My Best Laid Plans

CRISIS�COMMUNICATIONS

DISCLAIMER

Each crisis is unique and we never really know what will work until we’re in the thick of it or sometimes even after, during a post-mortem.

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These are my thoughts based on research, training and watching how other organizations have handled themselves during difficult times.

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WHAT IS CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

"Crisis communication is a communication strategy that enables an organization to protect its reputation when a crisis or business disruption strikes." ~ Gartner

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"Crisis communication is a strategic approach to corresponding with people and organizations during a disruptive event." ~ TechTarget

WHAT IS CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS

"Simply, crisis communication is a method of sharing information intended to improve public brand perception in the face of a scandal or other negative event." ~Sprout Social

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"In short, it is the communication process used to respond to a threat to an organization's reputation. The crisis plan is used when there has been a major event." ~ PRlab

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THE FOUR STAGES OF CRISIS

Pre-Crisis

Crisis

Response

Post-Crisis

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS �TIPS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

1. Respond promptly
2. Refer to your social media policy
3. Have a crisis comms plan
4. Practice social listening
5. Engage with empathy

6. Don’t forget internal comms
7. Secure your accounts
8. Put scheduled posts on pause
9. Learn from experience

UNDERSTANDING YOUR ORGANIZATION

Many institutions will follow a colour system like what hospitals and first responders will use.

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Do you know what your institution uses?

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How well do you know these?

PROACTIVE PLANNING

How can we prepare �for a crisis to happen?

• Templates
• Simulations
• Contacts
• Resources

WHO IS ON THE TEAM

If you’re in central comms

• Who is on the team?
• Who do you report to?
• Who reports to you?
• Who are the back-ups?
• Do the people who need access, have access?
• Is the work distributed in a realistic way?
• What do you need to tell your reps in faculty, schools or departments?

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If you’re not

• What are you supposed to do?
• When do you need to bring in someone else?
• Who are you supposed to contact?
• When are you allowed to act?

CHAIN OF COMMAND

It’s important to understand where you fall in the chain of command. The chain of command can vary too based on the incident.

Major events will require everyone.

Small, targeted events, may only require the bottom few levels.

What do you need from others, what do you have autonomy to do yourself?

What do they people below you need from you?

ON THE LIST FOR COMMS

Media Relations �Liaise with media relations for emergency responders�Messaging to media�Media holding/scrum

Internal Communications�Email faculty/staff�Email current students�Intranet�Safety app�Digital Signage

External Communications�Website (FAQ)�Phone system �Social Media�Dedicated email

Things to consider

• Who is your media contact for police/fire?
• Where is the appropriate (curated) media list
• Which internal mailing list (faculty/staff) to use
• How do you get the most current student mailing list (personal emails and/or school emails) and how does it need to be filtered?
• Access to systems - safety app, intranet, digital signage, phones, social media platforms
• How could MFA/2FA impact you?

WHY IS SOCIAL IMPORTANT IN A CRISIS??

81.9% of Canadians use social media

• People are looking to social for critical updates in real time
• Misinformation can spread quickly, social can help prevent that spread
• Offer information and assistance to people who need it;
• Monitor sentiment to understand what people need from you;
• Use that information to mobilize resources and support
• Evaluate your efforts and note trends and sources of misinformation to be better prepared in the future.

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ON THE LIST FOR SOCIAL

Identify the people best suited for each of these critical roles:

Listening�Social listening and flagging relevant information�Fact-checking information and/or correcting rumors

Customer Service�Triaging / handling customer service�Responding to public and private comments, messages and questions�Templating responses / Automation / FAQs

Messaging�Creating (tailoring), reviewing, and approving social posts – visual + written�Posting the social updates�

The Strategists� responsible ensuring the team stays on target.

The Content Specialists �as the creative thinkers and writers of the team, this group is responsible for owning the messaging that’s published across all channels

The Analysts �constantly monitoring social media for crisis-related keywords, mentions, and comments.

Also be responsible for documenting everything!

PROACTIVE�TEMPLATES

What should written content include?

1. Date/time/location (timestamp if edit)
2. Information statement (what/where)
3. Impact statement (who/what)
4. Additional information statement

IMO: Winter weather comms is the easiest plan to prepare because we know all the possible outcomes. It’s a great exercise to complete before tackling the unknown situations we may one day face.

“There is an active emergency situation in the Alphabet block of the Sesame Street College, Big Bird Campus as of July 12 at 2:12 p.m..

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Those in Alphabet block are asked to wait for emergency services to assist with evacuation. Staff and students not currently in alphabet block are asked to avoid the area. ��If you were planning to come to campus, we ask that you delay your visit to allow emergency services to complete their work. We will post a notice when campus activities return to normal.��As we have more information, we will share updates here and on website.com. �

PROACTIVE�TEMPLATES

What should visual content include?

1. Branding
• Logo (may not be needed is profile image is logo)
• brand colours/fonts or emergency colouring
• campus building
2. Warning icon A visual cue for your audience
3. Trigger word

PROCEDURES�THE FIRST FIFTEEN

$#IT HAPPENS

MEDIA MONITORING AND SOCIAL LISTENING

What do you use for media monitoring and social listening?

Do you have crisis monitoring set-up?

When’s the last time you checked your keywords?

What crises do your listening include, should anything be added?

Who can adjust your listening in a crisis?

• Increase frequency
• Set-up new keywords/triggers?
• Create new report?
• What is you results cap?

CHOOSING YOUR CHANNELS

PROCEDURES �LITTLE DETAILS – BIG IMPACT

Arm your army

�Thanks to LinkedIn and Facebook, everyone know where everyone works, making employees become a quick source of information.��Why wait on hold with a call centre, when you can search socials for what employees are sharing?�

That’s why it’s imperative that you keep ALL employees informed about the crisis.

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PROCEDURES�TROLLING: TO DELETE OR NOT DELETE?

1. Do the comments go against human rights, college policies or community standards? (i.e. profanity, racism, sexism, etc.)

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• Is the comment accurate and factual?

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Yes: Delete/Hide

No: Keep – proceed to 2

Yes: screen capture the comment, share with appropriate staff or departments. Craft a response (with approval) that indicates the message has been received an any actions that have been / will be taken.

No: screen capture the comment. Recognize that the response here isn’t necessarily for the original poster (OP), but for everyone else watching. Politely correct the misinformation. This shows you are listening and helps share the correct information to everyone else watching.

If they continue, don’t feed the troll.

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Hug your haters rule: response twice publicly, but no more.

PROCEDURES �LITTLE DETAILS – BIG IMPACT

Social media feeds don’t serve up content chronologically.

�Instagram

• one pinned feed posts that is edited with timestamped updates
• timestamped stories added to emergency highlight

Twitter / Threads

• Threaded posts that link together (done natively)

Facebook / LinkedIn / Reddit

• one pinned/sticky feed post that is edited with time stamped updates

Discord

• Announcements with push notifications

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PROCEDURES �LITTLE DETAILS – BIG IMPACT

Handles

• Media (Paper, TV, Radio)
• Emergency Services
• Community Resources

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GIFs

• Breaking News
• Alert icon
• Flashing beacon

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Resources

• College/University supports
• Name / service
• Phone
• Email
• Location
• Community supports
• Name / service overview
• Phone
• Email
• Location

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A PLACE TO START

Be crystal clear on �WHAT is happening �WHERE it is happening �WHO is impacted by �HOW it its or will be handled�WHY this may be happening

CAMPUS STATUS UPDATE�Campus is open

• Proactive communication – knowing students will ask, i.e. weather
• Disruptions on campus (road disruptions, building disruptions)

Classes cancelled

• Weather cancellation
• Power outage

Campus closure

• Weather closure
• Emergency closures

DESIRED ACTIONS�Stay put

• Is it safer for people to stay where they are?

Leave

• Is it safer for people to leave where they are?

Avoid the area

• Should people avoid coming to the area if not already there?

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

What do our audiences still need from us in relation to the crisis?

• Empathy
• Ownership
• Resources

When and how does organic social resume?

• Does the world need to hear from our brand right now?
• When in doubt, pause for 24 hours and re-evaluate the online conversation.
• How does the messaging change based on the crisis?

When does paid digital resume?

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SUPPORT FOR THE CRISIS TEAM

Make sure you have a plan in place to support your crisis team, especially those on the front lines handling all the comments and conversations.

Handling incoming content can be tough on the psyche at the best of times.

During a crisis, your public-facing social and customer service employees need extra support.

MONITOR AND SIMULATE

• Study how others are handling crisis communications
• Regularly review and update your crisis plan
• Are the same people still part of your team?
• Are the same channels still available? Do they operate the same?
• Do the right people still have access?
• What have you learned since the last review?
• Run regular simulations (min. annual) to:
• engrain your processes
• identify opportunities and gaps

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DOCUMENT EVERYTHING

Make copies of all tweets, status updates, blog comments, etc.

Make copies of all emails

Analyze website traffic patterns

Analyze search volume patterns

Where did the crisis break and when? Where did it spread and how?

How did your internal notification work? Were your employees informed?

How did your response protocol work? Response time

Did specific customers rise to your defense? (thank them!)

What was the sentiment towards your brand, on your channels?

How did the online crisis intersect with offline coverage (if any)?

Who was your audience? Did it match your typical audience? Was it different?