I stand with preparation and scenario planning. It is cynical and just plain wrong to suggest that well-considered communications is only for “covering yourself when circumstances go awry. Our PANTCHEK principles are based on being prepared for the right thing to do. You don’t show care and concern for the public – no matter what kind of an organization you have – for the sake of profits. You keep in mind these principles as a bulwark to your own humanity, and your rewards flow naturally.

Though lesser than the Astroworld tragedy and life and death issues, organizations often have much at stake in surviving their crises. And, prior thoughtfulness is key:

Most crises involve smaller entities with limited, innate visibility, i.e., healthcare facilities, schools, law firms, food producers, construction companies, senior care facilities, industry associations, tourist attractions and wineries, to name a few. 

Crisis planning and best practices in communications for these small, mid-size, and even big businesses are critically important. People who successfully manage these businesses prepare for the predictable: rogue acts by bad actors, accidents, food safety mishaps, worksite injuries, etc. But a good crisis plan is not a template product marketed to the masses. An effective crisis program prepares an organization for likely scenarios, available resources and “eye-on-the ball” priorities. An evolved, current crisis plan includes real-time social analytics, content promotion, and metrics that are custom developed for an organization’s nuanced approach and shareholder needs. That includes public welfare. There is nothing “template” about effective crisis planning.

During a crisis, the CEO and executive team depend on the preparation, forethought, insights and analyses of their key team members across disciplines: technical specialists, quality control, sales, operations, regulatory affairs, and communications. The CEO’s priority is to ensure the crisis is managed effectively, humanely and resolved with as little damage to the company’s reputation as possible. Much of that happens behind the scenes. During the intensity of a crisis, the company’s core team must be in action mode, focused on handling their individual roles confidently and efficiently. A solid crisis preparedness program allows companies to plan for the worst when they are not in the headlines.

After more than 30 years of helping consumer food and beverage brands, construction and real estate firms, nonprofits, associations, schools, communities and care facilities, I can tell you that organizations must plan for predictable scenarios given the nature of their specific businesses. That preparation will most certainly help them, too, in the event of unpredictable occurrences.

When entities find themselves in trouble, the challenges of social media notwithstanding, it is still important to demonstrate humanity, express words of genuine concern and practice sound public relations principles. Most crises are not handled best as conflicts by political types used to dealing in adversarial posture. Even on the larger stage of world conflict, diplomacy is the first art of practice to which the world turns. Organizations might not be best served by selecting a wartime-style advisor to weather a crisis. Experience proves time and again that turning down the heat works best with calm rhetoric and reasoned, good faith decision-making. It is counter-productive for a brand that has invested years of building equity as a “good (corporate) citizen” with strong values to suddenly show hostility, denial, defensiveness and self-righteousness to its publics. Yes, a brand needs to tell its side of the story, but we all know there is more than one way to articulate a point of view. Self-serving verbiage should not be one of them.

There are different solutions to different crises or challenges. It’s true that “crises aren’t orderly affairs in which everyone speaks when it’s their turn and plays by pre-set rules.” Crisis mode is often chaotic and frustrating. And, as is stated in the story linked above, it is important to identify the adversaries and the allies, but marshal your friends in advance of these occasions.

That process is called planning. In crisis planning, we do not attempt to control but to provide a measure of vaccination against shock and awe and to deter appearances of defensiveness, all of which only compound the damage.

The public wants to know who they can trust. In matters of crucial human health issues and public safety, people should be confident the issue is fully resolved with the highest degree of care and concern for their communities and families. During a period of extreme volatility and anxiety, it may not be natural for leaders under siege to realize this responsibility. Long term recovery requires a company to do the critical work of evaluating its processes during a period of relative calm and rational thinking.

As a longtime crisis counselor, I proudly uphold the merits of crisis planning for any organization or leader that values integrity and a hard-earned, trusted reputation.

For more insights on Fineman PR’s approach to crisis management and crisis planning, visit: https://finemanpr.com/crisis-communications/

Getting your crisis communications plan into shape

It is never too late or too early to update your crisis communications plan.

And, it doesn’t have to mean that you need to overhaul the entire plan you may have in place. I recommend pinpointing areas of your plan for updates throughout the year. In my experience, most crisis communications plans can be improved with realistic scenario plans, robust measurement systems and training.

REALISTIC SCENARIO PLANS

Effective crisis communications plans are dynamic. The media landscape is ever-changing, technologies come and go, public attitudes shift, organizations adapt. A crisis communications plan should reflect the zeitgeist.

Are you ready for hot-button issues? Conduct a thorough and honest threat assessment. When you hear about the latest corporate scandal, ask yourself if your organization can find itself in that same situation. If the answer is yes, keep a close eye on the situation as it unfolds and integrate your learnings into a scenario plan.

Most organizations face challenges whether it be Covid communications with their workforce, sexual harassment and assault, online defamation, diversity and inclusion, or security breaches. These issues can arise in any organization. Do you know your company’s record on these issues? Are your policies current, and can they withstand the glare of the media spotlight?

How quickly can your team mobilize? Most organizations understand, in theory, that they need to respond quickly to crises. But in practice, convening a team, fact-gathering and decision-making can be agonizingly slow. While I advise against knee-jerk responses, I also caution against leaving a void that can be filled by voices other than your own. Have a good understanding of how quickly your team can make decisions and plan accordingly. Every minute counts in a crisis.

ROBUST MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Does your crisis communications team have a system in place to monitor news and social media in real-time? Monitoring news and social media is an active role. It’s not enough just to follow coverage. The monitoring team is responsible for flagging inaccuracies in coverage and ensuring corrections are made before misinformation spreads. The monitoring team should work together with the measurement team to analyze if the messaging strategy is working and determine if adjustments are necessary.

If you’re facing a deluge of media coverage and social media posts, an automated measurement system is important. But it’s even more crucial to have a team to interpret the data gathered.

Do you know what to measure? Tracking communications outputs such as volume of news articles, social shares and website hits is helpful. But, in order to truly gauge impact, a measurement program needs to go deeper and measure outtakes and outcomes.

You must quickly be able to answer basic questions such as how many news outlets are reporting on the issue, how many times your video has been viewed, how many people visited your microsite. Who was reached and how. Did your communications reach your target audiences? Which communications vehicles are effective? Which messages are resonating with your audiences? Did your response to the crisis satisfy your stakeholders? Did you retain or recover customers and partners?

Does your measurement system provide perspective? Having perspective helps set realistic expectations. The best-case scenario is for a crisis to be quickly addressed, then forgiven and forgotten by an organization’s audiences. But depending on an organization’s history and the severity of the situation, that may not be achievable in the short-term.

Some questions I ask to help clients gain perspective:

• How did other organizations weather similar situations? Use your measurement system to analyze crises outside of your organization. If you’re faced with a similar situation, you can set performance benchmarks for your crisis response.

• How much goodwill have you built among your audiences? Frequent offenses have a compounding effect, and it will be harder to bounce back after each subsequent crisis.

TRAINING

Crisis plans need to be updated, but so do the skills of the people in charge of executing the plan.

Are your spokespeople comfortable speaking with reporters? Speaking with media, especially during a crisis, can test anyone’s mettle. Media training teaches important skills such as staying on-message, steering conversations, avoiding missteps and effective interview techniques. Conduct mock interviews where your spokespeople practice handling tough questions. Study interviews to learn some Do’s and Don’ts.

Most importantly, study your team’s performance during the mock interviews. Do your spokespeople sound confident? Do they stay calm under pressure? Are they able to deliver messaging effectively?

Put your plan to the test. Don’t wait until a real crisis to test your crisis communications plan. Conduct a tabletop drill with your team to identify weaknesses in your plan. Are roles and responsibilities clearly delineated? Are your protocols efficient? Does your team know what information needs to be collected and shared in order to facilitate good decision-making?

Most importantly, a tabletop drill will test your team dynamics. Can your team work together effectively under duress? Can they stay organized and focused during intense situations? Are adjustments needed to your team structure so it’s more efficient and functional?

Crisis communications plans often languish in unopened folders on people’s hard drives. They’re onerous and intimidating. But facing a crisis with an outdated plan can be downright scary and costly.

The post Crisis PR: Can a strong CEO trump crisis planning? appeared first on Fineman PR.

Most crises involve smaller entities with more limited visibility, i.e., healthcare facilities, schools, law firms, food producers, construction companies, senior care facilities, industry associations, tourist attractions and wineries, to name a few. Though lesser than Boeing-sized crises in generating public interest, these organizations often have more at stake in surviving their crises.

Crisis planning and best practices in communications for these small, mid-size, and even most big businesses are critically important. People who successfully manage these businesses prepare for the predictable: rogue acts by bad actors, accidents, food safety mishaps, worksite injuries, etc. But a good crisis plan is not a template product marketed to the masses. An effective crisis program prepares an organization for likely scenarios with the resources and flows that work for each specific client, based on their business and unique priorities. An evolved, current crisis plan includes real-time social analytics, content promotion, and metrics that are custom developed for an organization’s nuanced approach and shareholder needs. There is nothing “template” about effective crisis planning.

During a crisis, the CEO and executive team depend on the preparation, forethought, insights and analyses of their key team members across disciplines: technical specialists, quality control, sales, operations, regulatory affairs, and communications. The CEO’s priority is to ensure the crisis is managed effectively and resolved with as little damage to the company’s reputation as possible. Much of that happens behind the scenes. During the intensity of a crisis, the company’s core team must be in action mode, focused on handling their individual roles confidently and efficiently. A solid crisis preparedness program allows companies to plan for the worst when they are not in the headlines.

After more than 30 years of helping consumer food and beverage brands, construction and real estate firms, nonprofits, associations, schools, communities and care facilities, I can tell you that organizations must plan for predictable scenarios given the nature of their specific businesses. That preparation will most certainly help them, too, in the event of unpredictable occurrences.

When entities find themselves in trouble, the challenges of social media notwithstanding, it is still important to demonstrate humanity, express words of genuine concern and practice sound public relations principles. Most crises are not handled best as conflicts by political types used to dealing in adversarial posture. Even on the larger stage of world conflict, diplomacy is the first art of practice to which the world turns. Organizations might not be best served by selecting a wartime-style advisor to weather a crisis. Experience proves time and again that turning down the heat works best with calm rhetoric and reasoned, good faith decision-making. It is counter-productive for a brand that has invested years of building equity as a “good (corporate) citizen” with strong values to suddenly show hostility, denial, defensiveness and self-righteousness to its publics. Yes, a brand needs to tell its side of the story, but we all know there is more than one way to articulate a point of view.

There are different solutions to different crises or challenges. It’s true that “crises aren’t orderly affairs in which everyone speaks when it’s their turn and plays by preset rules.” Crisis mode is often chaotic and frustrating. And, as is stated in the story linked above, it is important to identify the adversaries and the allies, but our clients marshal their friends in advance of these occasions.

That process is called planning. In crisis planning, we do not attempt to control but to provide a measure of vaccination against shock and awe and to deter appearances of defensiveness, all of which could only compound the damage.

The public wants to know who they can trust. In matters of crucial human health issues and public safety, people should be confident the issue is fully resolved with the highest degree of care and concern for their communities and families. During a period of extreme volatility and anxiety, it may not be natural for leaders under siege to realize this responsibility. Long term recovery requires a company to do the critical work of evaluating its processes during a period of relative calm and rational thinking.

As a longtime crisis counselor, I proudly uphold the merits of crisis planning for any organization or leader that values integrity and their hard-earned reputation.

For more insights on Fineman PR’s approach to crisis management and crisis planning, visit: https://finemanpr.com/crisis-communications/

The post Crisis PR: Can a Strong CEO Trump Crisis Planning? appeared first on Fineman PR.

The New Year brings typical resolutions to eat healthy, get in shape, refresh and reboot – on both the personal and professional fronts. In true form, this year I have embarked upon the Whole30 Challenge.

The gist of this program involves eliminating virtually every pleasurable culinary element from your daily life for 30 days straight – sugar (later Specialties cookies, ketchup and pretty much every condiment), alcohol (so long Margarita Monday and Wine Wednesday), legumes (bye bye burritos and peanut butter), grains and dairy (ack, no aged gouda!).

When I announced this to my team, they had a look of panic on their faces. You see, I had gone down this unpleasurable path last summer and my officemates, well, they (kind of) suffered. Granted, I was just a weee bit cranky; that and I wanted to chew off my own arm I was so hungry.

Today is day 24 of 30 and I have to say that this same group is doing a happy dance because (thankfully) I learned from my experience and I applied those learnings to everyone’s benefit. As I was thinking about this new effort it became clear that takeaways from my first Whole30 challenge very much apply to preparing for and communicating in a crisis:

PLANNING AND PREPARATION ARE KEY

Better to be ready for a crisis and in a proactive position where you feel prepared, confident and armed with the tools to be successful than in a fire drill where it makes it more difficult to make informed/thoughtful choices. What are your organization’s vulnerabilities? What issues are hot buttons in your industry/within your company? Identifying potential scenarios – and creating a plan for these scenarios – puts you in a better position with a greater chance for a successful outcome. So, pack your bag with approved messaging (and compliant snacks), and you’ll be ready to face nearly any challenge.

GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

Assemble the facts. Gather as much information as possible to inform your approach. What is known and what happened (or when will this happen if issue brewing)? Who is involved (or who will be affected)? Damages or severity of issue/crisis so far? Imminent risk for further exposure or backlash against your organization/the individual? Cause(s)? Or, in the case of Whole30, clearing your house of tempting foods and being clear on the do’s and don’ts of the program.

RIP OFF THE BAND-AID

It may be painful, but getting all bad news out at once is more apt to get it over with in one fell swoop and, in most cases, eliminates a prolonged news cycle. In the case of Whole30 if you tried to eliminate foods one at a time it would be more like the Whole150, and who wants that? My team would run for the hills!

HATERS WILL BE HATERS — ESPECIALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

There are true believers out there on any given subject who will never be satisfied no matter what you do or say. And they will be loud about it. Recognizing detractors for who they are, not trying to win a losing battle and moving on is often the best course.

STAY THE COURSE- BUT PLAN FOR CONTINGENCIES

Sticking with consistent messaging and approach will help avoid distractions and the temptation to get “into the weeds.” That doesn’t mean that if a situation seriously changes, and there are major new developments, that you cannot change the game plan. This happens often in crises. Preparing for multiple potential scenarios helps in addressing contingencies that arise – before they do. Another reason why I carry approved foods in my purse is that I never know when my son’s game will go into overtime, and that is most likely the time that the liquid cheese nachos from the snack bar start to look pretty darn good.

PROGRESS CAN REQUIRE PUSHING OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE

While tempting to hide or think a crisis or issue will go away, facing it head on often helps get ahead of the curve. It may not always be comfortable, but better to be ahead of the issue versus taking a reactive or defensive position. Getting to where I am today required leaving my comforting food/drink rituals (a.k.a. unhealthy habits) at the door.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

When the dust has settled, it’s time to take stock of what worked and what didn’t and to apply learnings and protocols to ensure the issue/crisis/situation will never happen again.  This is all part of the reputation recovery. I know I certainly used learnings from my last Whole30 go-around to ensure that my husband and I would be far more prepared and far less cranky. And, as of day 24, I can report we are feeling great with our eye toward the finish line.

Are you prepared for your next crisis? Take a look at the crisis check list to see how prepared you or your organization might be.

The post Crisis Communications Lessons from the Whole30 Challenge appeared first on Fineman PR.

The start of a New Year is typically a time of introspection. It’s time to look back at the past year’s challenges and achievements and then set resolutions and goals for the upcoming year. Hopefully, that includes an update of your crisis communications plan.

Instead of a system overhaul, I recommend pinpointing areas of your plan for updates throughout the year. In my experience, most crisis communications plans can be improved with more realistic scenario plans, robust measurement systems and training.

REALISTIC SCENARIO PLANS

Effective crisis communications plans are dynamic. The media landscape is ever-changing, technologies come and go, public attitudes shift, organizations adapt. A crisis communications plan should reflect the zeitgeist.

Are you ready for hot-button issues? Conduct a thorough and honest threat assessment. When you hear about the latest corporate scandal, ask yourself if your organization can find itself in that same situation. If the answer is yes, keep a close eye on the situation as it unfolds and integrate your learnings into a scenario plan.

In 2018, many organizations faced challenges related to sexual harassment and assault, diversity and inclusion and security breaches. These issues can arise in any organization. Do you know your organization’s record on these issues? Are your policies current, and can they withstand the glare of the media spotlight?

How quickly can your team mobilize? Most organizations understand, in theory, that they need to respond quickly to crises. But in practice, convening a team, fact-gathering and decision-making can be agonizingly slow. While I advise against knee-jerk responses, I also caution against leaving a void that can be filled by voices not your own. Have a good understanding of how quickly your team can make decisions and plan accordingly. Every minute counts in a crisis.

ROBUST MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Does your crisis communications team have a system in place to monitor news and social media in real-time? Monitoring news and social media is an active role. It’s not enough just to follow coverage. The monitoring team is responsible for flagging inaccuracies in coverage and ensuring corrections are made before misinformation spreads. The monitoring team should work together with the measurement team to analyze if the messaging strategy is working and determine if adjustments are necessary.

If you’re facing a deluge of media coverage and social media posts, an automated measurement system is important. But it’s even more crucial to have a team to interpret and dimensionalize the data gathered.

Do you know what to measure? Tracking communications outputs such as volume of news articles, social shares and website hits is helpful. But in order to truly gauge impact, a measurement program needs to go deeper and measure outtakes and outcomes.

Output measures what’s been produced. It answers basic questions such as how many news outlets are reporting on the issue, how many times your video has been viewed, how many people visited your microsite.

Outtake measures who was reached and how. It answers questions such as did your communications reach your target audiences? Which communications vehicles are effective? Which messages are resonating with your audiences?

Outcome measures change in behavior and perception. Did your response to the crisis satisfy your stakeholders? Did you retain or recover customers and partners?

Does your measurement system provide perspective? Having perspective helps set realistic expectations. The best-case scenario is for a crisis to be quickly addressed then forgiven and forgotten by an organization’s audiences. But depending on an organization’s history and the severity of the situation, that may not be achievable in the short-term.

Some questions I ask to help clients gain perspective:

• How did other organizations weather similar situations? Use your measurement system to analyze crises outside of your organization. If you’re faced with a similar situation, you can set performance benchmarks for your crisis response.

• How much goodwill have you built among your audiences? Frequent offenses have a compounding effect, and it will be harder to bounce back after each subsequent crisis.

TRAINING

Crisis plans need to be updated, but so do the skills of the people in charge of executing the plan.

Are your spokespeople comfortable speaking with reporters? Speaking with media, especially during a crisis, can test anyone’s mettle. Media training teaches important skills such as staying on-message, steering conversations, avoiding missteps and effective interview techniques. Conduct mock interviews where your spokespeople practice handling tough questions. Study interviews to learn some Do’s and Don’ts.

Most importantly, study your team’s performance during the mock interviews. Do your spokespeople sound confident? Do they stay calm under pressure? Are they able to deliver messaging effectively?

Put your plan to the test. Don’t wait until a real crisis to test your crisis communications plan. Conduct a tabletop drill with your team to identify weaknesses in your plan. Are roles and responsibilities clearly delineated? Are your protocols efficient? Does your team know what information needs to be collected and shared in order to facilitate good decision-making?

Most importantly, a tabletop drill will test your team dynamics. Can your team work together effectively under duress? Can they stay organized and focused during intense situations? Are adjustments needed to your team structure so it’s more efficient and functional?

Crisis communications plans often languish in unopened folders on people’s hard drives. They’re onerous and intimidating. But facing a crisis with an outdated plan can be downright scary and costly.

Michael Fineman is President of Fineman PR.

The post Getting Your Crisis Communications Plan into Shape appeared first on Fineman PR.

Not everyone is cut out to handle a crisis. The deluge of cynical media coverage, a rise of brand detractors and a surge of social media haters can overwhelm even seasoned PR pros.

Fortunately for your brand, that’s not you. Unfortunately, not everyone is like you, and that’s a problem with lasting implications, especially among team members unfamiliar with crisis communications.

Sensitive situations — e.g., injuries, fatalities, criminal investigations, litigation, product recalls, sexual misconduct, activist protests and corporate malfeasance — can trigger negative publicity. While PR pros tend to focus on turning the tide of media coverage, the lack of a cohesive multi-channel response can keep the story rising from the dead, long past the news cycle.

Internal communications usually intensify during and immediately after a crisis. Because employees and board members are often your most effective ambassadors, if you wait until a crisis strikes before developing and managing strategic internal communications programs, it’s too late. Once the crisis passes, consider revamping your internal communications processes to build trust among employees and board members and prepare the ship to weather the next storm.Internal communications, social media, reputation management, SEO, executive positioning and stakeholder engagement all play critical roles in crisis response and reputation recovery.

Social media mavens are generally wired to promote good news, but a bad review or menacing troll, let alone a crisis, can short circuit their reactions. Cookie-cutter responses and canned messaging don’t sit well with people who follow and react to crises on social media. So, just as with internal communications, if you haven’t built relationships with your social media communities, you’re already behind the curve. Work now to earn influencers’ favor. Use content lulls to lift the veil on transparency initiatives and tout advances and investment in safety, training and technology. Brand loyalists will take note and respond to trolls on your behalf — when they’re equipped with the tools to do so.

Google Search is the well-heeled stranger lurking in the shadow of every crisis.

Every PR pro knows a negative story, especially a salacious one, attracts far more clicks than puff and fluff. Lesser-known brands — even those with strong reputations — are not immune to damaging stories following a crisis. Without a robust reputation management program, negative stories will keep garnering clicks and persist. Don’t believe claims about “scrubbing” negative stories. High-credibility sources, such as major daily newspapers, will continue being favored by Google and other search engines. Rebuilding your online reputation will take time, but you can’t do it without a focused, proactive program that ties into all your external communications channels to drive relevant traffic to — and boost the search rankings of — favorable content.

In a high-profile crisis, the voice of the CEO and other organizational leaders lets audiences know the situation is receiving top-level attention. A head-in-the-sand approach cannot calm fears or address concerns. C-suite executives should reach out to priority audiences to get your story across. With proper executive positioning among industry associations, regulatory agencies and other critical groups, your voice will be not just heard, but well received. Remember, when the CEO speaks, put it in writing and make sure it is fully optimized for search engines; this content is evergreen and can improve your rankings.

Your credibility can come into question in a crisis. By reaching out to key external stakeholders, you can inject credible, third-party voices into a troublesome story. For example, academic experts are go-to media resources in a crisis. If such experts know your organization and leadership and are comfortable backing your position, it will go a long way toward balancing negative coverage and helping quiet the crisis. Consider reaching out to them in times of crises, or better yet, beforehand.

Brands must align in-house teams with external agency partners to ensure an integrated crisis response. If you have separate teams for PR, marketing, website, social media and/or SEO, and their responses to a crisis are siloed and uncoordinated, it could actually create more damage. Consider consolidating into a streamlined agency team. All channels need to work together in harmony — whether you’re in a crisis or not.

Here are some tips to ensure that all channels work together, unsiloed, in a crisis.

Preparedness is not merely effective. In the long run, it’s cheap. We have found that organizations that develop a realistic crisis response plan covering myriad scenarios and test it with drills are far better prepared than organizations without such a plan. While planning has an up-front cost, handling a crisis by the seat of your pants usually requires more time and money to repair reputational damage that could have been minimized with planning a rehearsed — and integrated — response.

Create an online hub to focus crisis-related content. For major crises, consider creating a microsite to fully address the issue and provide a locus for audiences to track developments, key facts and progress. This will allow customers to maintain their regular experience on your website while providing crisis junkies a venue that steers negative traffic away from your website.

Divert negative search traffic to credible sources. SEO normally promotes keywords to drive traffic to your website. But in a crisis, negative search terms are widely used, so consider developing an online reputation program targeting negative search traffic that drives interested people to your microsite or a special landing page.

Strengthen your social media presence. Social media can drive higher search rankings for shared content, but if you don’t have an active and engaged community on your social media pages, you’ll miss the benefit. Authentic, timely, consistent engagement with social media followers builds trust over time and strengthens brand loyalists who can weigh in during a crisis.

Build a rapid response team. The first minutes of a crisis are critical. Make sure your team, including external partners, is up to speed on your crisis plan and has been drilled. Consider simulation training, table-top exercises and crisis media training to stress-test your plan — and make sure everyone is on the same page. No silos!

Stay on top of trends. One organization’s problem can affect an entire industry. Monitor social and traditional media to assess trends and developments that could affect you. Adjust planning accordingly.

***

Travis Taylor is EVP of Fineman PR, a San Francisco-based crisis and consumer public relations agency, and Chris Raniere is President of 46Mile, a Hearst-backed, full-service marketing consultancy and ad agency. 

Travis Taylor (L) and Chris Raniere

The post The Death of the Siloed Crisis Response appeared first on Fineman PR.

What an organization says and does in the first hours of a crisis can make all the difference. Southwest defused the situation while United fumbled and added fuel to the fire.[Click on image for the full size infographic]

The post A Tale of Two Apologies appeared first on Fineman PR.

Well, yes and no. There are values that are timeless.

To wit, the wisdom of Benjamin Franklin, born 310 years ago come January 17^th. Franklin was a super hero back when our republic was born. I’ve noticed that his profile is diminished of late, but Franklin’s deeds and activities as an author, scientist, statesman, inventor, communicator and diplomat could be compared in breadth and depth to the likes of Da Vinci. So, in anticipation of his birthday, I celebrate Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father of the United States.

Ben Franklin’s proverbs are embedded in our nation’s lexicon, among the most famous:

• Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
• In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
• God helps them that helps themselves.
• Fish and visitors stink after three days.
• A penny saved is a penny earned.
• An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
• Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.
• A friend in need is a friend indeed.
• No gains without pains.
• Haste makes waste.

Did you know, too, that he published a number of adages that serve as the basis for reputation management and crisis communications? Here are a few:

Benjamin Franklin – 8 Crisis and Reputation Lessons

1.  By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.  Plan for crises. Get media trained. Review scenarios that can hurt you and have responses ready in advance.
2. It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.  Establish a foundation of trust with your audiences. It is not wise to try flying under the radar. Don’t brag or gloat. If you make a mistake, say so and tell how you will do better moving forward.
3. Never ruin an apology with an excuse.  If an apology is appropriate, make it clean, succinct, unequivocal and heart-felt.
4.  He that speaks much is much mistaken. Don’t run on, especially when speaking with media. Know what you need to say, say it and stop. Once you’ve said too much, you can’t take it back.
5.  Humility makes great men twice honorable.  Let others sing your praises. What others say about you (your brand) is so much more powerful than what you say about yourself.
6.  If you will not hear and obey reason she will surely rap your knuckles.  Listen carefully to outside counsel; they are not as emotionally attached as you are.
7. There is no little enemy.  Arrogance and inadvisable comments can only hurt you. Know all your stakeholders and what is important (and concerning) to each of them.
8. Silence is not always a sign of wisdom, but babbling is ever a folly.  State your point, provide evidence, conclude, and stop talking.

The post 8 Crisis and Reputation Lessons From Benjamin Franklin appeared first on Fineman PR.

Even experienced communicators can get rattled when the phones are ringing off the hook – from the media, regulators and other government authorities, customers, the general public, employees and the board. Not to mention the fires breaking out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Response time has shrunk from 48 hours to 48 minutes to what feels like 48 seconds.

Memorize PANTCHEK to get your priorities in order so you won’t flail and fail in public. Here’s an easy visual story to help you get started.

• Public welfare is the first priority
• Assemble the facts. Once they are verified, Announce All bad news at once
• No blame, No speculation, No repetition of negative charges or questions
• Tell your side of the story or Take responsibility
• Care and Concern for those affected – express it sincerely and right at the outset
• High-level organization spokesperson – let the public see the crisis has top-level attention
• Ensure that it will not happen again with a solid plan that will generate confidence
• Keep a separate plan for moving daily business ahead

View our crisis checklist here.

Michael Fineman is president of Fineman PR, a San Francisco public relations firm that specializes in crisis communications, brand PR and multicultural communications. Contact him here. 

The post Video: Get your ship together in a crisis appeared first on Fineman PR.

Download our infographic Crisis PR: Let’s Talk about Product Recalls

The post How to talk about product recalls appeared first on Fineman PR.

But the Latino influence in elections trumps “the Donald.” In the 2014 elections, one lesson became abundantly clear: Latinos are playing a growing role in shaping the future of the United States. Gubernatorial and other state and local candidates – as well as ballot measures – faced an increasingly Hispanic electoral landscape.

What does this mean for your brand? If Latinos’ role in choosing our leaders and policies is growing, so is their role in picking brand winners.

Photo credit: Michael Vadon CC BY-SA 2.0

Here are three insights for brand managers who wish to appeal to Latino consumers:

1. Develop culturally sensitive messaging now

In the past few election seasons, candidates in tight races have sometimes had to change their tune to appeal to Latino voters. In Florida, former Governor Charlie Crist, who, as a Republican, had opposed the Affordable Care Act – a measure supported by Latinos – ran as a Democrat in 2014, supporting the ACA and winning the Latino vote (although narrowly losing the election). In a state where a third of Hispanics polled said either they or a family member had been uninsured in the past year and about half said they knew someone who was sick and lacked health insurance, it is clear that being on their side could make or break a campaign.

Although you might not be reaching out to a Latino audience today, that could change tomorrow. So it’s important to craft messaging and establish business practices that are culturally sensitive to all groups.

2. Capitalize on their values

Former Republican Governor Rick Perry held office for three terms in Texas, which can be partially attributed to his appeal to Hispanic voters. While Latinos tend to vote for Democrats, Perry tailored his messaging to resonate with them. For example, although he advocated stringent border control, he also supported and signed legislation that allowed illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition at public universities. While many Latino voters might have disapproved of his border stance, they undoubtedly appreciated his support for helping them receive higher education, a topic that perpetually ranks as one of the most important to this audience. This, among other Latino-friendly positions, strengthened his appeal to Hispanics.

In marketing, a primordial element in any campaign is to understand the target consumer. Rick Perry showed us how associating a brand with a cause can lead to acceptance. Once a brand picks a cause or topic, it can position itself as an organization that is driven by more than profits, and this plays very well with an audience, like Hispanics, that is drawn to corporate social responsibility initiatives.

3. Once you’ve won Latinos over, don’t assume their loyalty will last forever

Recently the Democratic Party has experienced a decrease in Latino support at the national level. In 2012 Democrats enjoyed a 38 percent advantage over Republicans among Hispanics. However, in just two years, their advantage dropped to 28 percent. During the 2014 senatorial election in Texas, this lower support affected the result: Republican Senator John Cornyn won 48 percent of the Latino vote in his successful re-election battle. While still shy of a majority, that was a red flag to Democrats, who realized they needed to step up their efforts.

Complacency has no role to play in Latino outreach strategy, even if a brand currently enjoys the favor of this group. What works today might not work tomorrow, and with the median age of Hispanic consumers at 27, they can’t be targeted the same way as other audiences. As can be seen from social media, they are continually trying out trends and engaging with brands.

For more information on marketing to Latino consumers, visit www.mosaicopublicrelations.com

The post You’re Trumped: Campaign Lessons for Brands’ Outreach to Latinos appeared first on Fineman PR.