Crisis communication resources to help you protect your revenue, reputation, and brand.
Effective crisis communications when “it” hits the fan.
Welcome to Our Crisis Communication Blog
Our blog is filled with deep resources to help with your crisis communication needs. Whether you are writing a crisis communication plan, seeking the best media training tips, or digging for case studies on crisis situations, you’ll find it here. Our goal is to give you all of the public relations resources you need to protect your revenue, reputation, and brand.
For those of you who love DIY and taking on a challenge, we’ve worked really hard to give you a good road map to follow. However, sometimes the fastest option is to bring in a pro. If that’s the case, we’re fully vaccinated and we’re ready to meet your needs, anywhere and anytime.
When a crisis hits, should you be engaging on social media with your clients, customers, and stakeholders? Is it better to comment, provide updates, and feedback on social media or to stay silent? Is it the BEST crisis communications tool or just part of your communications toolbox?
As a crisis communications expert, I’m taking the pulse of two public relations professionals in the rural electric cooperative industry, to hear their experience with social media and how companies who have decided to use it, and who have decided not to use it have faired in the unique and individual crises they have faced.
Crisis communications and media training expert Gerard Braud, CSP, Fellow IEC is based in New Orleans. Organizations on five continents have relied on him to write their crisis communications plans and to train their spokespeople. He is the author of “Don’t Talk to the Media Until…”
https://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/YouTube-Thumbnail-Master-Class-Nov.-5.png14402560gbraudhttps://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Logo-white-01-300x138.pnggbraud2020-11-09 15:54:022021-05-18 02:26:40Is Social Media a Good Tool for Crisis Communications?
Sexiest, teasing headline you’ve ever read, huh? Makes you want to put on your old t-shirt that says, “Only Real Men & Women Do Regular Vulnerability Assessments.”
Joking aside, you need to get on this. Here is the how and why…
We’re 8-9 months into a crisis that should have ended somewhere in the 90 to 120 day range.
Early on, it was your only crisis to manage and for which you had to communicate. I’m proud of you. After the first surge of communications, many organizations fell into COVID fatigue. That was followed by COVID limbo.
But now COVID-19 is part of a compound crisis and it is your responsibility to assess the threats and vulnerabilities that your organization could face next.
Here’s What’s Changed
Generally in the world of public relations and crisis communications, an expert would say the first and the best thing you should do as part of the crisis communication process is to assess every vulnerability that could affect the revenue, reputation, and brand of your organization.
Your initial Vulnerability Assessment is Step 1, and it becomes your roadmap for your next four steps, which include:
Step 2: Writing your crisis communications plan
Step 3: Writing a library of pre-written statements for your employees, media, customers, community, and other stakeholders.
Step 4: Media training your spokespeople (including virtual training)
Traditionally you would do an initial Vulnerability Assessment, followed by quarterly meetings with managers to identify and prepare for new or emerging vulnerabilities. For example, COVID-19 was not really on anyone’s Vulnerability Assessment one year ago. Nine months ago at your quarterly meeting, COVID-19 and all of the issues around it should have been added to your list.
Once on the list, you would update your crisis communications plan if necessary, adding pre-written news releases for COVID-19 protocol, response, outbreaks, and potential fatalities.
More is Better
We’re now recommending to our clients that the frequency should be increased from quarterly to monthly, because most organizations are facing compound crises, such as COVID + hurricane, COVID + wildfires, COVID + you name it.
COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon. Please prepare for what comes next. Please step up the frequency of your Vulnerability Assessments.
Crisis communications and media training expert Gerard Braud, CSP, Fellow IEC is based in New Orleans. Organizations on five continents have relied on him to write their crisis communications plans and to train their spokespeople. He is the author of “Don’t Talk to the Media Until…”
https://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Screen-Shot-2020-10-20-at-5.12.44-PM.png290513gbraudhttps://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Logo-white-01-300x138.pnggbraud2020-10-21 10:21:412021-05-18 02:27:41Your October Assignment: The Truth About Vulnerability Assessments During COVID-19
It was both the weirdest and most challenging presentation to prepare for. After years of preparing my presentations for PRSA, this particular presentation for PRSA ICON2020 has adapted and evolved in a number of ways due to the smoldering COVID-19 crisis.
What I can promise to you crisis communications and public relations professionals, is valuable lessons on what has gone right, what has gone wrong, what we can do moving forward, case studies, tools, and takeaways that you can start using immediately in your organization.
Use this link to schedule a free, private call, or in other words, a virtual “drink” with me after the presentation to debrief, discuss, and ask questions: https://calendly.com/braud/15min
https://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/PRSA-ICON2020-Gerard-braud.jpg480640gbraudhttps://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Logo-white-01-300x138.pnggbraud2020-10-19 10:25:432021-05-18 02:29:1010 a.m. Update – Hurricane Zeta will be hitting me today. I am evacuating. I may or may not be on the chat during the presentation. Feel free to Tweet to me real-time @gbraud or email me real-time at gerard@braudcommunications.com and I will answer your questions. Crisis Communications in the Age of COVID-19: PRSA ICON 2020 Presentation
The brain remembers three things better than five. That is why the Rule of Threes is a foundation of media training. So when key medical experts testified before Congress recently, the nit-picker in me appreciated their five tips for preventing the spread of Covid-19, yet I know that a minor shift to three tips could result in more effective crisis communications.
The doctors all suggested:
Wear a mask
Wash your hands frequently
Practice social distancing
Avoid crowds at businesses, bars, and social gatherings
Avoid large family gatherings
Although their advice seems fairly straightforward, as a professional media trainer and crisis communications expert, I am always examining how to communicate more effectively in a crisis.
Watch the video to learn how you can convert these five points into three key messages to clearly explain the guidelines in a way that the spokesperson can easily remember, and listeners can easily remember, using the Rule of Threes, and our Key Message Tree mind-mapping model.
This media training model can be applied to every event for every spokesperson. When you apply the Rule of Threes, your media training will be far more effective.
Crisis communications and media training expert Gerard Braud, CSP, Fellow IEC is based in New Orleans. Organizations on five continents have relied on him to write their crisis communications plans and to train their spokespeople. He is the author of “Don’t Talk to the Media Until…”
https://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Screen-Shot-2020-08-17-at-9.09.53-AM.png361719gbraudhttps://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Logo-white-01-300x138.pnggbraud2020-08-17 10:58:062021-05-18 03:00:56Media Training for Covid-19 Key Messages: Rule of Threes
Crisis communications surrounding Covid-19 has been difficult. Why is it that you can put a medical expert in front of the media and they have difficulty landing your crisis communications message?
From a communications standpoint, it comes down to:
facts
passion
outrage, and
fear.
Before reading this blog further, watch the INTRO to the video which describes the disclaimer, my personal bias, and my personal goal for putting out this message:
Now, imagine if a medical expert got on television and made the impassioned plea below: (Note, the entire plea is demonstrated in today’s video for training purposes.)
“The daily death toll from Covid-19 in the United States is like five Boeing 737 Max 8 jets crashing every day and killing everyone on board.
Think about this. Governments around the world were outraged that 346 people died in two crashes of 737 Max 8 jets. Governments and airlines banned the planes from flying because 346 people died.
Yet here we are, in the middle of a pandemic, and there is no outrage when the number of people who die each day in the United States is equal to five jets crashing each day.
The number of people who have died since the onset of the pandemic in the United States in March is equal to 750 jets crashing and killing everyone on board.
As a country, would we sit idly by if five jets crashed every day?
As a country, would we be outraged if 750 jets fell out of the sky and killed 150,000 U.S. Citizens?
We would not stand for it.
If terrorists shot down five jets every day in the United States and killed 1,000 people, would we not declare war?
If terrorists killed 150,000 U.S. Citizens over five months, would we not mobilize every bit of energy we have as a united nation to stop them from taking one more life?
So then why is it that we are okay with letting 1,000 U.S. Citizens die every day from a disease that we can fight and stop?
So then why is it that we are okay with letting 150,000 U.S. Citizens die in five months from a disease that we can fight and stop?”
(Footnote: An Axios poll release while I am writing this says 30% of Americans believe the numbers I just used from the CDC are inflated.)
The opposing viewpoint has been effectively using the analogy that says:
“Covid-19 deaths are no different than the deaths we see every year from the common flu.”
The second analogy about the flu has stuck with about one-third of Americans, according to polls.
Here are three reasons why one side has been more successful in messaging:
Medical experts are trying to sell scientific facts.
Medical experts are failing to sell compelling fear or outrage.
and #3 … and this is a big one… those with opposing views have done a better job of getting out front with their own analogies first.
And I’ll add this point to number 3 — Those who have been selling their analogies better, have sold them as a dismissive message to an audience that is usually motivated by fear. In other words, people who are normally motivated and inspired by fear are being told, “You have nothing to fear.”
— Now before you start wondering if this blog is motivated by my politics, the answer is no. For more than 25 years I’ve worked to share crisis communications strategies with you and this is just one more lesson.
It should be noted, that in most crises, there are not two opposing arguments. For example, when a jet crashes and kills all 200 people on board, the President, members of Congress, Governors, and elected officials are not standing in front of the media saying,
“It’s just one jet. More people die every day from the flu than died in that airplane crash.”
So no, this is not a blog that takes sides on the issue because of politics. It is a blog about how to be effective in your crisis communications.
Where did my airplane crash analogy come from? Recently on a television news program, a doctor was trying to use the analogy, but he failed to land the analogy. The doctor failed because his delivery of the analogy lacked passion, fear, and outrage.
So here are the realities as I write this on July 26, 2020:
Many passenger jets carry 200 people.
The 737 Max 8 was pulled from service after two crashes killed 346 people.
Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. at this point have reached daily death tolls of 1,000 people.
In conclusion:
Analogies are a great way to communicate.
Analogies that tap into fear and outrage can be more effective.
If you use analogies, you must sell the message with passion and outrage.
When your analogy is compelling, others will use it.
We’ve watched the viral spread of the analogy that Covid-19 deaths are no different than the flu. Let’s watch to see if the analogy about the airline crash takes off.
Crisis communications and media training expert Gerard Braud, CSP, Fellow IEC is based in New Orleans. Organizations on five continents have relied on him to write their crisis communications plans and to train their spokespeople. He is the author of “Don’t Talk to the Media Until…”
https://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/COVID19-LIKE-JET-CRASH-Crisis-expert-Gerard-Braud.png5121024gbraudhttps://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Logo-white-01-300x138.pnggbraud2020-07-27 13:36:552021-05-18 03:15:53“Covid-19 Death Toll is Like 5 Boeing 737 Max 8 Jets Crashing Every Day:” Crisis Communications Tips to Land Analogies
Think of social media as a compass. A compass has 360 degrees or points on it. If you face one direction, the opposite direction is 180 degrees from you.
In social media, any time you take a position on a topic, you can be assured that someone else has an opinion 180 degrees away from you – or the exact opposite opinion. And for that much, if we keep with the compass analogy, if you were to put 360 social media participants in a virtual space, you can bet that no two feel exactly the same. Each has a different opinion, ranging from just one or two degrees off to being 180 degrees away – or feeling exactly the opposite of someone else. You can see some of the digital impact of #blacklivesmatter, #metoo, and other social justice hashtags on social media here.
The media loves to report what people think on social media. Rather than conducting a scientific poll to measure public opinion, television reporters and producers turn to Facebook and Twitter to report how people feel about any issue. This replaces a previous disturbing, sad trend of the “man on the street interview.” This is where a television reporter hopelessly stands on a street corner trying to get sound bites from random people, to fill a hole in a new story.
Years ago, stories would have run on the news and people would have voiced their opinions at the office water cooler, at the corner bar, or at the beauty parlor.
Social media is a virtual office water cooler, corner bar and beauty parlor all connected to the world’s largest amplifier.
Add to it that search engines and hashtags allow the amplification to be searched and then amplified through the television news media, which means the television media will tell you what people think.
Sadly, and with a degree of bias, the media tell you what they think the prevailing thoughts are, even though my compass analogy tells you that whatever one person thinks about one issue, someone else thinks something slightly or very different. For example, for each person who believes people must wear masks in public to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, there is another person who believes they should not have to, or that the use of masks is not helpful to prevent the spread.
Social media is full of opinions. Many of us have heard a variety of quotes about opinions. They range from the mild, “Opinions are like Belly Buttons, everybody has one;” to the slightly more crude, “Opinions are like farts. Just because you have one doesn’t mean you have to let it out;” to the even more crude analogy I heard during my television news career, “Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one and thinks that everyone else’s stinks.” (Google “Opinion Quotes” to see countless more.)
The sad reality is the media, for nearly 20 years, has laid inflammatory opinions out for the public to hear, just to fuel a degree of outrage, so that people keep talking about what they heard on the news and where they heard it. News Talk Radio pioneered it and I’d say Rush Limbaugh turned it into an ugly ratings bonanza, copied by local talk radio, which has then been copied by Fox News and CNN each time they assemble a group of pundits who scream at each other with opposing views.
So how does this affect you if you are in PR and communications, working for a corporation, non-profit organization or government agency?
First, you must be more aware than ever that you will be judged harshly by critics for any and everything done by your organization, its executives, and its employees. Your efforts at good news publicity will be condemned by naysayers. Your future crises will become the focal point for public hostility in social media. I predict that someday in the not too distant future, companies will go out of business simply because of public pressure on social media.
Long term, your company could see serious damage to both reputation and revenue because of social media pressure. You could be forced to apologize for harmless acts or actions that capture the ire of social media.
In conclusion, every corporation, non-profit organization and government agency, and the executives and employees of each, face tougher scrutiny than ever. The time is now to rethink your media relations, social media and crisis communications strategies. What got no attention in the past will be more amplified than ever in the most costly ways.
Rethinking your media relations, social media, and crisis communications strategies can be extremely difficult and time-consuming, so these videos can walk you through it. View 5 Steps to Effective Crisis Communications here.
Crisis communications and media training expert Gerard Braud, CSP, Fellow IEC is based in New Orleans. Organizations on five continents have relied on him to write their crisis communications plans and to train their spokespeople. He is the author of “Don’t Talk to the Media Until…”
https://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/thomas-de-luze-TeNuVVERtk4-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg25601707gbraudhttps://braudcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Logo-white-01-300x138.pnggbraud2020-07-23 12:50:522021-05-18 03:16:29Avoid Social Media Scrutiny, Save Your Brand
