Successful crisis managers learn the most from studying real-world situations. This recent article from AdAge.com dissects the crisis management strategies used by the CDC when reacting to the recent “swine flu” outbreaks. Although the story is directed towards marketers, I believe the tips within apply to any organization’s crisis prevention and crisis response.
At the center of this crisis is the U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The communication work it is leading is neither sexy nor flashy, but it’s highly effective — and critically timely. Moreover, the approach is building credibility. The agency has added nearly 15,000 Twitter followers in the past two days, bringing the total to 40,000. Data from my employer, Nielsen Online, also suggest the CDC website is generating unprecedented links and references, including from Wikipedia, across all dimensions of this issue.
With social media coming of age, the art of managing conversation about a crisis is becoming an essential part of the crisis management process. If you won’t refute bad information about your business, then who will?
JB
Jonathan Bernstein
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com