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Projet 4.
keywords: crisis communication, interactive communication
, media training, crisis plan, spokesperson
The client: Belgium-based multinational chemical company,
market leader for several of its main products
The challenge: Drawing up of a crisis communication
plan in order to be ready for any kind of crisis. It was a good thing
that the company saw the relevance of having such a plan at hand. As always,
the job was complicated by the simple fact that crises can erupt at any
possible time, seven days a week, with a preference for the weekend. A
crisis can take many forms, from an explosion or a sensational and negative
newspaper story about the company or one of its products, to an unexpected
and sharp drop of the company’s shares.
Our approach: Our plan comprised 5 steps. The first thing
we did was draw up a crisis plan. It was an outsider, in fact a Blue Turtle
Staff member, who took the lead, in order to avoid any kind of hierarchical
pressures. This plan simply and plainly listed the do’s and don’ts
to be considered for any kind of crisis that might occur.
The second step was the creation of a team of (internal) specialists.
Together with a corporate communications staff member, they worked out
a large number of key messages, Questions and Answers catalogues. and
filing cards with an accurate description of characteristics and possible
effects of all relevant chemical substances. Blue Turtle paid extra attention
to the clarity of the key messages and Q&As.
As a third step, we discussed the creation of a crisis management team
with the company management. Leader of such a team, though not necessarily
its spokesperson, usually is a leading executive. The spokesman of the
crisis management team previously had participated in a few media training
sessions. Each crisis management team member then was given a well-defined
responsibility. A rotation system was created by which two team members
were supposed to be permanently (i.e. day and night) reachable by phone
or mobile for two consecutive weeks.
A crisis room was equipped with PCs, phones, printers, faxing machines
and all relevant documents, from which the crisis team could work efficiently
and somewhat protected from external pressures.
As a fourth step a warning procedure was worked out (who should warn whom?
and at what time exactly?, etc). The document also held a detailed list
of names, addresses and phone numbers (to be regularly updated). A procedure
was established on how to deal with incoming phone calls from anxious
relatives, inquisitive journalists and other stakeholders.
The fifth and possibly the main step was a crisis communication exercise
at an unexpected and preferably inconvenient moment. For the sake of realism,
professional journalists were hired to put pressure on the crisis team
members, by calling them and asking for information at regular (progressively
shorter) intervals. Independent witnesses (among whom a psychologist)
were called in as observers. When it was all over, all participants valued
the debriefing session about the many things that went wrong during the
exercise and insisted that such exercises be repeated.
The result: Provided the company regularly updates its
crisis plan and gives a good training to its crisis team members, by organising
unannounced crisis exercises (for example twice a year), it stands a good
chance of overcoming possible crises unharmed.
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