Cours 10-11 Flashcards
What do you know about the spokespersons?
o Spokespersons are on the front line of crisis communication
o The spokesperson is doing the job in a time of high stress - the organization is in crisis and the media want answers immediately
o They can rapidly go from hero to zero
SPOKESPERSON: AN ESSENTIAL ROLE DURING A CRISIS
Voir le tableau à la page 63 des notes de cours
Why do organizations need to be ready to respond quickly to crises?
Because news spreads easily and swiftly these days.
What role do cell phones and social media play in spreading news?
Everyone is a potential reporter, and whatever happens in a public space can be broadcast instantaneously, often before the organization is even aware of it.
How have social media changed the dynamics of communication during a crisis?
They make it even more critical for organizations to handle crises effectively, as information spreads very quickly and widely.
What challenges do social media pose to organizations during a crisis?
Social media allows for the immediate dissemination of events, forcing organizations to react faster and more effectively.
What are the implications of social media for crisis management in companies?
Social media requires companies to prepare better and respond proactively, as it fundamentally changes how crises are perceived and communicated to the public.
WHY ARE MEDIA RELATIONS SO IMPORTANT?
o Because you have to be quick
Very important to respond rapidly, although speed increases risks
If the crisis team does not supply the initial crisis information to the media, some other groups will, and they may be ill informed, misinformed or motivated to harm the organization
Silence is a very passive response and reflects uncertainty and passivity
A quick response does have reputational protection benefits
o Because you have to be consistent
The key is preparation of all spokespersons, including the sharing of all relevant information and the coordination of the questions and spokespersons
Each organization should have a pool of spokespersons, all selected and trained in advance of a crisis
o Because you have to be open
Stakeholders are angrier when an organization lies about a crisis than when an organization simply has a crisis
The spokesperson’s answers must be clear and concise. Clear means the answer is free of organizational jargon and overly technical terms and details
Technobabble makes people think the organization is using jargon to avoid telling the truth
No corporate response video should go out if it does not appear genuine and sincere
What are the basic principles of do’s and don’t ?
Do’s
Show you care
Embody your organization’s identity
Tell the truth
Acknowledge criticism and outrage
Practice active listening
Use third-party endorsement
Follow-up consistently
Keep it short & simple
Express that your company is taking operations in hand
Don’t
Don’t use jargon
Don’t use humor
Try not to repeat negative questions or facts
Don’t give personal opinions
Don’t use one-fits-all answers
Don’t speculate
Don’t overreassure
Don’t make false promises
L
How do media typically react to the initial crisis response?
They are less critical towards the initial crisis response.
What should you know before giving an interview during a crisis?
You should know details about the interview you will give.
Why is it important to avoid assuming anything is “off the record”?
Because there is no “off the record,” and you need to beware of open microphones.
What should you do to prepare for an interview during a crisis?
Anticipate the questions that will be asked.
What should you avoid doing during a media interview in a crisis situation?
Avoid raising the issue yourself.
What do people expect from the first response during a crisis, and how do their expectations change over time?
The first response doesn’t need to provide a large view of what is going on, but as the crisis lasts longer, people expect to receive more detailed information.
Don’t accept all interviews. focus on the one’s you will have the most impact.
Détermine you strategy, what are the 3, close to open?
Hide
• Hope it will not come out/escalate
• Avoid to come on the radar
Reactive
• Be ready to respond
• Determine strategy based on media & public opinion pressure
Proactive
• Proactive contacts with stakeholders
• Stealing thunder
Determine your strategy, positioning (level of (perceived) responsibility)
Page 68 des notes de cours
Tools ?
o Guidelines receptionists
o Guidelines staff
o Media & social media monitoring
o Contact details database
o Press list
o Crisis room equipment
Who to choose as a spokesperson?
It all depends on the crisis…
o Depending on the situation, a company can decide to appoint the following persons as spokesperson
• Press relations manager / permanent spokesperson
• Expert (technical / legal / financial /…)
• CEO
• Local manager
o It is the crisis management team’s responsibility to assign the appropriate spokesperson, taking into
account
• The track record of the company
• The level of responsibility the public opinion will assign to your organisation
• The emotional level of the situation
o Different spokespersons might be appointed according to the type of media
• Written / press agencies
• Radio
• TV
• Social media
How to give a good media interview?
Set your objective!
Are you giving an interview
o To raise an issue / « steal thunder » (proactive) ?
o To make your voice heard (reactive) ?
o To restore your reputation (defensive) ?
=> Your objective will define your media strategy, your messaging and your tone of voice
Préparation key for a good media interview
Preparation is key
o Who do you want to reach ?
o Through which channel ?
Which media ?
What is the set up ?
Which journalist ? What is his / her state of mind ?
What is he / she looking for ?
o What has already been said about the topic ?
MESSAGE MAP: YOUR STORY SUMMED UP ON ONE PAGE
o Helps to prioritize key ideas, to develop the core concepts behind a specific topic
o Drives alignment by ensuring the same core messages are consistently repeated, regardless of the tactics
Serves as foundation, blueprint for all communications on a certain topic in a certain domain
Talking points (for speeches, interviews…)
Marketing material
Website copy
Press releases
PowerPoint presentations
FAQs
What do journalists want?
Réponse page 74 des notes
It is crucial to build a story with the right news value ingredients
How can I give news value to what I am saing.
HOW TO ANSWER DIFFICULT QUESTIONS?
Build a bridge towards your key messages
Is no verbal communication important?
Yes
SOME KEY ELEMENTS TO REMEMBER
Good mindset
o Every question is an opportunity to give your messages
o Go for a message driven interview (rather than a question driven one)
Be prepared
o Environment
o Messages
Keep control
o Bridging
o Convincing body language
Is the work over after the crisis?
Non
From the response phase to the recovery phase
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1- holding statement …
THE ONLY THING HARDER THAN PLANNING FOR AN EMERGENCY IS EXPLAINING WHY YOU DIDN’T…
WHY IS CRISIS EVALUATION IMPORTANT?
o A crisis is a tremendous opportunity for learning: direct experience with a crisis, although painful, teaches more than even the best scenario ever could
o Evaluation is the key to improvement. One way to improve the crisis management process is by learning what the organization did right or wrong during a crisis
o The purposes of a good crisis evaluation are learning and improving crisis performance, not assigning blame
o Even organizations whose leadership believes that they are very transparent are usually surprised to learn about some of the flaws uncovered by a crisis audit
HOW TO ASSESS CRISIS EFFECTS?
• Data collection is the first step in any evaluation process. Evaluation data comes from crisis records (notifications, crisis-related messages, decisions and actions taken by the CMT), stakeholder feedback (both employees and external stakeholders), organizational performance measures, Internet comments, and media coverage
• Possible questions:
o Was important information not processed?
o Were stakeholder queries ignored?
o Were inappropriate messages sent to stakeholders?
• The CMT may choose to hire an independent consulting firm to collect the crisis
performance data
HOW TO ASSESS CRISIS EFFECTS?
Three related elements are relevant to assessing crisis effects on reputation:
- Pre- and post-crisis reputation scores
- Media and Internet coverage of the crisis
- Stakeholder feedback
MEDIA AND INTERNET COVERAGE OF THE CRISIS
• Media frames refer to the success of placing the organization’s side of the story in the media. Media frame success is measured in two ways:
- A comparison of the amount of organizational frame material versus counter-frame materials in the media coverage (who was quoted more by the media: the organization or its critics?)
*The accuracy of the crisis-related information appearing in the media
• The duration of the crisis’s media coverage is also an important evaluative point. Effective crisis management tries to move a crisis out of the media. Once stakeholders have the facts, particularly the cause of the crisis, audience curiosity and interest fades
• Crisis managers should try to reduce, not increase, the newsworthiness of a crisis. A CMT has erred when its actions prolong the media coverage of the crisis
STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK?
• Evaluators can determine which actions were effective or ineffective for specific stakeholder groups
• For example, investors might be happy with the crisis-related information given and how they received it, while the community may be disappointed with how they receive their information
MOST COMMON MISTAKES?
MISTAKE #1: Blindly follow past successes in crisis communication – a crisis is never exacly the same as an other crisis, and the society context is maybe not the same if some years has past. You always have to adapt
MISTAKE #2: Play ostrich. Put your head in the sand and do nothing – even if you don’t know what is happening, you have to say something, saying nothing is no.
MISTAKE #3: Only start working on a crisis once it’s there, without any advance preparation
MISTAKE #4: Treating the media like an enemy
MISTAKE #5: Using technical jargon instead of straightforward and honest answers
MISTAKE #6: Keep the CEO out of view
MISTAKE #7: Use the wrong communication platform
MISTAKE #8: Waiting too long to remedy the crisis situation
IN A NUTSHELL
• Post-crisis management is where it all begins…
o Pursue monitoring
o Analyse expectations and perceptions
o Analyse reputational damage
o Set up an action plan to rebuild reputation, internally & externally
IN A NUTSHELL - Support your team
o Organize feedback sessions
o Organize work load and task forces
o Listen & offer psychological support
IN A NUTSHELL - Adjust your crisis communication toolkit
o Evaluate the efforts of the CMT
o Optimise your crisis preparedness based on learnings
