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Hi Everyone,

This blog has moved to a new location. To keep reading my posts on communications and public relations essentials, please visit: http://mtrainor48.wordpress.com/

Thanks for your continued interest!

Mike

PR Essentials #2: When Under Attack, Stay Out of The Foxhole!

In PR Essentials #1, I shared my thoughts about "framing" the issue that is under public scrutiny. Framing is most effective when it is used as part of a proactive, rather than reactive, media strategy.

Sooner or later, there will come the day when you or your client is under attack in the court of public opinion. Unfortunately, too many executives react in a press environment much as infantrymen do during an artillery shelling... that is, they dive into the foxhole, curl up in the fetal position and hope for the best.

Time and again, experience has demonstrated the folly of retreating into a no comment, or "foxhole" posture during a hostile media exchange. This is usually the result of executive timidity, often aided and abetted by the advice of lawyers who reflexively cringe at the prospect of client comments living on in print.

It is an unfortunate and axiomatic reality that today's media reaction to the "no comment" stance is much like a teenage boy who gets snubbed by the girl of his dreams at the high school dance... a mixture of "how dare they" followed by "I'll show them”! That's why you often see newspaper accounts that include nuggets like this: "Mr. Smith's office was asked for comment, but declined to return a reporter’s repeated phone calls”.

Let’s face it…”no comment” is a non starter in today’s media environment. Invariably, it brands the individual or organization as, at best, having something to hide or, at worst, guilty as hell.

So, I always advise my clients to stay out of the foxhole. There is safe ground available…so long as you have crafted a message that safely delivers your side of the story without sending your attorney scrambling for his/her bottle of Xanax. Trust me…there is ALWAYS something that can and should be said publicly, no matter how dire the matter nor how terrified the management team may be.

Remember, that 40 column inch front page news story that the nreporter is preparing is a spatial reality…you can choose to fight to “own” as much of that space as possible by commenting, or you can surrender it ingloriously to the other side.

And, you need to come out to “play” when the game starts…not two days or two weeks later. If you wait, you annoy the news media, give every conspiracy theorist in your market new fodder for speculation and, in general, you forfeit the match.

Finally, the willingness to stand and speak to the media cannot be a spot decision made under the pressure of a breaking crisis or development. The organization needs to have a standing policy that it will always respond to the media…always!

For more on this topic, see my series of posts on crisis communications here: SpeakEasy: Crisis Management Keys

Till next time...

PR Essentials (Periodic Musings on What’s Worked For Me): #1: Framing the Public Discussion

fWhether you are a client organization or a PR counselor, it's easy to overlook the opportunity to frame the public's perception of, and ensuing discussion of, whatever major communications issue you or your client may have at hand.

Example: A strike by nurses at a local hospital can be perceived as either the last-ditch efforts by professionals to get better wages OR as an irresponsible work stoppage that threatens the health of the local community. Union leadership will do all it can to frame the issue as economic justice while hospital managers/trustees have the option of framing the issue as an "irresponsible work stoppage".

Public perception of the above example will depend on which side does a better job in "framing". Here's what I mean:

The union wins the framing contest if it delivers killer points such as how their members are significantly underpaid in comparison to their peers at other hospitals and explains that the hospital management refused to go to mediation/arbitration.

Management wins if it delivers winning points that speak to wage parity with nurses at other hospitals as well as the need to curtail specific elective services during the work stoppage.

It's helpful to view the public as a blank chalkboard and the news media as the piece of chalk you will influence as the message is written on the board. It's best to assume that the public at large will have little if any prior awareness of or interest in the vast majority of issues you or your client will have to bring before the public. And, while it is the job of the news media to present all sides of the story, the reality is that not all sides of an issue are created equal... meaning if your facts and figures, reasons and rationale etc. are stronger and better, or delivered sooner and more consistently, chances are the public's going to accept your framing of the issue.

Remember, you cannot frame the issue by merely uttering the way you want the public to see it. You have to prove it, early and often.

This is where facts and figures and clearly understandable rationales are essential. Certain rules apply here:

• Facts and figures must be easily understood.
• They must be attributable to a credible source.
• They must be deployed in a way that supports whatever the rationale of your side may be. It's all about developing a "logic tree".
• They must be available at the very beginning of the process….it's hard to introduce new facts midway through a very public debate or discussion.
• They must be repeated at every opportunity to ensure that they are getting "heard”.

Here's the payoff: in the example above, if the union has won the framing game, the headline in the paper may read "Striking Nurses Document Lower Wage Base". Or, if management has won the framing contest, the headline may read "Hospital Managers Document Wage Parity; Warn of Service Curtailment".

If you lose the framing contest, you are figuratively swimming against the tide, as a certain percentage of your effort and results in print/broadcast will have to be expended in refuting the framing from the other side. More often than not, you will lose the public debate.

So, be prepared to frame... at the outset, authoritatively, and consistently... over the duration of any public communications event.

When Advertising Perception Absolutely Disconnects From Reality

Alas and alack... it is the ad curmudgeon, back at you with more pent-up ranting about some of the more regrettable curiosities in my chosen profession.

I am speaking of a certain category of dreadful TV commercials—the ones for those medic alert necklaces or the ones for those glitzy home security companies-- which present wretched little morality plays concerning the necessity of their product.

You are, I am sure, aware of this genre of TV-viewer abuse. Depending on which company we are speaking of, these TV commercials will open with a shot of a frail old lady or a fetching 30-something female. In either instance, their lives are about to be turned upside down.

Before we know it, the old lady has fallen (and yes, inevitably, cannot get up) or the fetching 30-something matron of the house is startled as the front door of the house bursts open to reveal a deranged intruder who has a visage that could frighten Hannibal Lecter. The requisite wailing for help and/or screams of terror ensue.

In both cases, however, the scene then shifts to "command central"... otherwise known as a call center, except that is made to look like is the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. In the case of our fallen, frail lady, a fresh-faced, properly concerned female speaks in soothing and reassuring tones to our fallen lady, announcing that the paramedics are en route. The fact that this response comes within nanoseconds of the fall seems to be not an impediment to the logic of these spots.

In the case of the home break-in, roughly 2/10 of one second from the appearance of the ogre at the door, the home phone begins to ring and (cut to shot of Starship Enterprise bridge) a rugged looking male figure (a younger version of the Marlboro Man) inquires as to whether anything is wrong. Silly goose!! Why the hell do you think the subscriber’s alarm has sounded on your fancy control panel!?!

Nonetheless, our winsome heroine (still breathless from screaming at the top of her lungs) reports that the intruder tried to get in. Rugged looking male states he will send help immediately.

In a further disconnect, no matter how powerfully evil the intruder is, he immediately flees when the outside alarm begins to blare. A disappointing lack of follow-through, to say the least.

Now, I've had the opportunity to see "real" call centers and, believe me, they bear no resemblance to what we see on TV. They are staffed by individuals whose pursuit of the American dream has ended well short of the goal line... and their demeanor reflects this. A mix of lethargy and repressed hostility at the essential unfairness of life permeates the room. I cannot imagine this lot responding immediately to any stimuli, with the possible exception of lower intestinal distress.

In a profession where perception and reality are seldom well acquainted, this genre of TV spots is particularly objectionable. But that's not to say it couldn't be worse... at some point in the future I want to inflict upon you my absolute hostility towards personal injury lawyer commercials.

Enough of this blather! Till next time...

A chorus or two from one of my favorite R&B tunes: "I got the local ad blues"

Throughout my 30-year career, I've often marveled at the inanity of many local market ads, especially those done without the help of a professional agency.

Maybe it is because I am approaching my dotage, but I am finding it harder and harder to resist the temptation to respond to one of these local efforts by calling the advertiser’s number (or better yet, striding into their retail location) and bellowing at the top of my voice "what the hell are you doing!?!"

I am sure you all know of the type of advertiser I'm speaking about... the local plumbing service, the realtor, the low-tech, limited service credit union trying oh so desperately to hang on. I don't know what it is about these people….but they seem to have a death wish when it comes to running effective advertising.

Let's start with the most egregious mistake...the accidentally hilarious attempt at differentiation.

We've all seen it over the years... some hapless artisan or tradesperson... or the local insurance agency... decides he/she/it should run an ad. Maybe business is off, maybe they've decided Western civilization can progress no further without hearing their views on business, or maybe its just to impress family and friends. First thing they have to do is decide how to go about distinguishing their businesses from the competition. In a very curious form of reverse-think, their search for differentiation often produces positioning descriptions that are stupefying, standardized, homogenized and otherwise “safe”. And amazingly ineffective.

Example: in my local market there is an arborist known as "Mike's Professional Tree Service". Clever name... no doubt intended to separate Mike from all those unprofessional tree services. But wait, Mike's search for distinction does not stop there. His local radio ads proudly declaim him as a company that offers "prompt, courteous and professional service" . Hmm… I wonder just how many chronically late, discourteous and unprofessional arborist services are out there, and if so, why the hell they haven't gone out of business or been closed down by the local authorities. It's a marketing offense that makes me want to scream... loudly!

At the end of the day, I feel sorry for Mike and the tens of thousands of other small businesses that have fallen into the trap of "undifferentiated differentiation". I must wag an accusing finger at local radio sales reps... many of whom ought to be convicted of media malpractice for even suggesting that a company go on air with no marketing framework or thinking behind them. And I would characterize as unindicted co-conspirators the "creative copywriters" at many stations who grind out local spot after local spot, an amazingly large majority of which seem to follow the same theme and form... one that I call "the especially dreaded overheard conversation between two nitwits"

The "overheard conversation" is the oldest chestnut in the radio copywriter’s bag of tricks. I believe this is because these spots are so ridiculously easy to write... in fact they are mindless rhetorical exercises.

Example:

Wife: "Oh honey, I just opened our bank statement and I get so confused trying to read it"(memo to file... notify the National Organization for Women (NOW) that their gender is continually beaten down in this genre of radio spots)

Husband: Don't worry, dear, I've just switched our bank account to Inoffensive Bank and Trust. Their account statements are so clear that little Jimmy could understand them" (another memo to file: why hasn't NOW ever protested how, in these overheard conversation spots, the husband is arbitrarily making the big decision? Huh? Inquiring minds want to know. Especially since, were we all to be honest, in 99 9/10% of the cases these roles are reversed.)

I can't imagine why anyone would find the "overheard conversation" spots appealing. It would be one thing if our nitwit characters were murmuring vague obscenities to one another or plotting the overthrow of our government... then, maybe, people would listen. But I firmly believe the vast majority of listeners tune these thoughts out about one second into the script.

The tragedy is that it does not take a lot of intellectual candlepower to figure out a basic differentiation strategy for any company no matter how large or how small. It just requires some time and effort... something that seems curiously absent in so much of our local market advertising.

If I have offended any radio employees or local market advertisers, I'm not sorry.

Till next time…

Crisis Management Keys

Crisis Management Key # 1:Define What Constitutes a Crisis Before a Crisis Happens

Note to readers: Over the course of a 30 year career in public relations, I've had the opportunity to manage scores of crisis communication situations... from relatively minor scenarios all the way to the death of a public official and the resulting investigation by ABC 20/20. Along the way, I learned that there are five keys to managing a communications crisis… proven techniques that I'm happy to share with my readers.

Believe it or not, many organizations slip into a communications crisis without even being aware that it is happening...until it's too late to get in front of it. Equal measures of poor internal communication, management denial or just plain ignorance of what the news media will cover can combine to paralyze an organization as a crisis develops.

I counsel my clients to have a crisis communications plan in place and to have all managers familiar with it. And the heart of a good crisis communications plan is the definition of what I call "triggering events". An organization that is able to pre-define a crisis situation is an organization that will be able to manage it effectively.

Of course, triggering events will vary depending on the nature of the organization or business. But just to get you started, here are several events that I believe are universal in their applicability:

1) The death or injury of any person on company premises

2) The arrival of police at the company... for whatever reason

3) The loss of regulatory or accreditation status or any form of regulatory intervention

4) The arrest of a company employee for any reason

5) Service of a lawsuit of any kind on the organization or company

I could go on and on with examples of triggering events... but I think you get the idea. Think inside and outside of the box to identify possible negative events and incidents and put them on the list of your triggering events.

Remember, the only purpose of defining triggering events to know when to activate your organization’s crisis communications plan. Whether it's 30 minutes or 24 hours, any time for planning and preparation can spell the difference between being part of a news story or becoming the victim of a news story.

Crisis Management Key #2: Know the Facts Before You Say Anything

Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But, you’d be surprised how many executives can plunge into a public comment as ill-informed as Custer was before he led 300 soldiers into perhaps the most poorly considered military offensive in history... against 5000 plus Native Americans who were seeking to avoid placement on reservations.

Lets face it, the adrenaline-inducing environment of a crisis can loosen even the most seasoned executive’s lips... they perhaps have been answering questions from police or medical personnel... or have been notifying legal and insurance counsel.

Into this environment can enter the news media... full of questions and invariably on some drop dead deadline. Too often, we can place the news media on a pedestal and feel as if we should cooperate instantly with their needs.

The problem is, once you say something to the news media you cannot take it back. This has implications far beyond the PR arena... just ask any lawyer who's been confronted with a news clip months later in a court or deposition setting.

So I advise my clients to make sure fact-finding is the very first activity to take place once the crisis communications plan has been activated. Fact-finding needs to be conducted in a disciplined and measured fashion... no matter how stressful or exciting the environment has become. And, it doesn't have to take a lot of time... you just have to know what and who to ask.

I give my clients a checklist for fact-finding. Again, the checklist will vary depending on the nature of the organization or company but here is a basic list that could at least get you going:

1) What happened, when, where, to whom, by whom?

2) Which laws or regulatory requirements, if any, were violated in the incident?

3) Which company guidelines or policies were violated in the incident?

4) What is the exact nature of any collateral property damage or personal injury associated with the event?

5) What were the procedural or human factors that led to the event?

Again, the list can go on and on but I think you get the point. And, the point is "knowledge is very definitely power" when it comes to getting in front of a developing crisis.

Crisis Management Key #3: In the Court of Public Opinion, Silence Equates to Guilt

If I were a lawyer (I’m so happy for you I'm not), I might complain that there's no due process in the Court of Public Opinion. The sad reality is that in a crisis involving a business, service organization or nonprofit, the news media will approach their coverage looking to put the black hat on the “bad guy”... and guess who the leading candidate almost always is?

Decades of 60 Minutes-style journalism have trained the public to expect the worst from companies and corporations when crises arise. Unfortunately, this bias is only strengthened and confirmed by the pro forma "no comment" posture that many companies reflexively retreat to when the media inquiries begin.

So, to successfully manage communications during a crisis, you must be willing to come out of the foxhole and present your side of the issue. Failure to do so invariably leads to damage to the company's brand and credibility.

Okay, okay….. I know what you're thinking... what lawyer on God's green earth is going to let me say anything to the press during a crisis which carries with it legal implications? The answer is, most will if you take the time to explain the dynamics of public opinion.

You need to get the lawyers head out of the law library and into the reality of news coverage. You might begin by reviewing the rules of the road when it comes to crisis communications:

Rule 1: The event will get covered whether you participate or not.

Rule 2: Your choice is to remain silent and let the other side frame public perception of the event OR to speak up and ensure that media coverage reflects your voice and views.

Rule 3: Thoughtful coordination with legal counsel will yield usable content for release to the news media... no matter what the issue.

So... the moral of the story is never, never, ever retreat to a "no comment" mode of communication. No lawyer should object to minimalist statements such as "we recognize the significance of this event" or "we are carefully reviewing this incident" or we regret this tragic incident and extend our condolences to those affected". Always say something. Never let a lawyer muzzle you into a corner from which you'll never escape publicly.

Crisis Management Key #4: Find Your Core Message and Stay On It...Relentlessly

A common, and needless, complication in crisis key occasions is variable messaging.

This can be a fatal malady... anyone from an opposing attorney to an enterprising journalist will be happy to point out inconsistency in messaging from a company besieged by a crisis.

Companies that do not have the discipline of a crisis communications plan are at risk for messaging that wanders reactively as a crisis progresses. This breeds mistrust on the part of the media and the public alike and should be avoided at all cost.

So, as soon as the fact-finding phase of crisis communications management is complete, the crisis team must work diligently to articulate the "one true thing" that it wants to communicate about the crisis.

Core messages should be brief, direct and simple. Some examples:

• "XYZ Company has launched a full review of this incident and will report its findings at a later date"
• "ABC Company regrets the tragic incident that occurred at our plant today and extends sincere condolences to the family of our employee"
• "PQD Company denies the allegations raised in the lawsuit filed today and is confident that a fair-minded jury will find that no wrongdoing has occurred"

Short. Direct. Credible. That's what a good core messages be.

Once you have your core message established, the art of the game is to stay on it... relentlessly. Your core message should be the first thing in the last thing you utter any media encounter. I know, it sounds a bit robotic, but trust me it works.

Core messages are accompanied by secondary and steering messages. A secondary message is merely an amplification of detail and context as warranted by media coverage and is guided by legal counsel. It's about putting some flesh on the bone.

Steering messages are rhetorical strategies that allow a spokesperson to safely and surely return to the core message when an inquiring reporter raises the question that you cannot safely answer at that time. A simple example: "it would be premature to speculate on that question, but PQD Company denies the allegations raised in the lawsuit filed today and we are confident that a fair-minded jury will find no wrongdoing has occurred"

See? You haven't refused to answer the question, and you have reinforced your core message.

So I hope you get the point here. Find your core message early in a crisis and keep faith with it throughout the crisis. That strategy will never let you down.

Crisis Management Key #5: Thou Shalt Have But One Spokesperson

As any media crisis progresses, the temptation will arise to diversify the spokesperson duties. In a game of tennis, this would be called an unforced error.

Why stick with one spokesperson? For openers, the special intensity and charge that exist around the media crisis tends to "bond" both media people and consumers with the one person who has been the initial public face of the company. A change in spokes person or the addition of spokespeople at a minimum creates confusion and may signal a lack of confidence or, even worse, the necessity of having a second spokesperson because the first is unwilling to make a particular comment.

A second reason is very practical. Speaking to the press, especially in a crisis situation, is not an easy task. Let the person who has already been in the trenches continue in this role rather than risk putting a rookie on the firing line. Experience counts, very much, in this case.

The third reason is a bit more strategic. Designating a spokesperson can provide a useful "ring fence" around key executives who, if made available to the press, might easily be placed in a corner, unable to credibly limit their comments to only the core message. Example: the chief financial officer would find it hard to avoid direct questions on financial practices, whereas the single spokesperson can credibly say that he/she does not know but will check and get back to the reporter. At a minimum, the organization gets some breathing room to evaluate whether or not it wants to add a secondary message.

Any company that is midsized or larger should have an established spokesperson. This is someone who should not necessarily be limited to his/her innate communication skills. I highly recommend media training for those executives who will be the public spokesperson in times of crisis. These sessions are usually a daylong, should involve "real-life" simulations on videotape and include active coaching by a qualified media trainer.

In selecting your corporate spokesperson, look for somebody who is by nature low-key and self assured.. You need somebody who can remain calm while all those about him/her are about to wet their pants. The pressure of media spokesperson duties at the head of crisis is significant.

Finally, it is entirely appropriate to retain the services of a public relations consultant to serve as spokesperson. In fact, this could be a good option for small or midsize companies who do not have a well-developed public relations function. Typically, such a person is engaged on an hourly basis, is basically familiar with the companies line of business, and is on-call to respond in a crisis situation.

And so ends my five-part discourse on crisis communications. I hope you found it helpful. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you don't have a crisis communications plan in place I strongly urge you to develop one.

Till next time...

Crisis Management Key # 5: Thou Shalt Have But One Spokesperson

As any media crisis progresses, the temptation will arise to diversify the spokesperson duties. In a game of tennis, this would be called an unforced error.

Why stick with one spokesperson? For openers, the special intensity and charge that exist around the media crisis tends to "bond" both media people and consumers with the one person who has been the initial public face of the company. A change in spokes person or the addition of spokespeople at a minimum creates confusion and may signal a lack of confidence or, even worse, the necessity of having a second spokesperson because the first is unwilling to make a particular comment.

A second reason is very practical. Speaking to the press, especially in a crisis situation, is not an easy task. Let the person who has already been in the trenches continue in this role rather than risk putting a rookie on the firing line. Experience counts, very much, in this case.

The third reason is a bit more strategic. Designating a spokesperson can provide a useful "ring fence" around key executives who, if made available to the press, might easily be placed in a corner, unable to credibly limit their comments to only the core message. Example: the chief financial officer would find it hard to avoid direct questions on financial practices, whereas the single spokesperson can credibly say that he/she does not know but will check and get back to the reporter. At a minimum, the organization gets some breathing room to evaluate whether or not it wants to add a secondary message.

Any company that is midsized or larger should have an established spokesperson. This is someone who should not necessarily be limited to his/her innate communication skills. I highly recommend media training for those executives who will be the public spokesperson in times of crisis. These sessions are usually a daylong, should involve "real-life" simulations on videotape and include active coaching by a qualified media trainer.

In selecting your corporate spokesperson, look for somebody who is by nature low-key and self assured.. You need somebody who can remain calm while all those about him/her are about to wet their pants. The pressure of media spokesperson duties at the head of crisis is significant.

Finally, it is entirely appropriate to retain the services of a public relations consultant to serve as spokesperson. In fact, this could be a good option for small or midsize companies who do not have a well-developed public relations function. Typically, such a person is engaged on an hourly basis, is basically familiar with the companies line of business, and is on-call to respond in a crisis situation.

And so ends my five-part discourse on crisis communications. I hope you found it helpful. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you don't have a crisis communications plan in place I strongly urge you to develop one.

Till next time...

Crisis Management Key #4: Find Your Core Message and Stay On It... Relentlessly

A common, and needless, complication in crisis key occasions is variable messaging.

This can be a fatal malady... anyone from an opposing attorney to an enterprising journalist will be happy to point out inconsistency in messaging from a company besieged by a crisis.

Companies that do not have the discipline of a crisis communications plan are at risk for messaging that wanders reactively as a crisis progresses. This breeds mistrust on the part of the media and the public alike and should be avoided at all cost.

So, as soon as the fact-finding phase of crisis communications management is complete, the crisis team must work diligently to articulate the "one true thing" that it wants to communicate about the crisis.

Core messages should be brief, direct and simple. Some examples:

"XYZ Company has launched a full review of this incident and will report its findings at a later date"

"ABC Company regrets the tragic incident that occurred at our plant today and extends sincere condolences to the family of our employee"

"PQD Company denies the allegations raised in the lawsuit filed today and is confident that a fair-minded jury will find that no wrongdoing has occurred"

Short. Direct. Credible. That's what a good core messages be.

Once you have your core message established, the art of the game is to stay on it... relentlessly. Your core message should be the first thing in the last thing you utter any media encounter. I know, it sounds a bit robotic, but trust me it works.

Core messages are accompanied by secondary and steering messages. A secondary message is merely an amplification of detail and context as warranted by media coverage and is guided by legal counsel. It's about putting some flesh on the bone.

Steering messages are rhetorical strategies that allow a spokesperson to safely and surely return to the core message when an inquiring reporter raises the question that you cannot safely answer at that time. A simple example: "it would be premature to speculate on that question, but PQD Company denies the allegations raised in the lawsuit filed today and we are confident that a fair-minded jury will find no wrongdoing has occurred"

See? You haven't refused to answer the question, and you have reinforced your core message.

So I hope you get the point here. Find your core message early in a crisis and keep faith with it throughout the crisis. That strategy will never let you down.

Crisis Management Key # 3: In the Court of Public Opinion, Silence Equates to Guilt

If I were a lawyer (I’m so happy for you I'm not), I might complain that there's no due process in the Court of Public Opinion. The sad reality is that in a crisis involving a business, service organization or nonprofit, the news media will approach their coverage looking to put the black hat on the “bad guy”... and guess who the leading candidate almost always is?

Decades of 60 Minutes-style journalism have trained the public to expect the worst from companies and corporations when crises arise. Unfortunately, this bias is only strengthened and confirmed by the pro forma "no comment" posture that many companies reflexively retreat to when the media inquiries begin.

So, to successfully manage communications during a crisis, you must be willing to come out of the foxhole and present your side of the issue. Failure to do so invariably leads to damage to the company's brand and credibility.

Okay, okay….. I know what you're thinking... what lawyer on God's green earth is going to let me say anything to the press during a crisis which carries with it legal implications? The answer is, most will if you take the time to explain the dynamics of public opinion.

You need to get the lawyers head out of the law library and into the reality of news coverage. You might begin by reviewing the rules of the road when it comes to crisis communications:

Rule 1: The event will get covered whether you participate or not.


Rule 2: Your choice is to remain silent and let the other side frame public perception of the event OR to speak up and ensure that media coverage reflects your voice and views.

Rule 3: Thoughtful coordination with legal counsel will yield usable content for release to the news media... no matter what the issue.


So... the moral of the story is never, never, ever retreat to a "no comment" mode of communication. No lawyer should object to minimalist statements such as "we recognize the significance of this event" or "we are carefully reviewing this incident" or we regret this tragic incident and extend our condolences to those affected". Always say something. Never let a lawyer muzzle you into a corner from which you'll never escape publicly.

Crisis Management Key #2: Know the Facts Before You Say Anything

Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But, you’d be surprised how many executives can plunge into a public comment as ill-informed as Custer was before he led 300 soldiers into perhaps the most poorly considered military offensive in history... against 5000 plus Native Americans who were seeking to avoid placement on reservations.

Lets face it, the adrenaline-inducing environment of a crisis can loosen even the most seasoned executive’s lips... they perhaps have been answering questions from police or medical personnel... or have been notifying legal and insurance counsel.

Into this environment can enter the news media... full of questions and invariably on some drop dead deadline. Too often, we can place the news media on a pedestal and feel as if we should cooperate instantly with their needs.

The problem is, once you say something to the news media you cannot take it back. This has implications far beyond the PR arena... just ask any lawyer who's been confronted with a news clip months later in a court or deposition setting.

So I advise my clients to make sure fact-finding is the very first activity to take place once the crisis communications plan has been activated. Fact-finding needs to be conducted in a disciplined and measured fashion... no matter how stressful or exciting the environment has become. And, it doesn't have to take a lot of time... you just have to know what and who to ask.

I give my clients a checklist for fact-finding. Again, the checklist will vary depending on the nature of the organization or company but here is a basic list that could at least get you going:

1) What happened, when, where, to whom, by whom?

2) Which laws or regulatory requirements, if any, were violated in the incident?

3) Which company guidelines or policies were violated in the incident?

4) What is the exact nature of any collateral property damage or personal injury associated with the event?

5) What were the procedural or human factors that led to the event?

Again, the list can go on and on but I think you get the point. And, the point is "knowledge is very definitely power" when it comes to getting in front of a developing crisis.

Crisis Management Key #1: Define What Constitutes a Crisis Before a Crisis Happens

Note to readers: Over the course of a 30 year career in public relations, I've had the opportunity to manage scores of crisis communication situations... from relatively minor scenarios all the way to the death of a public official and the resulting investigation by ABC 20/20. Along the way, I learned that there are five keys to managing a communications crisis… proven techniques that I'm happy to share with my readers.

Believe it or not, many organizations slip into a communications crisis without even being aware that it is happening...until it's too late to get in front of it. Equal measures of poor internal communication, management denial or just plain ignorance of what the news media will cover can combine to paralyze an organization as a crisis develops.

I counsel my clients to have a crisis communications plan in place and to have all managers familiar with it. And the heart of a good crisis communications plan is the definition of what I call "triggering events". An organization that is able to pre-define a crisis situation is an organization that will be able to manage it effectively.

Of course, triggering events will vary depending on the nature of the organization or business. But just to get you started, here are several events that I believe are universal in their applicability:

1) The death or injury of any person on company premises

2) The arrival of police at the company... for whatever reason

3) The loss of regulatory or accreditation status or any form of regulatory intervention

4) The arrest of a company employee for any reason

5) Service of a lawsuit of any kind on the organization or company

I could go on and on with examples of triggering events... but I think you get the idea. Think inside and outside of the box to identify possible negative events and incidents and put them on the list of your triggering events.

Remember, the only purpose of defining triggering events to know when to activate your organization’s crisis communications plan. Whether it's 30 minutes or 24 hours, any time for planning and preparation can spell the difference between being part of a news story or becoming the victim of a news story.