Assessment

•Develop list of questions that will help quantify a crisis

situation when it happens

– How many people are involved/aware?

– Is media already covering the situation?

– What is the financial impact?

•Establish quantitative thresholds that distinguishes

between “issues to watch” and “full-blown crises”

– How many online impressions warrant a response vs. quietly

monitoring?

– Remember: sometimes an aggressive response on your part

can make a minor issue a larger crisis!

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Crisis Checklist and Worksheet

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•Develop a literal checklist for the Crisis Communications

Lead for any situation

– What steps should you take in the moment?

– Develop your to-do list when you are able to thoughtfully

consider and outline important steps

•Develop Fact-Gathering Worksheet

– List of facts you will need to confirm to assess the situation

– Simple but comprehensive, this list can span dozens of

questions

• Start with who, what, when, where, how

Logs

• Track your communications

– Who’s made inquiries

– What was said

– By whom

– When

– How

– To whom

•Be deliberate in your communications

– Don’t allow the way you communicate to worsen the crisis!

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Crisis Communications Plans

Wei Chi

crisis = danger + opportunity

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Barbara Pierce, APR

Tipping Point Public Relations

277 Alexander Street, Suite 100

Rochester, NY 14607

(585) 340-1119

barbara@tippingpointmedia.com

www.tippingpointpr.com

Follow us on Twitter: @TippingPointPR