Bad things happen; however, many organizations have not prepared a crisis communications plan. How hard is it to prepare a custom crisis communications plan? What goes into a crisis communications plan? What is the difference between a crisis communications plan and an emergency action plan? What do you need to be ready for? Answering these questions is easier now than during a crisis. This presentation outlines key things you should do to prepare for all types of potential crises and provides a simple action plan towards completing a preliminary crisis communications plan.

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2. Crisis Communications
Planning
Barbara Pierce, APR
Tipping Point Public Relations
November 8, 2012

3. What is a “crisis”?
Critical event or point of decision which, if not handled
in an appropriate and timely manner (or if not handled
at all), may turn into a disaster or catastrophe.
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4. Types of Crises
• What does a “crisis” look like to your organization?
– Product issue – Facilities issue
– Service issue – Natural disaster
– Financial issue – Mistake
– HR issue – Accident
• Discrimination – Injury or death
• Harassment – Protest
– Employee misconduct – Coordinated external
– Executive misconduct campaign (e.g., online)
– Board misconduct
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5. What happens to people in crisis?
A flood of epinephrine, norepinephrine and other
hormones cause changes in the body:
• heart rate and blood pressure increase
• pupils dilate
• veins in skin constrict
• blood-glucose level increases
• muscles tense up, energized by adrenaline and glucose
• smooth muscle relaxes so more oxygen gets to the lungs
• nonessential systems (digestion, immune system) shut down
• trouble focusing on small tasks (brain is directed to focus only
on big picture to determine where threat is coming from)
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6. The “Fight or Flight” Response
“When our fight or flight system is activated, we tend to
perceive everything in our environment as a possible
threat to our survival…We may overreact to the
slightest comment. Our fear is exaggerated.
Our thinking is distorted... Fear becomes the lens
through which we see the world.”
- Neil M. Neimark, M.D., The Body/Soul Connection
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7. “Fight or Flight” in a business crisis`
• Overreaction
• Defensiveness
• Aggression
• Paranoia
• Anger
• Tunnel vision
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8. Crisis Communications Plans
• Planning for potential issues when we’re in a
thoughtful and coherent frame of mind
• First-aid kit
• Fire escape plan
• Hurricane plan
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9. When Opportunity Knocks…
Wei Chi
crisis = danger + opportunity
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10. Crisis Communications Plans
• Are not disaster response plans
– Do the right thing
– Utilize (or define) established operational and
emergency response protocols
• Are never final
– Continually adjust to meet current realities
– Set schedule for regular reviews and updates
– Quarterly or biannually
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11. Crisis Communications Objectives
• Minimize the impact of a crisis on operations and
target audiences
• Minimize the amount of time spent focused on the
crisis
– Internally
– By our constituents
• Regain control of the situation and the conversation as
quickly as possible
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12. Crisis Communications Approach
• Anticipate
– Identify potential threats
– Monitor areas of risk
• Prepare
– Define key information in advance
• Respond
– React quickly and efficiently
– Utilize standard processes and procedures
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13. Identify potential threats, monitor areas of risk
ANTICIPATE
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14. Threats Analysis
• Brainstorm areas of threat:
– What is likely to happen?
• Typical/expected issues within your organization
• A negative outcome of your day-to-day operations
• Issues you, your counterparts, or your competition
have experienced in the past 10 years
– What is the worst thing that could happen?
• Areas of big risk
• Show-stoppers
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15. Monitor Areas of Risk
• Incorporate discussions of threats and brewing
situations during regular internal meetings
– Add as standing topic on management meeting
agendas
• Listen!
– Traditional media
– Google Alerts, RSS feeds
– Social media: Facebook, Twitter
– The employee and customer grapevine
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16. Manage Issues (before they’re crises)
• Minimize threats
– Proactively pursue solutions to potential issues
– Make changes to preempt potential problems
• Address problems quickly and directly
– When issues arise, address them directly and
immediately
– Follow organizational policies and procedures to the letter
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17. Define key information in advance
PREPARE
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18. Emergency Protocols
• Establish, document and communicate emergency
protocols
– Ensure internal teams know and practice processes and
procedures in the event of emergencies
– Document protocols to ensure clarity and help educate
teams on proper processes
• Documented protocols, signed by staff and volunteers,
support communications efforts later
• Ensure Crisis Communications Protocols dovetail with
Emergency Protocols
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19. The Crisis Communications Team
• Whom do you need on your team to manage
communications around the potential threats?
• Define their roles (not their titles!)
• Define their responsibilities on the crisis
communications team
• How will you reach them?
– Relevant contact information
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20. The Crisis Communications Team
• Spokesperson • Operations Lead
• Media Relations Lead • Board Liaison
• Social Media Lead • Employee Liaison
• Communications • Funder Liaison
Counsel • Volunteer Liaison
• Legal Counsel • Liaison to National
• Front Line Lead & Team Organization/Parent
Members • Others
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21. Crisis Communications Command Centers
• Team Command Center
– Where does the Crisis Communications Team meet?
– What resources will your team need to effectively
coordinate in a crisis?
– What’s your back-up plan?
• Media Command/Update Center
– How will you update the media?
– What resources will they need?
– How do you protect the team and employees while
regularly sharing key information?
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22. Communications Policies & Procedures
• Media Relations and Social Media Policies &
Procedures, e.g.,
– No informal conversations or communications about the
crisis via email, text, or other written form
– All communications reviewed by legal
– Only designated spokesperson(s)
– No “off the record”
– Define procedures for press conference updates
– Establish procedures for Social Media Lead to feed
information into team about online conversation
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23. Communications Policies & Procedures
• Inbound Inquiry Protocol, e.g.,
– No Crisis Team member should answer inbound calls
from unknown numbers (or known media numbers) – let
calls go to voicemail and check voicemail often
– Communicate standard reception messages
– No Crisis Team member or employee should comment to
anyone about the situation – refer all inbound inquiries to
Front Line or Communications Lead
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24. Communications Policies & Procedures
• Other important Policies and Procedures for
communications to:
– Funders
– Employees
– Families or Other “Affected Audiences”
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25. Communications Resources: Lists
Updated lists, contact information, and details:
• Management Phone Trees
• Media Lists
• Employee Distribution Lists
• Communications Consultant Contact Information
• Legal Consultant Contact Information
• Monitoring Services
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26. Communications Resources: Templates
• Media Statement Template
• News Release Template
• Fact Sheets
– For likely issues
• Fact Sheet Template
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27. Communications Resources: Your Brand
• Reminders of what you stand for
– Prepare yourself to recognize opportunities in the mess
• Standard Organizational Key Messages
• Organizational Fact Sheet
• Key Issues
• Boilerplate
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28. Prepare the Team
• Alert team members that they’re on the team!
• Brief the Team
– Review Crisis Communications Plan
– Discuss their individual roles & responsibilities and how
they engage with their teammates
– Conduct regular review briefings – bi-annual at least,
during which you review updated plan
• Media Train Spokespeople
– Conduct regular refresher trainings
– Remind them of the core brand/key messages
• Drills
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29. Get Ready to Get Ready to Respond
• Develop checklists and worksheets
– Identify the key questions you’ll need answers to –
before you’re in crisis mode
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30. React quickly & efficiently, utilize standard processes & procedures
RESPOND
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31. Scope Assessment
• Develop list of questions that will help quantify a crisis
situation when it happens
– How many people are involved/aware?
– Is media already covering the situation?
– What is the financial impact?
• Establish quantitative thresholds that distinguishes
between “issues to watch” and “full-blown crises”
– How many online impressions warrant a response vs. quietly
monitoring?
– Remember: sometimes an aggressive response on your part
can make a minor issue a larger crisis!
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32. Crisis Checklist and Worksheet
• Develop a literal checklist for the Crisis Communications
Lead for any situation
– What steps should you take in the moment?
– Develop your to-do list when you are able to thoughtfully
consider and outline important steps
• Develop Fact-Gathering Worksheet
– List of facts you will need to confirm to assess the situation
– Simple but comprehensive, this list can span dozens of
questions
• Start with who, what, when, where, how
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33. Logs
• Track your communications
– Who’s made inquiries
– What was said
– By whom
– When
– How
– To whom
• Be deliberate in your communications
– Don’t allow the way you communicate to worsen the crisis!
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34. Crisis Communications Plans
Wei Chi
crisis = danger + opportunity
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35. Barbara Pierce, APR
Tipping Point Public Relations
277 Alexander Street, Suite 100
Rochester, NY 14607
(585) 340-1119
barbara@tippingpointmedia.com
www.tippingpointpr.com
Follow us on Twitter: @TippingPointPR