Presentation for the Control Room Communications Conference on December 12, 2012 in Copenhagen

1. THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR
CRISIS COMMUNICATION
Marc van Daele | Control Room Communications Conference | 2012-12-11 | Copenhagen

2. Marc van Daele
Communication Manager, City of Zwijndrecht (Belgium)
Vice-President Kortom, Association for Public Communication
@marcvandaele

3. 870 communication professionals
Federal, regional and local authorities
KORTOM
Association for Public Communication
@kortomvzw

4. • 60 000 visitors
• 5 people died
• 140 needed medical care
• Massive use of social media for different purposes
• None by the authorities or the organisers
• Many reports and analyses days and weeks after the
disaster

5. Kortom to establish guidelines
• Use of social media in crisis communication
• Target groups
– Communication officers in emergency
management
– Emergency services
• Goal: Guideline document

6. Lots of joint effort and a bit of web2.0
• Problem: no experts in use of social media in
crisis communication
• Solution:
– 43 communication experts from both public and
private organisations
– 4 working groups
– One wiki
• Deliverable: Guideline document in Dutch,
French and English

7. Wiki to gather and complete
information

8. Emergency management in Belgium
Federal government determines 5 disciplines
1. Fire service
2. Medical assistance
3. Police
4. Logistical aid
5. Information for citizens
Managed by mayor, governor or minister of home
affairs

9. Crisis room
4. Logistics
3. Police
Policy
2. Medical 5. Communication
1. Fire service Company / org.
Liaison

10. Crisis communication
From 1.0 to 2.0
• Alarm • Eye witnesses publish facts
• Meeting on facebook
• Collecting facts and • Eye witnesses share video
information footage on Youtube
• Planning communication • Online news sites start
actions (almost) live reporting
• Writing a press release • Online news sites put up a
• Validation of the press twitter window
release • Press monitors social
• Sending press release media for news gathering
• Use of other channels • There is no such thing as
validated information

11. Using social media in crisis communication?
Which social media?
Don’t focus on the media.
Focus on “social”.

12. Accounts to use
Account managed by the authorities
2 solutions for emergency communication
1. Existing official account
2. Specific emergency account
– Official account has high credibility
– Authorities should promote the account
– Build a network of friends and followers
– Identify users with influence and opinion leaders

13. Accounts to use
Account managed by the authorities
Account managed by emergency services
– Fire services and police -> high credibility
– Proces information during short crises
– Multi-disciplinary -> authority accounts take over

14. Accounts to use
Account managed by the authorities
Account managed by emergency services
Personal accounts of staff
– Often interesting network
– Can help to spread messages

15. Organisation of communication

16. Before the crisis
• Profiles and accounts ready and widely published.
• Select which social media are most suited.
• Think about #tags.
• Inventory of social networks with staff.
• Communication with organisers
• Dark site
• Practice

17. During the crisis
ORGANISATION
• Communicate the same message everywhere.
• One person to monitor social media.
• Validation based upon trust rather than signatures.
• Direct access to Belga (Belgian press agency)
• Access to the “marquee” on national media
• Organise and manage with focus on target groups
and co-operation with organisers/companies

18. During the crisis
ATTITUDE
• Stealing thunder
• Process information as a solution for information gap
• Standard messages
• Repetition
• Answer questions

19. After the crisis
• Salvage
• Recovery
• Business continuity
• End of emergency measures
• Victim care
• Reception facilities
• Grieving register

20. After the crisis
EVEN LATER
• Insurance & compensation
• Results of investigative committees
• Lessons identified and lessons learned

21. Deployment of people
• Communication manager
• Politics (mayor, governor, minister)
• Dir Info (@ operational command post)
• Spokespeople from disciplines
• Company / organisation

22. Communication resources
• Social media like twitter and facebook
• Website
• SMS
• e-newsletter
• RSS
• Location based services

23. Monitoring
PURPOSE
• Collecting information
– 5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why)
– Observe how an emergency is developing
– Gain insight in the entire scope
– Gain insight in parties involved
• Actions
– Managing the crisis (assistance, maintaining order,
providing information)
– Communication in the broadest sense (a.o. PR actions
to communities

24. Monitoring
BEFORE THE EMERGENCY
• Set-up a monitoring team
• Make a hashtag strategy
• Inform social networks of upcoming event to
prevent blocking (spam)
• Investigate what social networks are used by
target groups
• Test and practice

25. Monitoring
DURING THE EMERGENCY
• During an event, before a crisis, monitor to
see where target groups are communicating.
• Observe, analyse and provide information to
the crisis team
• The monitoring team does NOT publish
messages on social media.

26. Monitoring
AFTER THE EMERGENCY
Analysis of social media use:
• Networks used by target groups
• Topics and messages published
• Behaviour
• Hashtags

27. Dark site: integration of communication
channels
• Communication hub
• RSS feed
• Redundant capacity
(high number of hits)
• Blogging platform
(Wordpress or
Posterous)

28. Dark site: integration of communication
channels
ADVANTAGES OF A BLOG
• Easy setup
• Integration in existing
website
• Can be kept offline until
there is a crisis
• Scenario planning, prepare
reactive statements, etc
• Management by non-IT
person
• Easy integration in social
media
• Redundant capacity

29. Summary
ACCOUNTS
• Create accounts, promote and use them.
• Analyse influencers and monitor.
• Make agreements with accountmanagers from
other disciplines and with staff members.
• If D5 does not manage official accounts, make
agreements.
• Communicate with all staff members about the
social media plans in emergencies.

30. Summary
ACCOUNTS
ORGANISATION & RESOURCES
• Make agreements with mayor/governor
concerning workflow.
• Compile a D5-team and determine the roles and
resources required.
• Consider creating an e-newsletter.
• Make a hashtag strategy.
• Practice crisis communication, including social
media.

31. Recommendations to organisers
• Make a media independent crisis communication plan.
• Ensure a minimal presence on social media
• Collect e-mail addresses for crisis e-newsletter.
• Print URL, emergency number and #tag on wristbands.
• Communicatie the official account, #tag and URL for
the event.
• Provide Wi-Fi and make arrangements with telecom
operators for better mobile phone coverage.
• Multiple day events: provide lockers to recharge
mobile phones.

32. Recommendations to individuals
• Follow accounts from official bodies for correct
information.
• Ensure that everyone can notify their home. Save the
network by not sending large files.
• When retweeting, remove the official #tag. Don’t
overload the flow of information.
• Check whether there is already a # / safehouse before
creating one.
• Use the official #tag.
• Indicate whether you are OK on your own facebook
status.

33. www.kortom.be
@kortomvzw
@marcvandaele
Download the guidelines in Dutch, French and English on
www.kortom.be/SMEM