Company Scenario In the Loop Crisis Communication: Communicating During a Difficult Situation  

Learning Objectives Analyze Twitter use in a crisis situation Practice leaving a voicemail message during a crisis Write internal and external messages to address a sensitive situation Take a proactive, strategic approach to crisis communication

Materials for In the Loop The Scoop (overview of the scenario) Organization background (vision, mission, organizational structure) Information About the Situation Voice mail message (from the executive director) Twitter page (tweets written by an intern) Communication During the Situation

Voice Mail from Emilio, the Executive Director Listen

Analyzing Twitter Use in a Crisis Situation Exercise One Analyzing Twitter Use in a Crisis Situation

In the Loop’s Twitter Page

Twitter for Business Twitter’s growing popularity The value of Twitter before the incident The use of Twitter for crisis situations and how it might be used appropriately Consequences of Chris’s tweets during the incident

Leaving a Voice Mail Message Exercise Two Leaving a Voice Mail Message

Considerations for the Voice Mail Message Keep the executive director “in the loop” quickly Return the executive director’s call Present yourself as in control of the situation Provide a summary of the incident Discuss planned next steps Keep the voice mail messages as short as possible

Exercise Three Writing a News Release

Key Points to Include in the News Release State what happened in objective terms Confirm that no one was hurt Emphasize that the situation was handled well Confirm that the facility is open Reinforce In the Loop as a safe place for the community Provide information about services and upcoming events Recognize the local Police Department Provide contact information for questions Provide boilerplate (an overview of the organization)

Writing an Internal Email Exercise Four Writing an Internal Email

What to Include in the Email How will the internal email differ from the press release? What will be the same?

Creating a Crisis Communication Plan Exercise Five Creating a Crisis Communication Plan

What to Include in the Crisis Communication Plan Audience: Internal and External Communication Objectives Audience Background Communication Medium Choice Date(s) of Messages Responsibilities