Crisis PR PR crises are best handled by being first in informing, second in reacting, and last in sp

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Crisis PR PR crises are best handled by
being first in informing, second in reacting, and
last in speculating. Bagin Fulginiti on p. 237
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What is a Crisis?

• The Institute for Crisis Management defines a
  crisis as "a significant business disruption
  which stimulates extensive news media coverage.
  The resulting public scrutiny will affect the
  organization's normal operations and also could
  have a political, legal, financial and
  governmental impact on its business."

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Plan

• The time to get ready for a crisis is before it
  happens. You need a plan.

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Stop the Bleeding

• Manage the crisis
• Restore reputation

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Crisis Management

• Organizations sometimes face challenges
• Disasters
• Emergencies
• Catastrophes
• Any event that threaten image, reputation, or
  even an organizations survival.
• PR people are among the first personnel called in
  a crisis.

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Solve the Problem

• Solve the problem
• Restore image or reputation
• Oil Spill clean it up.
• Critical Audiences media relations, community
  relations, employee relations, and government
  relations.

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Experts

• Media relations need to be done by PR
  professionals.
• Need clear thinking.
• Compassionate attitude.
• Legal issues.

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Three Crisis Rules 3 Ds

• Distance
• Distraction
• Deflection

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Distance

• Put distance between your organization and
  offending parties, issues, or policies.
• Offending party is an exception, not the rule.
• e.g. Rowan homecoming attack isolated and
  unusual incident.

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Distraction

• Dont let media or adversaries dwell on your
  problem.
• Point to successes in other instances.
• Cleanse the situation.
• e.g. Were not just the campus attack. Were
  also a top university.

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Deflection

• Dont let the media or adversary attribute more
  to your organization than it is actually
  responsible for.
• e.g. Tylenol scare not the plant workers.

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Crisis PR Plan

• Write it.
• Communicate it to all employees.
• Rehearse it.

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LSU Crisis Plan

• http//www.lsu.edu/pa/crisis.html

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Internal Decisions

• Lists of important personnel.
• Centralize info gathering and dissemination.
• Emergency Equipment.
• Single Spokesperson.

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Information Dissemination

• Clear Centralize communication channels
  (website, emails, etc).
• Specify employee information channels.
• Practice 3 Ds.

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Media Relations

• Update media lists.
• Prepare media kits.
• Get ready for national coverage.

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Research

• Identifies causes of problems, key audiences,
  appropriate messages, efficient channels and
  measurement techniques.

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Credibility

• Credibility determines communication outcome
  during a crisis.
• Personal and organizational credibility is
  essential to a win-win crisis management
  mentality.

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Tylenol Scare of 1982

• Professor Patrick Murphy
• Marketing Professor at Notre Dame
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid-412641269
  6811708805qtylenolcrisis1982total1start0n
  um10so0typesearchplindex0

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Tylenol Scare

• Johnson Johnson (Tylenol) 1982.
• Cyanide killed 7 people near Chicago.
• Pulled product from shelf.
• Provided info to mass media.
• Surveyed public opinion.
• Rebuilt brands reputation.
• based on sound, socially responsible business
  principles, which is when public relations is
  most effective.

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Six Flags Haunted Castle
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May 11, 1984

• 6 teens killed in fire at Haunted Castle.
• Parent Co. in Chicago would not acknowledge
  negative impact.
• Crisis Plan wasnt complete.
• No plan lots of mistakes.
• Park opened next day as normal.
• No sign or message of condolence.
• Parks attendance plummeted.

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Dirty DozenPR defects to avoid in a crisis.
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Crisis for Your Clients

• Brainstorm about crises your client could face
  and how you would handle it.

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EmployeesWell informed and well disposed
employees are the best front line PR offense for
an organization. Bagin Fulginiti on p. 93
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Employees

• One of your most important audiences.
• Employees can undo or enhance the companys
  identity and image.

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Its Your Reputation Theyre Building

• Janitor school example.
• Comments at a beauty parlor.

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Ways to Communicate with Employees

• Newsletters
• Wrap-ups of important meetings
• Bulletin Boards
• Comm Tips

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