Crisis Communication PR Emergencies Avoiding Misinformation & Panic Dan Young, CEO Young’s Jersey Dairy Chief Ice Cream Dipper

Young’s History

Potential for a Crisis If you deal with people, you are vulnerable Your fault, their fault, act of God, terrorist, unknown, it doesn’t matter –Robbery, former Staff, former Guest, FBI, fire, accident, injury ?????? »It can and it will happen at some level, someday

Chronology of Our FBI 9:50 AM December 10, 2002 –Call from local health department December 13, 2002 –Removed milk from sale December 17, 2002 –Media aware –Circus - new level for 30 days –Cooperation, history, safety of Guests highest priority, facts as we know them

Headlines Young’s Dairy Focus on Illness Inquiry Human Action Suspected in Salmonella Illnesses Salmonella Reported in Clark County Salmonella Outbreak Didn’t Begin at Young’s Literally dozens of broadcast stories –Front page, leading stories Dayton, Springfield, Columbus, Cincinnati +

Regulatory Fun Clark County Combined Health Department (of which I was and am a board member) Ohio Department of Agriculture Federal Food & Drug Administration Center for Disease Control Homeland Security

What to Do -- Plan You Better Have a Plan –How are you going to react? –How to keep track of information? –Who’s talking? One & only one official –How to talk to Staff? –Relationship with Public Agencies –Relationship with Community –Relationship with Media –Relationship with Community Leaders –Suppliers, Investors, Banks –Legal, Insurance

It’s Showtime! All the Time!

What to Do – This is It It’s all there is –A crisis is all consuming to your time. All of It. –Be ready to devote the time needed No whining – no one cares! –100% of your efforts and the organization’s efforts go to getting to the ‘end of the story’ –What do you want people to say about you a year from now?

“We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.” — Herb Kelleher

What to Do -- Communicate Communicate to Everyone, Everyday, about Everything –Always tell the truth Get your story out first & often Trust yourself to do the right thing –Your Staff have to know first and most –Community Leaders & Partners list – daily updates –Media –Legal & Insurance Advice – listen, but do the right thing –Public Agencies –Keeping track of events

Media Trials Local media reporters are not experts They only know they have heard from you and others If you don’t tell your story, they will “You are the lead story. My editor has given me 90 seconds for this story.” Understand the media cycle Study it with others & learn

Media Cycle Fast & furious Looking for facts Your opportunity to tell your story Be ready when they are Today, in addition to list Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/… Blog Insincerity/lying = You’re Dead

“It is no use saying ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” —WSC

What to Do -- Rehabilitation Develop a Plan for Rehabilitation –What to do to regain your business? No more, ever Food safety training Shiny, bright, spotless, new Careful, focused marketing Don’t be afraid to talk about it Be visible & accessible

Recovery Plan Community Involvement –Say it loud & often Create one on one opportunities –Win every one back, one Guest at a time –That’s how you take care of Guests in the first place! –Creating word of mouth that everything is ‘OK’ Use the same media that brought the bad news – that’s where they learned of it

“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.” —General Eric Shinseki, former Chief of Staff, U. S. Army