Speaker:  Annie Searle, Principal, Annie Searle & Associates LLC (ASA) This session examines the uses of social media, trends, and risks. It includes the benefits of new media for crisis management as well as the challenges, such as cybersecurity threats and reputational risks. Included is a presentation on the work of Crisis Commons who uses these tools as part of their business.

1. Tweet Me Up: Social Media Tools and
Crisis Management
Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference 2011
Annie Searle & Emily Oxenford
Principal Research Associate
Annie Searle & Associates LLC
Risk Consultants
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

2. Annie’s Background
◘ 10 years at Washington Mutual, including seven as chair
of the company‐wide Crisis Management Team.
◘ Ongoing international work in coalitions around
pandemic, supply chain, cyber, global threats.
◘ Co‐founder of Coalition for Organizational Resilience,
hi h l h d i f hiwhich launched in Q1 of this year.
◘ Relevant special interests: streamlined crisis
management, virtualized environments, social media
t l d l d DR t ttools and cloud as a DR strategy.
◘ ASA Institute for Risk & Innovation focuses on six critical
infrastructure sectors: banking, energy, IT,
communications public health and emergency servicescommunications, public health and emergency services.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

3. EmilyEmily’’s Backgrounds Background
◘ Currently finishing graduate degree in Information
Management at UW.
G d d i h hi h h f A i U i i i h◘ Graduated with high honors from American University, with
a concentration in Peace & Conflict Resolution.
◘ Author of eight ASA research notes, whose topics include◘ Author of eight ASA research notes, whose topics include
social media and communicating crisis management value.
◘ Interested in solving local and global problems through
i i i f iimproving information.
◘ Will walk us through several social media tools today.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

4. This presentationThis presentation
◘ Examines use of social media, trends & risks
◘ Looks at benefits and challenges for crisis
management, especially in communications
◘ Provides information on what tools are available
and how to set up
◘ Looks at leverage power of technology volunteers
via organizations like Crisis Commons
◘ Recommends a path forward on use of tools
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

5. Disasters are newsworthy eventsDisasters are newsworthy events
◘ Haiti earthquake
◘ Iceland’s volcanic ash
◘ Times Square bomb
◘ BP Gulf oil spill◘ Iceland s volcanic ash
◘ Impacts from an East
Coast power grid
◘ BP Gulf oil spill
◘ Hurricane Katrina
◘ Yemen cargo bombsp g
failure
◘ Chilean mine
◘ Yemen cargo bombs
◘ Honshu earthquake,
tsunami, and radiation
explosion & rescue
tsunami, and radiation
leaks
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

6. Historic Model for Crisis ManagementHistoric Model for Crisis Management
◘ Command center = central decision making on all
aspects of crisis
◘ Priority is overall response and recovery
 Authorization of extraordinary resource & financial
requests
 All formal communications via legal lens
◘ Generally all decisions moved to a command center◘ Generally, all decisions moved to a command center
with structure and protocols that both public and
private sector entities use for briefings, updates.private sector entities use for briefings, updates.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

7. The world has changedThe world has changed
◘ News is now 7x24, and aggregated from blogs and
tweets as well as traditional news media.
◘ Photos and tweets tell the story from people of on
the ground, without any corporate filter.
◘ Technology volunteers are mapping open issues
from crisis, which could include data about your
company.
◘ Command center is making decisions that could
affect your companyaffect your company.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

8. But most companies still run the same.But most companies still run the same.
◘ 8% of companies have terminated employees on
social media issues. Wrong tweet or Facebook
status can get you fired.
◘ HR and Legal still run the show, especially where
f h hreview of any corporate communications are high.
This slows things down.
C i i t t i ft d t ki◘ Crisis management team is often unused to working
over extended period of time, and gets flummoxed
by Legal’s “why we can’t” approachby Legal s why we can t approach.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

9. When the stakes are highWhen the stakes are high
◘ CEOs are used to being treated with respect, not
tweeted about if they drop the ball (Tony Hayward).
◘ Traditional corporate communications and
situation reports are not real time in a crisis.
◘ Brand is part of crisis management. Using social
media tools on regular basis, not just in crisis, builds
i t B t it i i t l ll b ti !consistency. But it requires internal collaboration!
◘ Rewards higher than risks if approached proactively.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

10. The power of the toolsThe power of the tools
◘ Twitter = 140 million messages per day
◘ Facebook=500 million active users, 50% on each day
◘ From FEMA’s Craig Fugate = tools allow a “two way
conversation in the impact zone, so that we can link
people with information, resources and ideas”
◘ Google’s “Person Finder” application
◘ Ushahidi crowdsourcing website (Japan, Haiti, Chile)
◘ Crisis Commons wikis (Japan, Haiti in particular)
with efficient reports on lessons learned.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

11. Recent American Red Cross SurveyRecent American Red Cross Survey
◘ 20% who could not reach 9‐1‐1 would use SM tools
◘ 44% would ask others in social networks to contact
authorities on their behalf
◘ 35% would post directly on FB page for EM
◘ 28% would send message to responders on Twitter
◘ 69% felt agencies should monitor social media as g
part of response plan; 74% expected emergency
help to come in less than one hour after Twitter or
b kFacebook posts
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

12. Use it or get run over by itUse it or get run over by it
◘ Too many people now get their information here.
◘ Speed and accuracy on sites like Ushahidi is
impossible by government agencies or first
responders using current systems.
◘ Your employees may be already volunteering their
expertise, but reluctant to let you know.
◘ How to streamline review & approval process for
communications? How to take social media into
account in the EOC?account in the EOC?
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

13. Consider these toolsConsider these tools
◘ By using them routinely to provide information, it
becomes easier to use them in a crisis.
◘ Setting up accounts will require permission from
Legal as well as a social media policy to guide your
d lcompany and its employees
◘ Tools allow you to respond quickly to other types of
t ti l i k th t i l d t h threputational risk that is already present whether
you use the tools or not.
◘ Next a small demo on deploying such tools Emily?◘ Next, a small demo on deploying such tools…Emily?
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

14. Wiki SitesWiki Sites
◘ Content Distribution,
Collaboration and
Organization
◘ What Kinds?
 MediaWiki (free,
large, server based)
 Google sites (free Google sites (free,
simple, cloud‐based)
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

15. Wiki SitesWiki Sites
◘ Do not have to have
developer knowledge
◘ Can have very basic or
very detailed
◘ MediaWiki Requirements
 Web Server
 PHP
 Database Server
 All are open source All are open source
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

16. Twitter Twitter
◘ Free and quick to create profile
◘ Search for relevant profiles to follow and gather
information
◘ Can create public/private lists (following specific
profiles)
◘ Can restrict who can following you (public/private)
◘ Already being used – harness the potential
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

17. FacebookFacebook
◘ Pages can be created (useful as a public face for an
organization or cause) and administered as
public/private/restricted/open.
◘ Groups can be made (hidden from public
/ d f l d/view/restricted to specific people invited/open to
the public).
E t b h d l d/ i d◘ Events can be scheduled/organized.
◘ Important information can be shared (messages,
posting on wall) and gatheredposting on wall) and gathered.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

18. Other Social ToolsOther Social Tools
◘ Email list‐servs can be generated and administered
through GNU Mailman.
◘ Google Groups, Sites, and Documents (group
collaboration).
◘ Blogs can be set‐up via Wordpress or Blogger.
◘ Skype or Google Talk services for conference calls.
◘ Doodle for scheduling/availability.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

19. Take Away ItemsTake Away Items
◘ Figure out how your company fits in this new world.
◘ Work out acceptable social media protocols with
with Legal & HR. Engage your digital natives!
◘ Position crisis communications as key stakeholder
of the tool, especially in its alignment with brand
responsiveness.
◘ Baby steps: participate in collaborative efforts that
utilize social media tools – an example would be the
Coalition for Organizational Resilience via its wikiCoalition for Organizational Resilience via its wiki.
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

20. Useful referencesUseful references
◘ www.crisiscommons.org Crisis Commons
◘ http://idisaster.wordpress.com/about/ iDisaster
2.0
◘ http://m.fema.gov FEMA Mobile multipurpose sitep g p p
◘ http://inws.wrh.noaa.gov/ National Weather Servc.p // g /
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

21. Questions?
◘ annie@anniesearle.com is the best way to contact me
◘ Learn more about the ASA Institute for Risk and Innovation at
www.anniesearle.com
◘ Sign up for our monthly newsletter at info@anniesearle.com
©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC