Tag Archives: planning and prevention

opinion and insights

2011 crisis management trends

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Public Relations Tactics, a monthly publication of PRSA, interviewed me and other PR veterans to solicit 2011 trends.

For those that don’t subscribe, here were my three published prognostications:

  • The “forced transparency” birthed by WikiLeaks (and likely to be copied by many others) will cause crisis management challenges for businesses everywhere.
  • Social networking crisis planning will evolve from “separate addendum pages” to more fully integrated with every aspect of crisis management.
  • The importance of the crisis plan was finally understood last decade; I hope the importance of experienced crisis leaders and teams must be as widely understood in the next.

As an added bonus to my blog followers, here’s one 2011 trend that PRSA did not print:

  • I think Shonda Rhimes’ new TV show (about “crisis PR”) will finally set the record straight on the real world of crisis management:  spinning celebrity stories over a cellphone during wanton make-out sessions in a booth of an expensive restaurant!  YEAH!

 

Were there any trends I may have missed?  Use the comments section below, please.

Jan. 25 update:  Ketchum President Rob Flaherty provides his thoughts on “The Changing Crisis Management Landscape” through this podcast done for American Airlines’ audio series called “The Executive Report.”

opinion and insights

Video: my interview with CommPRO’s Brian Pittman

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Earlier today, my interview with Brian Pittman – part of his “DESKSIDE WITH…” series – was posted to CommPRO, a marketing communications industry news hub.   Here ‘tis:

I’ll admit that I thought the final video would have been an edited to 4-5 minutes, but the final product clocks in at a meaty 12:51.   If you haven’t got that much time to spend, here’s what we cover:

  • 00:11:  What I’m working on now – moving organizations from “plans” to “capabilities”
  • 00:50:  Crisis implications/lessons on WikiLeaks on companies
  • 4:21:  Biggest mistakes brands make when bad news breaks (hint:  they’re not aligned!)
  • 6:19:  Common elements of companies that manage crises well through social media  (hint:  they’re aligned!)
  • 8:33:  Crisis preparedness New Year’s resolutions
  • 10:18:  How to align crisis response among PR, advertising, marketing, investor relations and corporate communications disciplines and agency partners  (hint:  get aligned before a crisis happens!)

If you have any feedback on the interview, share it with me below.  (And, yes, I know I need a better webcam.)

Thanks!

Dec. 24 Update:  Crisisblogger (and expert) Gerald Baron was kind enough to refer his readers to this interview on his blog.  Thanks, Gerald!

Jan. 20 Update:  It’s nice to see my European colleague Dirk Popp feature this video interview on his blog.  Thanks, Dirk!

crisis response, opinion and insights

Qantas: 54 alarms (and three cheers)

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Earlier this month, I posted some thoughts on key social networking crisis management lessons that may – or may not – emanate from the Qantas A380 emergency landing.  To my knowledge, many of the posed questions have not been addressed on that part of the crisis response.  So let’s continue to set those social media questions aside.

However, let’s not overlook some of the real-world lessons from the situation.   For example, this AP story provides a harrowing account of what the crew faced in the cockpit.  Key excerpts:

“The amount of failures is unprecedented,” said Richard Woodward, a fellow Qantas A380 pilot who has spoken to all five pilots. “There is probably a one in 100 million chance to have all that go wrong.”

But it did.

Engine pieces sliced electric cables and hydraulic lines in the wing. Would the pilots still be able to fly the seven-story-tall plane?

The wing’s forward spar — one of the beams that attaches it to the plane — was damaged as well. And the wing’s two fuel tanks were punctured. As fuel leaked out, a growing imbalance was created between the left and right sides of the plane, Woodward said.

The electrical power problems prevented the pilots from pumping fuel forward from tanks in the tail. The plane became tail heavy.

That may have posed the greatest risk, safety experts said. If the plane got too far out of balance, the Singapore-to-Sydney jetliner would lose lift, stall and crash.

And then there was that incredible stream of computer messages, 54 in all, alerting the pilots to system failures or warning of impending failures.

And now, the important part:

Continue reading Qantas: 54 alarms (and three cheers) →

"Three Tough Q's" Interview Series

Three Tough Q’s: Hilka Klinkenberg

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Perhaps you’ve heard that the Chevy Nova once lacked sales in Latin America companies because the automobile’s name translates to “doesn’t go” in Spanish?  Although that story isn’t really true – it’s an iconic example of the perils of remaining ignorant of cultural sensitivities when doing business across borders. 

When companies face more serious cross-border crises, there’s usually a lot more than lost sales on the line.  Thus, I remain amazed at how many multinational businesses do not incorporate “cultural risk management” into their ongoing issues and crisis management programs. 

Understanding and addressing cultural risk is the realm of Hilka Klinkenberg, who is one of the senior members of the Global Coaching & Consulting Group.   

 Hilka and I connected back in 1994 when we explored whether she can lead a workshop at one of the Ketchum global director meetings.  Over the years, we’ve shared thoughts on client crisis situations that involve many a cultural faux pas.  We recently re-connected and Hilka has graciously agreed to address these Three Tough Q’s:

 

Q1:  Do multinational organizations need to “press their hands against the hot stove” before taking cultural risk management seriously?

No.  However, that seems to be the preferred modus operandi.  Cultural risk avoidance should be incorporated into the enterprise risk management of any large or small organization doing business outside its national boundaries.

Cultural risk arises when individuals or organizations are unaware of the basic values intrinsic in other cultures.  Consequences range from mild insults that can affect the tenor of a relationship – to possible imprisonment and huge financial losses.  Cultural crises can affect a global company’s product development and production, legal and political issues, human resources and relocation, marketing and advertising.  And, in today’s virtual world, any flashpoint can go viral in an instant. Continue reading Three Tough Q’s: Hilka Klinkenberg →

planning and prevention

Small-ball crisis management elements

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I’m currently enjoying a late-summer trip with my golf buddies.  The schedule is hectic:  early-morning Ryder Cup watching, a morning golf round, lunch-on-the-run, an afternoon golf round, high-calorie/fat dinners, no-limit poker and sports talk into the wee hours.  Since playoffs are imminent, Major League Baseball is heavily discussed.

Every year, I contend that the home run is overrated.  Heavy debate ensues.

I provide context for my runs-scored argument in this article of The  Public Relations Strategist, a quarterly publication of the Public Relations Society of America.  The baseball analogy helps me may a point about crisis management:  crisis response gets all the attention, but other elements of holistic crisis management also deserve a share of the limelight.

Check out the article and share your thoughts below, please. 

Does crisis response get too much attention?  Should experts in our industry do a better job of promoting the importance of preparedness and mitigation elements of holistic crisis management?  (Also, baseball fans can let me know if you agree/disagree on my point about the overrated home run!)