The Three Immutable Laws Of Crisis Communications

Editor's Note:  The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post by Dan Harvey, a former BBC and ITN journalist, and now director of marketing and client relations at HarveyLeach Media Training, a U.K.-based media training firm which prepares executives for conducting speaking engagements and handling print, online, and broadcast interviews. Crisis communications is one of the most challenging public relations disciplines for many reasons, and certain crises, such as the BP oil spill, can be overwhelming and beyond difficult to manage. However, regardless of the situation, there are certain dynamics which NEVER change, and should be readily adopted by all companies working through such scenarios in order to safeguard their respective brands and reputations. This is excellent advice for any firm, no matter the size, in preparing for a crisis. Harvey explains below.

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Although social media may have added a whole new dimension to the discipline of media relations, it's interesting to note that many of the key principles haven't really changed at all. This is particularly true in the field of crisis communications.

Three of the most important rules of crisis communications for traditional press and broadcast media are just as relevant to social media. They are:

1. Be Quick

It has always been vital to respond to a crisis proactively rather than reactively. This means getting your message out there either before the story breaks or as soon as possible afterward.

When there were just daily newspapers and scheduled news programs, your deadlines were clearly defined, but with the advent of rolling news and citizen journalism, the faster you can be, the better. It may be tempting to delay things by saying "no comment" or just staying silent, but this makes it much easier for the media and public to assume the worst.

It can also be tempting to spend valuable time refining your message, running it through committees and approval processes. Don't. The most important thing is that you put your head above the parapet and give a reasonable response.

2. Be Helpful

It is vital to keep the media and public on your side. Ideally, this process will have started before any crisis occurs, through fostering relationships with journalists, bloggers and, of course, your customers.

Once the crisis has occurred, you keep them on your side by being helpful and giving them the information for which they ask. Let them know what you are doing to fix the situation and how long it will take.

Issuing regular statements and calling press conferences have traditionally been the way to do this. Now, social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube enable you to be proactive in getting this information out to the widest possible audience.

3. Be Open

Don't try to put a positive spin on a crisis situation or deny responsibility when your organization is clearly at fault. Even the slightest hint that you might be hiding the truth will greatly damage your credibility.

The public has always been expert at spotting dishonesty. The difference now with social media is that your dishonesty will be discussed in great detail by thousands of people.

In addition, don't be afraid to let your emotions show. If you are genuinely upset by a crisis, let people see that. It is always a good thing to show that you are human, too.

© 2011 Ragan Communications, Inc.

Dilbert Pokes Fun At PR Firms, Ethical Standards

The world of public relations firms, where I spent the majority of my career, is a very interesting place, and one that is not for the faint of heart. I'll save some war stories for another day, but it's a realm where ethical lines are often crossed, intentionally or unintentionally. Therefore, ethical behavior remains a major focus of the profession even today, and the largest association, PRSA, is aggressively pushing the adoption of its comprehensive ethics charter...and for good reason.

I wouldn't normally make light of ethical issues in the profession I love, but I saw this "Dilbert" strip the other day and had to share...just for fun, and because I thought it was humorous. The fact the subject matter is borrowed from a recent scandal involving a large global PR agency and a major technology brand only makes it more titillating. "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams always has a unique take on certain issues, and PR is certainly no different.

You can also view this directly on the "Dilbert" site here.

The Power Of Word Of Mouth: A Viable Online Marketing Strategy

Much has been discussed and written about the effectiveness of word-of-mouth marketing (or buzz marketing, as it used to be known, and a term which is still occasionally used today) and how these principles now extend to the social media realm and best practices in viral marketing. 

As my friend Emanuel Rosen initially outlined in his seminal work, The Anatomy of Buzz, word-of-mouth marketing successfully leverages the power and credibility of influencers, and recruits these prominent individuals and companies to become brand ambassadors for your business and its offerings. If you're not familiar with Rosen, who is referred to as "The Godfather of Social Networks," I highly encourage you to read his book, which is now in its third edition and has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide in 12 languages. It's well worth the time to read, and much of the material in his new version (The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited) specifically deals with social media and viral marketing strategies. Also make sure to follow Rosen on Twitter (@EmanuelRosen) or the latest on buzz marketing techniques.

In the social media domain, influencers carry far more weight, and exhibit much more reach, simply by retweeting specific content, additional sharing and postings on other networks, and having their followers hanging on their every word. But the key is to connect with them in the first place. If you're successful in that regard, you can forge a direct connection to your customer base through the influencer conduit. While Facebook has it share, Twitter is full of influencers, and this impact is more noticable on Twitter...perhaps more than any other network...because of its open nature. Therefore, by tweeting promotions and product review requests to influencers on Twitter, you’ll be able to tap into a powerful word-of-mouth marketing source that is just not available anywhere else.

Just how important is word-of-mouth marketing via social media? Peruse the intriguing facts and figures below, courtesy of search engine optimization company CapSEO:

Click here to view large image of this summary.

Corporate Snapshot: Employee Usage Of Social Media In The Workplace

While many companies, large and small, across the land are embracing social media and encouraging their associates to use a broad range of platforms to communicate with stakeholders, others are doing just the opposite and shutting off the hose completely.

Why? Primarily because of recent scandals and crises created by intentional and inadvertent posts that have resulted in some form of reputational damage, lost sales, credibility hits, client departures, and so on. Furthermore, the line between where one's personal life ends, and his professional existence begins, continues to become murkier and murkier. This is why the need for a comprehensive social media policy is so great, but it's a moot point for those companies that block access altogether.

So where do things currently stand in Corporate America? According to a recent survey of companies conducted by Mindflash and Column Five, 70.7 percent block all social networking sites in the workplace, while 55 percent of firms have some social media policies in place. For 44 percent of companies, these policies govern social media usage both inside and outside of the workplace, presumably to prevent unhappy employees from badmouthing their employers. The survey's findings also reveal that more than 50% of all companies believe in the value and benefits of social media when used for business purposes, but also has some downside when it is not.

A complete summary of the results follows below:

If you're a marketing executive or a business owner who wants to further leverage social media communications for a variety of purposes, but has not yet crafted a thorough usage policy, you should definitely pay attention to the approaches outlined here and the suggested guidelines and training recommendations. These can make the difference between a successful program and adherence to policy adherence, as opposed to having to clean up some sort of crisis down the line.

Check out a larger version of this image here, or to save this to your marketing resources archive.

The White House Checks In To Foursquare

Out of all the social media platforms I use, Foursquare is probably the most fun, and the one of the best ways to secure valuable promotions and discounts from consumer-focused businesses.

Not familiar with Foursquare? It's a location-based social networking site, designed to be accessed via smartphones, that enables users to "check in" to a physical location, such as a business, park, or historical landmark, and then announce to their friends that you are there. The individual who checks in to a given location the most times is known as the mayor, although that status can be fleeting if you don't visit a location often enough. When checking in, a user can also offer a tip to other visitors, such as "Try the ahi tuna; it's delicious!" or "Make sure to have Ted brew your latte since he's the best barista EVER!" Users rack up points for every check-in, and also earn special badges for engaging in specific behaviors and for visiting certain locations at certain times. For example, I earned the JetSetter badge for checking in to a total five different airports, and the Crunked Badge for making four stops in one night.

While it's fun, Foursquare is a great tool for small businesses, which can design promotions and discounts exclusively for Foursquare users, and in particular, mayors. When checking in to a location, a user will see an icon on his phone that says "Special Here" or "Specials Nearby," and it's usually a pretty good deal. If you like Chili's, check in on your next visit, and you will get FREE chips and salsa. No joke!

With Foursquare's rapidly-growing following, and his administration's savvy use of social media, President Obama has authorized an official White House account on Foursquare, which went live a week ago. According to the official post on The White House Blog, users can follow the White House on Foursquare (I did) to see tips on the places the President and administration officials visit around the country and the world, follow news and events by location, and learn about the White House and its history. Of course, if you're visiting the White House itself in Washington D.C., or attending a town hall meeting with the President, you can physically check in.

The White House communications staff launched the Foursquare initiative in conjunction with President Obama's economic bus tour of the Midwest, which also began on Monday, August 15. At the very least, it adds yet another effective communication platform for Obama during a difficult period, and it underscores the administration's knowledge and sophistication in the use of social media to deliver key messages to the American public.

10 Event Planning Essentials Learned From Crashing An Ad Agency's Party

Editor's Note:  The following is a guest Marketing Mulligans post by Jessica Levco, a staff writer at Ragan.com and the editor of Ragan's Health Care Communication News, and that originally appeared on Ragan.com's events channel. There's a ton of planning and attention to detail that goes into the orchestration of a successful event, whether it's purely a social affair such as the one described in this article, a press conference, a media and analyst tour, or a high-end dinner for important clients. So what are some of the most important elements of an effective event? Read on to find out.

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Recently, I attended (read: crashed) an ad agency party Chicago. Every year, Optimus, a big ad firm, throws a "block party" for its clients and employees.

I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of what it would be like to enter Don Draper's world, 21^st Century style. (Note: It involves a lot of plaid and aviator sunglasses.)

Waltzing into the party was easier than expected. After saying the name of my employer and getting my ID checked, I was given a wristband and was greeted by throngs of artsy-types: digital media directors, graphic designers, and copywriters. I watched them all checking out each other's texting ability, color sense, and grammar, respectively.

But as it turns out, I wasn't the only party crasher. Apparently, everybody else was, too. This party was open to the public—including a few tourists, who said they just happened to stumble into the party and had no idea what it was for.

Slightly disappointed that I didn't technically crash a party, there was only one thing left I could do —report.

If you want to throw a kick-ass company party, here's what I learned:

1. Invite Everyone

Limiting a "work party" to just "work" people isn't much fun. Just imagine the conversations you and your co-workers can have when you open up your party to the streets of Chicago. Ok, that might be a bit much, but you get the idea.

2. Theme

Picking a theme for your party is essential. Go with something that shows the vibrancy of your company. The Optimus party centered on that feel-good neighborhood block vibe, with lots of hot dogs and beer. In a city of more than two million people, this block party felt very homey.

3. Timeliness

The party was on a Friday night, on the eve of Lollapoolza, a three-day music fest in Grant Park. Already, the environment was ripe for dancing, talking and listening to music. If you're going to throw a party, don't just pick an arbitrary date. Plan wisely.

4. Swag That Stays

Not only did I write this story on a free notepad and pen from the agency, but I also took home a beer koozie and a fake tattoo. If you want people to leave with a positive impression of your company, give them a tchotchke they can show their friends.

5.  Special Guests

Each year, Optimus invites a guest to attend the party. Illinois ex-governor Rod Blagojevich went to the party last year. This year, party-goers were entertained by the Chicagoan who won the U.S. Air Guitar Championships. Why promise a special guest? Because the buzz and anticipation lasts longer than two glasses of Chardonnay. Your guests want to stick around and see who it will be.

6. Be Transparent

If you really want to show off your company, open your doors. I was free to roam the ad agency's headquarters, peek into offices, and sit in the cafeteria. Inviting people in is a great way to give people a feel for your company's culture.

7. Clever Signage

Even though the block party was in a confined area, there were a lot of signs to point out the essentials: bathroom, food and beer.

8. Crowd Control

Friendly staff in blue shirts helped party-goers find the bathroom or beer, just in case they couldn't read.

9. Brand Ambassador

One person at the party was unmistakable:  a guy dressed in a brown bear costume. Word on the block says the "bear" attends the party yearly. Make sure your party has someone that party-goers can look forward to seeing every year. You want someone who stands out — against the vintage tees and plaid shirts.

10. Free Beer and Wine

Need I say more?

© 2011 Ragan Communications, Inc.