Rawle Murdy’s Melissa Flynn Published in PRSA’s Tactics Publication
| March 30, 2009
First Response: The Importance of Acting Within Minutes, Not Hours
By Melissa Flynn, APR, Vice President /Director of Public Relations
How a company handles the first 24 hours after a crisis is critical. Experienced PR practitioners have learned this lesson firsthand.
I remember sitting around a conference room crisis table into the early morning hours while strategizing about that first press release that would be sent out the next day: How would we frame the situation? Who is the best spokesperson? Who needs to hear what ? and when? What are the potential reactions and pitfalls we were likely to encounter?
We planned and we acted fast or so we thought.
Today, one might argue that it?s not the first 24 hours we should be worrying about and plan for, it?s the first 24 minutes (or in some cases, seconds).
This is because social media have revolutionized how we communicate. We have the ability to share what we see, what we hear and what we think about any situation with millions of others especially during big events or crises and have our observations seen and opinions heard. More importantly, anyone and everyone is a credible source until proven otherwise.
Perhaps the biggest implication of social media online community-building sites like Facebook and microblogs like Twitter is that the 24 hours we take to frame the story in the best possible light for our company or client is often now in the hands of citizen reporters who immediately want the facts.
Thanks to the growing presence of blogs, wikis, and instant messenger services, you don’t have a whole day to strategize that first response. Crisis conversations begin as fast as the crises themselves.
Probably one of the best examples of good Web 2.0 crisis communications came after Jeff Jarvis?s series of blog postings entitled “Dell Hell.” Jarvis detailed his nightmarish experience with Dell’s customer service department on his blog a move that shared his story to thousands (including the media), and in turn, damaged Dell’s reputation.
While the reaction could have been quicker, Dell set a precedent. Rather than responding in a traditional way, such as issuing a statement of apology or ignoring the online chatter, it embraced the new media that caused the riff and put innovative programs in place to improve customer service.
More recently, US Airways? handling of Flight 1549′s crash in the Hudson River shows why crisis-savvy companies are ready to act within minutes, rather than hours. When ferry passenger Janis Krums broke the story via iPhone/Twitpie, US Airways launched twitter.com/usairways within an hour, directing people to MSNBC.MSN.com for breaking news on the situation, tweeting information about passengers for family members, and thanking the now-famous pilot, Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III.? Yet according to some PR pros, waiting even an hour to respond was too long.
A caveat, however, is that new media?s pervasiveness does not mean that tried-and-true strategies and tools ? such as traditional media relations, editorial board meetings, and proactive op-eds ? are irrelevant. In my view, it’s the opposite. Our toolbox simply has grown larger and communication is quicker and more direct.
I’ve discussed this with long-time PR practitioners, and the general consensus is that although the playing field has changed, the focus is on being nimble, more strategic and faster on our feet it’s less about the tools.
Keeping all of this in mind, here are a few considerations when facing a crisis in today?s consumer-led environment:
Think like a reporter, not a PR person
The whole premise of sites like Twitter and Pownce is to express succinct thoughts ? in Twitter’s case, 140 characters or less meaning every tweet is essentially a headline. If PR practitioners are to join the dialogue and use this tool, we need to think and talk in a similar way. No two-page releases or poetic rhetoric we need to force ourselves to communicate like reporters and keep our messages short, transparent and to the point.
Be ready to move fast and make tough decisions
Handling crises in this new media world is a test of agility. Whereas in the past we might have had time to consult all of the executives about how to tackle a tough issue, the rapid pace of communication now forces PR people to act much faster and unilaterally to trust our gut feelings. This also reinforces the need for strong key messages and premeditated Q-and-A that can be reshaped and reused in a moment?s notice.
Expose yourself
PR practitioners are good at working behind the scenes. We relish quietly crafting the messages that are used in speeches and sound bites. However, to be effective with social media, you must be entirely transparent putting yourself and your company in the public eye in a direct, authentic way. No middle person, no nebulous statements, no dragging your feet.