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How to survive a

How to survive a Shit Storm

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In diesem Büchlein haben wir „10 Goldene Regeln“ zum leichteren Umgang mit Krisensituationen in Social Media zusammengefasst.

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Page 1: How to survive a Shit Storm

How to survive a

Page 2: How to survive a Shit Storm

“You shouldn’t be intimidated by a crisis.

The “golden minute” matters. Immediate

internal coordination and forming.”

Hannes Bliem | Swarovski

“We found that quite a lot of pressure can be lifted by a quick reaction. Especially unacknowledged postings on weekends can turn toxic very quickly. It can be hard to recover the next day.” Daniel Schwarz | SBB

Imprint:Media owner, publisher & issuer: box network europe ADRESSE ??

Editorial office: ambuzzador Marketing GmbH You can also find this crisis manual for download at www.boxnetworkeurope.com

What is a shitstorm?

Every single day, brands and companies are challenged to deliver their opinion in the online discourse – often, it is important to constructively accept criticism and find good solutions for the stakeholders‘ concerns. But every now and then, emotions won’t be calmed down with factual arguments. During such a social media crisis, feelings run high, and the s*** really hits the fan. This is why in German, we coined the word „Shitstorm“: It describes that difficult situation for brand managers when you really need to keep a cool head. In this booklet, we have summarized “10 golden rules” for an easier handling of crisis situations in Social Media: We wish you pleasurable reading – but in case of emergency, contact us directly, since every crisis exhibits its own dynamic!

The box network

“If there is sporadic criticism, other listeners step into the breach for us straight away.” Albert Malli | Ö3

“The speed of technical development is higher than our learning aptitude.” Gerhard Kürner | voestalpine

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HAPPYCHOCO

This is Joe. Joe is the Social Media Manager of HappyChoco Corporation. His Facebook community loves chocolate and is always good-humoured!

But today is not a good day for Joe: Yesterday, a documentary about cocoa cultivation aired on TV, and it harshly criticized HappyChoco Corporation’s production plants ...

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Frida K. 5 minutes ago Are you going to comment on the

documentary anytime soon???

Tamara C. 3 minutes ago You’re so mean! Never eating Happy-Choco again!

Teresa D. 9 minutes ago Yeah right, HAPPY-Choco! Didn’t look all that HAPPY on TV last night.

George T. 5 minutes ago

Have you all seen

the documentary

yesterday? Boycott!Rosi B. 5 minutes ago @happychoco I’ll never buy your

products again!

Bert F. 5 minutes ago Stop it with your pretty TV spots, the production conditions are unbearable!

Mark B. 6 minutes ago Here is the documentary on youtube – every-one watch it!!!!!!!

Mirja B. 14 minutes ago I will never buy any of your products again!

Patrick H. 12 minutes ago I’m telling all my friends about this! YUCK!!!

... and all the critics now post on the Facebook-page. On other Social Media channels, the community is piping up as well.

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Focus: Attention

Trolls

Trolls aren’t just tiny plastic figures with funny hair – online, they like to have fun by discussing all sorts of topics. They want to make their listeners (or readers) laugh. What now? The challenge here is to find the source of the issue. Don’t join the discussion – but if it goes well with your brand, show some humour.

Typology of a shitstorm

Stormers

Stormers mainly want attention. Because of this, it’s

in their interest to prolong the problem.What now? Give a factual statement about the issue,

without adding fuel to the conflict. If possible, contact the Stormer directly and make

him the star of your solution.Activists

The Activists care about the questions of principle:

The way your company treats its customers, for example.

They aren’t happy with a simple solution to the problem –

they want to make sure that the processes have changed.

What now? A quick reaction is the key: Apologise

and explain how the problem happened – and which

provisions are made to avoid it in the future.

Freeloaders

These users take everything – as long as it is for free. Every problem is blown up as big as possible to get back a free sample or a coupon. What now? Find out if they really care about the issue or just want a gift. If necessary, apologise – but make no exceptions to the company’s reimbursement policy. If possible, try to contact Freeloaders directly and solve the problem outside of your Social Media channel.

Focus: Topic

Rational

Emotional

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The Defender System

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1ST MISTAKe: Posting according to editorial plan

3rD MISTAKe: Panic and random research

2ND MISTAKe: Respond to all accusations individually

HappyChoco 12 minutes ago Our new samples: Walnut whales! Tried it already?

HAPPYCHOCO

Mark B. 6 minutes ago Are you nuts? I’ll never eat anything from your company again!

Tamara C. 3 minutes ago

Nobody cares about your

new chocolates! You better

explain the accusations from

the documentary!!!

George T. 5 minutes ago

Have you all seen the docu yesterday? Boycott!

HappyChoco 12 minutes ago Hello, we always insist on written confirmation from all our suppliers to confirm they are working according to international guidelines.

HAPPYCHOCO

George T. 5 minutes ago WHY DON’T YOU GO THere YOUrSeLVeS, how about that? !

Joe and his colleagues are overwhelmed: What to do? How should they handle the many allegations and postings?

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1. Define processes for official statements and approvals or reconfirm according to the crisis manual.

2. Promptly author a clear, factual statement with regards to content for the online community.

3. Official statement, centrally available for journalists, media and official institutions.

4. Issue Management: Collect, categorise, classify and verify allegations. Differentiated communication!

5. Inform employees and create awareness: They are image-holders too and can/should only communicate official statements – ideally, they keep out of the discussions.

10 RulesAT A GLANCE 6. Moderation instead of discussion: Pull the

discussion into a distinct discussion board, in which the community can discuss the issue.

7. Put together clear rules for the duration of the shitstorm (internally and externally) and comply with them – transparently for everyone. Postings in breach of the rules (and thus against laws and morality) are taken out of the discussion – with a warning and reference to the rules.

8. During the crisis communication, only use standardised postings – as to not offer any new points of attack.

9. Involve law experts to know the state of affairs: about the issue itself, but also about the statutory violations on the Facebook wall.

10. Full documentation of the discussion is necessary for possible review with regards to content or law.

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1.Define processes for official statements and approvals or reconfirm according to the crisis manual.

Promptly author a clear, factual statement for the online community.

In a crisis manual, contact persons and processes are determined – ideally before the crisis. For different crisis scenarios, different measures are taken and different wordings used.

The prepared wordings are adapted to the current crisis. Facts are described clearly and wrong accusations are invalidated. Important: Don’t be goaded into leaving an emotional statement – stay factual!

2.

Happy Choco 3 minutes ago Dear friends of HappyChoco, there have been many discussions about the TV documentary “Happy Choco?” in the past few days. In terms of a transparent commu-nication, we would like to comment on the accusations made in the report.

HAPPYCHOCOCrisis

Manual

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3.Make an official statement centrally available.

Collect, categorise, classify and verify allegations.

Journalists and public institutions should be able to quote the statement first-hand. Proactive information is better than waiting for the shitstorm. Here, it’s important to stick to the “Lead of Communication”.

Accusations are coming in thick and fast. That doesn’t mean you have to reply to every single one straight away – or that every single one is legitimate. Sort them and choose differentiated approaches.

4.

Trolls

StormersActivists

Freeloaders

DOC PDF

Statement Statement

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5.Inform employees and create awareness: You are image-holders too.

Moderation instead of discussion: Pull the discussion into a distinct discussion board.All employees are speakers for the company as well – especially

if they mention their employer in their Social Media profiles. The impulse to defend the own company is understandable. Despite that: Ideally, your colleagues don’t join the discussion.

A discussion board on Facebook or on your website is the place for the official statement and the community’s discussion. Thus, the Facebook wall stays clear and service requests can be attended to.

6.

Internal memo about TV-discussion

HAPPY CHOCO

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7.Put together clear rules for the duration of the shitstorm and comply with them – transparently for everyone.

Only use standardised postings during the crisis communication.

Postings in breach of the rules (and thus against laws and morality) are taken out of the discussion with a warning and reference to the disclaimer. There is space for the rules in the Facebook disclaimer – for example, comments below the belt, personal insults and multiple postings can definitely be deleted after a warning. Transparency is very important here to avoid upsetting the community by arbitrariness.

A clear answer with a link to the official statement or the discussion-forum prevents the Stormers from finding new points of attack.

8.

D I S C L A I M e r The usage of our site is subject to the following rules: every user is responsible

for his or her contribution. The user guarantees not to save any contents if

usage is in direct violation of applicable law, especially the criminal code...HAPPY CHOCO

Patrick H. 12 minutes ago I’m telling all my friends about this!! YUCK!!!

HappyChoco 3 minutes ago Hello, different production plants of different chocolate producers were portrayed in the documen-tary. Our chocolate is produced according to strict quality guidelines. You can read all the details here: www.LinkToStatement.com

HAPPYCHOCO

George T. 5 minutes ago Have you all seen the docu yester-day? Boycott!

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Hans Buzztard?

9.Involve law experts to know the state of affairs: About the issue itself, but also about statutory violations on the Facebook wall.

Full documentation of the discussion – for possible review with regards to content or law.

Research identities: Who are the notably dedicated Stormers and which (hidden) agenda do they follow?

Research pays off for users who reply more often: Maybe a competitor or a disappointed ex-employee is behind the alias? If you know the Stormer’s agenda, you can react to the allegations more easily.

10.

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Box Network Europe is a smart network of like-minded, independent Social Media and Digital PR agencies.

We deliver a wealth of specialist experience, languages, talent and coverage – including UK, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Netherlands, Austria and beyond.

We enable brands to select the best Social Media, PR and digital talent and coverage from within a box of international options. This helps our clients to manage creative campaign decisions at a global level and to execute programs at a local level to ensure relevance, timeliness and best approach.

We have over ten years of specialist, big brand experience in the digital Social PR space. We are analytics-based, results-focused and highly innovative.

Operating as a box of independent agencies, we are able to ‘pick and mix’ skill sets and language requirements to deliver highly customised campaign teams. We have instant coverage, immediate scale and the ability to deploy best of breed skill sets across national and linguistic boundaries.

About Box NetworkFrance: Claire Goyat, Partner cgo&co +33 (0)2 28 03 90 47 / [email protected] / @schrempfette

Italy: Marco Massarotto, Partner HAGAKURE +39 (0)27 601 5852 / [email protected] / @marcomassarotto

Germany: Thomas Praus, Partner P3000 +49 (0)30 805 799 682 / [email protected] / @stylewalker

Switzerland: Florian Wieser, Partner coUNDco +41 (0)44 440 1200 / [email protected] / @floto

Netherlands: Uri Roos, Partner Fortress +31 (0)206 611 506 / [email protected] / @uriroos

Spain: Rocío Núñez, Tinkle +34 (0)91 787 7086 / [email protected] / @rocionunez

Austria: Sabine Hoffmann Founder & CEO Ambuzzador +43 (0)15 224 071 / [email protected] / @actiongirl74

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If you have a challenging, international Social Pr brief that requires an integrated solution then we’d love to hear from you.

Find your nearest Box Network director on www.boxnetworkeurope.com