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Looking at the news today, one crisis situation sticks out the most to me: Murder-suicide at college.
My first thought is that all colleges are affected by situations like this one. As a college student, my immediate thought is “this could happen here too.” I can’t imagine how a parent might feel.
A student was shot at Henry Ford Community College last Friday. The shooter then shot himself.
The school quickly used its emergency cell phone and e-mail system to alert students. Classes later in the day were cancelled.
Having worked for a university’s public relations department, I know how important student safety is. Central Michigan University has an emergency alert system that students can sign up for to receive e-mail, text or a phone call in the case of an emergency. At the beginning of the fall semester, we had computers in the university center and encouraged students and their parents to sign up.
The front page of the HFCC Web site. The first two paragraphs conscisely explain what happened. Below it is the “important information” section about classes resuming, grief counseling, the closing of the building that the shooting took place in, and information about contributions to the funeral. This is followed by a two-paragraph message from the president.
At the 2008 PRSSA National Conference, I sat through a session with Jeffrey Douglas, who handled the Virginia Tech shootings and have written a blog post about it.
Although this is a much smaller event, I recall Douglas’ discussion about the school’s Web site. It was one of the most important places to have information available for the students. I think this school has done a great job with it.
I haven’t been able to find much additional information about the crisis yet. It seemed to have been handled efficiently at HFCC. But, I think other schools are going to be doing their own crisis communication to reassure students and parents that their campuses are safe and that there are systems in place in case of emergency.
Crisis Communication 101
Posted on: April 13, 2009
The chairman and CEO of Mattel, Inc., Robert A. Eckert, speaks at the University of Arizona about his crisis communication with toy recalls in this recorded lecture. I think it gives an interesting view on how companies handle crises.
First of all, skip to 5:12 (unless you want to hear the dean speak and then hear about the speaker’s summer vacation).
Lead paint and powerful magnets are two things that have caused dangerous problems to children in the toy industry.
If you don’t want to watch the entire lecture, below are the subjects and times. If anything, at least watch 29:00 to 33:25 about the lessons Mattel learned about the recall crisis.
- About the failure of a routine lead paint test and what they did (12:50)
– Recalled 83 toys
– Followed by another recall two weeks later - Recalled magnet toys that did not meet standards (15:20)
– Newspaper ads, letter from Eckert to reach publics and video from Eckert
-The media coverage about the 9 million toy recall (18:40-25:15) - Regulators and Legislators (25:16)
– Public hearing conclusion by Senator Durbin (27:05) - Scope of the situation (28:25)
- Lessons learned (29:00-33:25)
- Results (33:26)
- Q&A (35:10)
Crisis Communications Insights
Posted on: April 13, 2009
Check out this short video, Corporate Advisory Insight: Crisis Communications, by Thomson Reuters for tips and pointers on handling a crisis.
Here are a few points I learned from Arzu Cevik :
- Be proactive
Know how things work within your organization and start building relationships with the media before a crisis hits. Also, have a team of people ready to delegate important tasks to. - Know what is going on
What is actually happening? What can we tell people? How does this affect the public and other stakeholders? - Be consistent
Convey one simple, consistent message and be prepared to answer the tough questions.
Genentech could have a possible crisis on its hands due to the recent public health advisory for its drug Raptiva, which treats psoriasis. The company appears to be handling it well.
WebMD says, “According to the FDA, there have been three confirmed and one possible case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in people taking Raptiva; three of those people died.”
The FDA issued a warning about Raptiva last October.
There is not yet much information about this. In the articles I have come across have responses from spokespeople, who assure readers that Genentech is working with the FDA.
I think this could evolve into a problem if Raptiva is found to be the cause of PML, and if more people die from the drug.
Facebook backs into a “Bill of Rights
Controversy followed the reorganization of Facebook’s terms of service last week.
I recall seeing several posts on Twitter about “Facebook TOS.” There also were many blog posts and coverage in traditional media.
Facebook handled this crisis well. As criticism became apparent, Facebook polled users and then evaluated the options. Further work could be done to clarify the new terms of service, or, Facebook could return to its previous terms of service.
I think returning to its previous terms of service was the best choice. Facebook let its users know that their concerns were heard. Facebook also found ways to take action. It is inviting users to contribute to the next terms of service.
Lastly, the Facebook founder and CEO was visible. He wrote a blog post about the concerns of the users.
I just came across “Ask the Professor: Sorry! An apology as a strategic PR tool” in Public Relations Tactics (12/2007) by John Guiniven, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA.
Here are three key points I picked up from the article:
- Relationships are important and sometimes an apology is the best way to get it back on track.
- The legal department might say no. Sometimes you should listen to them, but make sure they can justify why you shouldn’t apologize.
- Don’t just say, “We were wrong and we’re sorry.” Someone needs to take responsibility, tell them how the problem will be fixed and why it won’t happen again.
Motrin Moms – Case Study
Posted on: January 28, 2009
- In: Case Study
- 3 Comments
Motrin Moms
Case Study
Crisis Description
In September, Motrin launched a new ad campaign online and in magazines. The ad, which you can see above, focuses on how wearing a baby can give you a backache. It also gives the impression that baby slings are worn as a fashion statement.
After the ad aired, there was an online explosion of negative PR. One story in USA Today said it perfectly: “Offended moms get tweet revenge over Motrin ads.” The controversy also was one of Advertising Age’s Stories of the Year.
Jessica Gottlieb posted her response to the ad on Twitter, a popular micro-blogging platform. A Twitter hashtag, #MotrinMoms, began to be used when other moms joined the conversation.
The viral controversy spread throughout the various social media outlets. Women, like this one, posted their response on YouTube. There are currently more than 1,300 members of the Facebook group boyotting Motrin.
A graph of the viral activity is available here.
The ad agency wasn’t really aware of what was going on at first, according to Joyce Schwarz.
Social Media Communication
This crisis is a great lesson in how quickly things can go viral through social media. Social media offers the opportunity to engage and enter in a dialogue with an audience. You can see a graph of the viral activity here.
With the rise of social media, companies need to begin to at least track what is being said on blogs, Twitter and other media. They also should consider taking part in social media in order to build relationships with their audiences.
Shannon Paul, who works in new media communications, said in a blog post, “At some point, merely listening won’t be enough. More brands, especially big brands, will either need to learn to engage in social media culture at all levels, or enlist the help of social media natives to carry the message to the community.”
Crisis Communication
The apology below (from the Mom 101 blog) was sent to some of the bloggers who protested the campaign.
I am the Vice President of Marketing for McNeil Consumer Healthcare. I have responsibility for the Motrin Brand, and am responding to concerns about recent advertising on our website. I am, myself, a mom of 3 daughters.
We certainly did not mean to offend moms through our advertising. Instead, we had intended to demonstrate genuine sympathy and appreciation for all that parents do for their babies. We believe deeply that moms know best and we sincerely apologize for disappointing you. Please know that we take your feedback seriously and will take swift action with regard to this ad. We are in process of removing it from our website. It will take longer, unfortunately, for it to be removed from magazine print as it is currently on newstands and in distribution.
This apology was on Motrin’s Web site (found at this blog):
With regard to the recent Motrin advertisement, we have heard you.
On behalf of McNeil Consumer Healthcare and all of us who work on the Motrin Brand, please accept our sincere apology.
We have heard your complaints about the ad that was featured on our website. We are parents ourselves and take feedback from moms very seriously.
We are in the process of removing this ad from all media. It will, unfortunately, take a bit of time to remove it from our magazine advertising, as it is on newsstands and in distribution.
Thank you for your feedback. Its very important to us.”
Sincerely,
Kathy Widmer
Vice President of Marketing
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
Seth Godin said that the apology sounded as if it was put together by a committee. Blueprint Creative Group said there was a need for a more sincere statement.
Advertising Age’s Tom Martin said Motrin may have overreacted. By simply “shutting down,” Motrin missed out on an opportunity to engage in a conversation with its consumers. According to Wired, only about 1,000 Twitter users responded, out of an estimated 3 million users.
Comparing to Other Situations
In crisis communication, the apology to an audience is very important. It gives the company an opportunity to acknowledge the problem and inform the audience of how the problem will be fixed. Motrin might have looked to other controversial crises for ideas.
In a 2007 crisis, JetBlue’s CEO gave an unscripted apology after its crisis (Public Relations Strategist, 2007).
Motrin’s vice president of marketing was the one to apologize in this situation, which was appropriate since it was an ad campaign controversy. But, it also might have helped if the CEO was more involved.
In the Rutgers University crisis, President Francis Lawrence made an apology in a statement to the press, then in 48,000 letters to the community and also in person at campus meetings. He also focused on open meetings with his constituents (Public Relations Strategist, 1995).
But, if Motrin had done more than apologize online (for example, if they had done a live press conference), more attention would have been drawn to the ad. This would have increased awareness of the problem and may have caused more of a problem.
Motrin did keep the apology short and did not try to justify their actions. Motrin also stated what was to be done to correct the situation, which is another important factor in crisis communication and apologies.
What could have been done differently
One problem was the slowness of updating a Web site.
“If your site has to be taken down in order to respond to a crisis, re-design it so that it can be updated quickly and easily without having to throw your organization and agencies into a panic,” said David Armano on Logic + Emotion.
I think that having an established social media presence also would have been immensely helpful for Motrin.
Blueprint Creative Group said in a post that you need to monitor more than just traditional media. Tracking social media conversations about your company is very important. Google Alerts and Twitter Alerts are easy ways to this.
If I were in Motrin’s PR department, I would suggest starting a parenting blog sponsored by Motrin. The blog wouldn’t write about Motrin, but focus more on useful parenting tips and maybe feature some of the more prominent “mommy bloggers.”
After establishing a blog presence, Motrin could expand its audience with micro parenting tips and ideas through Twitter. A credible Twitter account would have assisted in a more immediate response to the tweets about the ad campaign.
The blog also would have a secondary purpose: giving Motrin access to its target audience. Motrin would have the opportunity to feel out ad campaigns before launching them.
For example, Motrin could have found out what mothers think about baby slings if they had been using social media. Motrin would have then realized the ad campaign was off target if they had been utilizing a social media community through a blog or Twitter account.
Sandra Fathi, president of Affect Strategies and chair of the New Media and Technology Committee of PRSA’s New York Chapter, said Twitter can be used to foster customer loyalty (Public Relations Tactics, 2008).
“Companies can search tweets from their customers to see what questions and critiques they may have,” Fathi said.
With reputation management, “companies can search tweets from their customers to see what questions and critiques they may have,” (Fathi, 2008).
In regards to trends and news, Twitter is “a great place to listen to chatter in the market and follow key influencers to learn what they are discovering on a daily basis,” (Fathi).
If Motrin had kept its eye on social media before, the company may have realized the negative feedback before it turned into a crisis.
Sources
News Sources:
Industry Sources:
- Did Motrin overreact to Twitter complaints? – Advertising Age
- J&J apologizes, says it missed the mark with Motrin mom ad – PR Week
- Motrin ad riles up mommy bloggers – PR Week
Blog Sources:
- Motrin’s mommy headache: A lesson in social media experimentation – Wired
- Moms give Motrin a headache – Logic + Emotion
- The groundswell gives Motrin a headache – Groundswell
- The Motrin Moms backlash by the numbers – Web Strategy by Jeremiah
- Motrin Moms – LA Moms Blog
- Data on the Motrin Moms outbreak – TruthyPR
- Motrin Moms: Social media fail whale – Mashable
- The Motrin storm: Breathtaking speed and scale – Neville Lobson
- You could say that IF you were one of us – Very Official Blog
- Bad PR rewinded: WWWD? Motrin’s expensive marketing mistake – Blueprint Creative Group
Print Sources:
Fathi, Sandra. (Oct. 2008). “From generating awareness to managing reputations: Why your company needs to Twitter.” Public Relations Tactics.
Langley, James M. (Winter 1995). Vol 1, No 4. “Lessons learned from Rutgers’ racial ruckus.” Public Relations Strategist.
The Syllabus
Posted on: January 24, 2009
The following is a syllabus and description of the course featured on this blog.
Crisis Communication & Management
COM 490: Independent Study
Syllabus by Rachel M. Esterline
Course Description:
This course focuses on crisis communication and management, emphasizing practical application of theories, strategies, and tactics from a public relations perspective.
Course Objectives:
- To understand the theories of crisis communication
- To critically analyze crisis communication case studies
- To competently utilize crisis communication and management strategies and tactics for detection, prevention, preparation, containment, and recovery.
- To be able to create a crisis communication plan
- To be able to transfer learned crisis communication and management skills to a real world context
Course Assignments:
- Case Study Analyses
- Critical analysis of case studies related to crisis communication and management
- Crises In The News
- Critical analysis of crisis situations showcased in the media
- Crisis Communication Plan
- Creation of crisis communication plan, preferably for local business or organization
- Professional Journal
- Professional journal, created through www.wordpress.com, will contain notes from readings, case study analyses assignments, crisis in the news assignments, and any other details related to class.
- Crisis Management Manual
- Reference manual created from class materials that can be used as a reference tool in future crisis situations
Course Points:
- Case Study Analysis 1 — 10 points
- Case Study Analysis 2 — 10 points
- Case Study Analysis 3 — 10 points
- Case Study Analysis 4 — 10 points
- Case Study Analysis 5 — 10 points
- Crisis In The News 1 — 10 points
- Crisis In The News 2 — 10 points
- Crisis In The News 3 — 10 points
- Crisis In The News 4 — 10 points
- Crisis In The News 5 — 10 points
- Crisis Communication Plan — 150 points
- Professional Journal — 150 points
- Crisis Management Manual— 100 points
- TOTAL –500 points
Recommended Texts:
- Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding by W. Timothy Coombs
- The Crisis Counselor: A Step-By-Step Guide to Managing a Business Crisis by Jeff Caponigro
Crisis Communication 