| Strategy |
Definition |
Example |
| Openness |
Releasing all
information about an issue immediately. Seek internal and external opportunities
to tell your side of the story. |
Diet Pepsi:
Hypodermic needle scare. Diet Pepsi opened its canning lines, its employees,
and its CEO to media. |
| Agenda Setting |
Everything is
on the record, especially during the beginning phase of a crisis. Communicate
your values first, and then worry about what the media is asking. |
Exxon Valdez
oil spill. Exxon DID NOT have an agenda in responding to issues in media,
resulting in media-driven issues and information release. |
| Relevance |
Communicate
during a crisis the importance of the issue that got you there in the first
place. Don't allow the importance of an act to be called into question. |
Late 1980's
BRAC rounds: Pentagon announced base closures by showing the relevance
to overall military force strengths and goals associated with BRAC. |
| Legal Limitations |
Seek internal
legal counsel immediately, however, all advice from counsel must come as
fast as media's questions. |
1st
Lt Kelly Flinn. Legal advice didn't come quickly to public affairs. |
| Legal Implications:
Cultural |
Counsel addressing
crisis must understand legal implications in host country, and how the
law will be enforced. |
Union Carbide
gas leak in India, killed thousands. When UC's CEO arrived next day to
assist in recovery operations, he was immediately arrested at the airport. |
| Release Coordination |
Make sure everyone
in coordination process is aware of crisis issue and is not releasing conflicting
information. |
EA-6B Prowler
Italian cable cutting. Release coordination and authority weren't clear
during the beginning phase of the crisis. |
| Public Think |
What will the
public think about the crisis? Address internally and externally what they
would want to know from you during a crisis. |
Exxon DID NOT
use public think. Exxon communicators during oil spill only addressed company's
concerns. |
| Responsiveness |
Acting quickly
and responding to any requests for information, or requests about issues
affecting crisis. |
Exxon CEO DID
NOT respond quickly during the Valdez oil spill. Resulting in media-controlled,
one-sided responses in newspapers and television. |
| Message |
Make sure the
appropriate message is being addressed at all opportunities, especially
during the initial phase of the crisis. |
1st
Lt Kelly Flinn. USAF did not emphasize key goals of case, resulting in
negative messaging by media. |
| Cultural |
Being aware
of cultural, ethnic sensitivities and language. |
EA-6B Prowler.
U.S. Ambassador to Italy laid wreath at tragedy site, resulting in positive
impact on Italian perception. |
| Single Spokesperson |
Create, train,
and equip a single source to answer all internal and external queries regarding
your role in the crisis: CEO or wing commander equivalent. |
Exxon CEO DID
NOT respond to media queries and was no where to be found during first
phase of crisis, resulting in negative publicity for company. |
| Firefighter |
Someone, or
a group of people, who examine issues during a crisis that can flare up
and/or intensify the situation further. |
Diet Pepsi Hypodermic
Needle: Pepsi headquarters put a team together that was charged with finding
the latest media reports, and getting that information to others quickly. |