Tag Archives: crisis management

Disasters Mandate Focus on Healthy Meals

Published on 23rd May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

Don’t forget that your body needs fuel when it comes to crisis management planning for natural disasters

This coming Sunday marks the start of Hurricane Preparedness Week, and considering the storms that have battered the country over the past couple of years, there shouldn’t be any doubt as to the need to prepare.

The help with that, Everyday Health has created The Hurricane Disaster-Proof Healthy Eating Guide to serve as the food preparedness resource for the upcoming hurricane season and all natural disasters. Here’s an excerpt, on the topic of meal planning:

To start, plan to create a “hurricane healthy meals kit” that includes essential nutrients from three of the five food groups, says Stacey Whittle, a registered dietitian and co-owner of Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists, in Santa Monica, Calif. “The most important group is protein, then vegetables and fruits, and then so-called fillers, or starchy items.” A balanced meal would include something from each group.

In an emergency, the top priority is to get enough calories and stay hydrated. “You need to stay fueled and focused and not get sick,” Whittle says. She suggests that the hurricane healthy meals plan provide three meals a day, spread out as evenly as possible. Each meal should have a protein source as its main component, as well as something from each of the other major food groups.

Shelf life is another consideration. “Keep foods that require little or no cooking, water, or refrigeration, in case utilities are disrupted,” says Mitali Shah, MS, RD, LDN, a clinical and research dietitian at Boston Medical Center’s Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition, and Weight Management.

“Plan to have at least a three-day supply of food on hand,” she says. “Canned foods and dry mixes will remain fresh for about two years, but date all food items, and use and replace food before it loses freshness.”

It’s quite common for people to consider the tasks required for crisis management, while neglecting the fact their body needs fuel if they are to do anything at all. Prepare your own stock of food, and keep extra to share with those in need if you’re able.

Once a disaster strikes it’s already too late, get out ahead of trouble and start your planning today!

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

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Dream Tours Florida Wrecks Reputation, Fails Crisis Management

Published on 22nd May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

Ethics count, people

Pursuing shady practices may make you some extra bucks, but the cost will far outweigh the gains when you’re eventually outed. Just look at Dream Tours Florida, the high-end travel company that’s been making a mess of crisis management ever since the New York Post exposed its scheme to rent disabled (or apparently disabled) tour guides out for days at Disney World, allowing their wealthy customers to skip to the front of ride lines.

Check out this screenshot of a since-deleted segment of Dream Tours Florida’s website, which vaguely describes these “VIP Tours”:

FL disabled travelscam disney 2

Just hours after the Post article went up, users began to share it on Dream Tours Florida’s Facebook page and Twitter feed, along with commentary like this:

FL disabled travelscam disney 1

At first, Dream Tours made hamfisted attempts to defend itself, saying that the entire situation was a misunderstanding, and finally making the following post, which was quickly blasted by visitors:

FL disabled travelscam disney 3

We can’t link you to Dream Tours’ Facebook or Twitter pages, because the company yanked both from the web in the midst of a deluge of negative comments.

So, the next time you’re tempted to cross that moral line and all you see is dollar signs, remember this crisis management nightmare, and think again.

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

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How NOT to Deal with the Press

Published on 20th May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

Neglecting an important aspect of crisis management creates unnecessary risk

As the leader of an organization, you should expect to be talking to the media on a regular basis. Apparently, John Tortorella, coach of the NHL’s N.Y. Rangers, missed the memo on that one, because he REALLY hates press conferences, and isn’t afraid to let it show.

As you watch this clip, from the YouTube channel of ESPN’s Around the Horn, remember that Tortorella’s team had actually WON just minutes before to go up 1-0 in the playoffs:

Now, the Rangers aren’t a publicly held team, so Tortorella doesn’t have the same obligations he would if he were up there explaining things to investors. Thing is, blowing off press conferences like this isn’t seeding any goodwill with the media, something that’s invaluable should the organization you’re representing, or you personally, come under scrutiny or become embroiled in scandal.

As crisis management professionals, we’re big proponents of building a cushion of goodwill among stakeholders, be they customers, fans, the media, or any other number of groups. Simply put, refusing this shield because of ego or impatience is an unnecessary risk. If the Rangers ever find themselves in crisis, I certainly hope they have a stronger spokesman waiting in the wings.

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

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Mountain Dew Loses Control, Crisis Management Ensues

Published on 17th May 2013 by . Leave a Comment

How did this mess ever get the green light?

Late last month, PepsiCo joined the ranks of organizations that went too far with edgy marketing campaigns and were forced into crisis management as a result.

The company partnered with controversial rapper and producer Tyler the Creator to produce a new series of web videos, giving him full creative control. The result, which we can’t bring to you because it’s been removed from both Mountain Dew and Tyler’s online channels, depicts a beaten woman being pushed to pick her assailant from a police lineup of young black men and a goat, which threatens the woman until she flees in fear.

The video was instantly perceived as racist and misogynist, and after a rapid backlash that included slams from national media outlets and a deluge of negativity across social media, PepsiCo issued the following statement:

We apologize for this video and take full responsibility. We have removed it from all Mountain Dew channels and Tyler is removing it from his channels as well.

In addition, the company ran a paid Twitter ad, probably a smart move considering the level of negative sentiment that arose on social media following the video’s release:

 

Just as when a recent Hyundai ad depicted a man attempting suicide, it should have been obvious from the start that these commercials weren’t fit to be broadcast.

Before making any decision on whether or not to share something with the public, stop….and THINK! Ask yourself, will this piss people off? If you’re hazy on the answer, go ahead and run it by friends, family, or an actual test audience, and gather honest feedback before taking it into the public arena.

In this case, the obvious answer was an overwhelming yes, which leaves us wondering what Mountain Dew execs were thinking. Or, perhaps more fittingly, if they were thinking at all.

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

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Defining the Roles of Traditional vs Social Media

Published on 15th May 2013 by . 7 Comments. Click to add yours.

Social media’s role should be to bring information to us quickly.  Traditional media’s role should be to bring information to us accurately.

That distinction came to mind recently after I witnessed the horrendously inaccurate traditional media reporting about the Boston Marathon bombing, which was often fed by an apparent desire to keep up with social media rumors.

Chris Martin of The Poynter Institute, which trains traditional journalists on ethics, had this to say about news reporting from Boston:

“No one remembers who got this story first. They only remember who got it wrong.”

Sadly, newsrooms mired in traditions of the 20th Century are focused on avoiding being “scooped” and, in so doing, are no longer taking the time to fact-check properly.  Ignoring the reality that they can’t have it both ways – and hence the need for a definitive distinction between their role and the role of social media.

And while I can talk all day from my bully pulpit, the only way the public will ever clearly understand that distinction is if social media influencers and highly respected traditional journalists (a) buy into the idea and (b) start walking that talk.

Journalists, in particular, need to stop putting speed before fact-checking.  They need to return to making credibility their most important asset.  In today’s world, a Walter Cronkite could not exist as a credible source, because he would be fed unverified information on a regular basis, information that would come back to bite him.  And that’s just sad.

Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and craigconnects and a strong supporter of the work of Poynter and others involved with improving journalistic ethics, is fond of saying “I want news I can trust again.”

Me too, Craig, me too.

Jonathan Bernstein
President
Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc.

[Author's Postscript: On a contracted basis, I am the Project Director for craigconnects, hence my knowledge of Craig's involvement with this topic.  However, this blog post comes from my experience and my heart - it is not part of my responsibilities for this client.]

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