Monthly Archives: September 2011

Lack of Preparation

Published on 20th September 2011 by . Leave a Comment

Ignoring crisis prevention costs

Last week, retailer WH Smiths learned about the wrath of social media. A Twitter user in Leamington Spa tweeted a photograph appearing to show that the retailer had moved its copies of Gay Times and Attitude, apparently in an attempt to keep them out of sight.

The Twittersphere was outraged, with hundreds of users retweeting the picture and accusing the retailer of homophobia.

The storm occurred over the weekend, while WH Smiths’ Twitter account was unmanned. On the Monday, the retailer issued a statement explaining that the action had, in fact, been taken for perfectly reasonable reasons – but by that time the damage had been done.

This quote, from a Simply Business article, is yet another example of how failing to perform basic crisis prevention planning can, and eventually will, cost you. Obviously it’s common for offices to close over the weekend, but a basic vulnerability audit would have exposed the fact that (gasp!) the world doesn’t stop just because you lock the doors and turn out the lights.

Information absolutely flies now, and a gap of hours is already bad for a crisis response. An entire weekend is inexcusable, damaging, and costly in terms of both reputation repair and lost dollars.

All it takes is a quick peek at the top stories in business news to see more examples of easily preventable crises. Don’t make this mistake – get prepared!

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Just the Basics

Published on 13th September 2011 by . Leave a Comment

Crisis management is simpler than it seems

To control a crisis, organizations must be able to respond quickly as well as effectively. Delay in response erodes credibility. A bad scenario takes on additional dimensions until it just gets worse and worse. Indeed, the first fundamental rule is to take the lead and not just react to events as they unfurl. While no crisis plan is a single cure-all with the exact answers to either completely avoid a crisis or manage one if it occurs, a well-laid-out plan, in conjunction with media training, will provide the key elements to develop and deliver the right message quickly.

This quote, from a post on Hotel News Now, a website dedicated to “hotel decision makers,” is spot on in its crisis management advice. The very reason that we preach crisis preparedness is in order to be able to take this lead. That means being positioned to be not only a source of information, but also the best source of information, to both stakeholders and the media.

Of course, being prepared also does wonders for actually resolving the crisis. With plans in place, there’s no mad scramble or hours of inaction while roles and duties are confused.

The basics of crisis management are simple – it’s when you choose to ignore them that things get complicated.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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Train the Right People

Published on 9th September 2011 by . Leave a Comment

Who needs media training? Everyone.

While empowering employees to speak up in the midst of a media firestorm is the opposite of most large companies’ knee-jerk reaction — telling staff to zip their lips is a more likely standard response — more firms are coming around to this approach. “What’s new is that more manufacturing companies, whether in food processing or auto and steel, are having their foremen and other people media trained,” observed Gene Grabowski, senior VP and crisis expert at Levick Strategic Communications.

Two key reasons to offer non-marketing employees media training? To make sure they are prepared in the event reporters circumvent established media-relations channels, and to put a human face on the brand in the midst of a crisis.

As this quote from an AdAge article explains, it is flat out impossible to ensure your entire staff “zips their lips.” We’ve seen this evidenced in crises time and time again when the entire C-suite refuses interviews, but some enterprising reporter finds a line worker or minor foreman who’s more than willing to spill the beans.

This is especially damaging because not only does the public have good reason to believe the statements of someone who is immersed in an ongoing crisis, but also in the vast majority of cases nobody below the executive level has actually had a media training session.

Media training now does not only mean preparing to face reporters, by the way. The majority of your employees likely have at least one personal social media account, if not multiple, and should be specifically told what is and is not OK to talk about when it comes to work-related comments.

Bottom line is that everybody in your organization is a potential spokesperson. The intensity and scope can vary, but all employees need media training as part of your overall crisis management plan.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

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First Response

Published on 7th September 2011 by . 1 Comment. Click to add yours.

Share information first to prevent problems later

We live in a litigation-happy society, but, while it’s important to protect your business, in the midst of a public crisis disseminating important information should take priority. Besides increasing safety for all involved, this practice plays another crucial role in crisis management, as this quote from an OrangePR blog post explains:

Reacting quickly and efficiently gives the public immediate piece of mind. Taking away the element of the unknown, even if the information is jarring, instantly appeases an apprehensive public. Also, reacting swiftly gets accurate information in front of false information that can be disseminated when official statements are too slow. Citizen journalism, social media and an ever-revolving news cycle make it imperative to respond early.

Calming the (potentially) panicked and halting rumors, all through telling the truth about what’s going on? Sounds like a good deal to me.

Everyone may not be happy about what they’re hearing, but by getting out ahead of the story you not only gain control of the flow of information, but also move closer to a resolution.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

1 Comment. Click to add yours.