Digital Crisis Communications: A Survival Guide
Dallas SEM & SMC
July 8, 2015
About Scott Monty
• Two decades of agency and brand experience
• Strategic communications consultancy founded, 2015
• This Week in Digital newsletter smonty.co/twidsignup
• @scottmonty
“There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.”
- Henry Kissinger
Lessons from Shackleton
• Be prepared to dig in and go the distance
• Assign roles
• Be flexible
• Pick your point people well
• Have the right tools
Two kinds of crises
Unplanned / immediate
• Natural disasters
• Industrial accidents
• Acts of terrorism
Foreseen / emerging
• Product recalls
• Security breach / hacks
• Rogue employees
• Dissatisfied customers
• Stupid marketing/PR decisions
Crisis management tips
1. Stop doing whatever is causing the crisis
2. Know who your influencers are
3. Listen / monitor
4. Say something. Silence spurs rumors.
5. Messaging should be appropriate for and on platforms where it’s happening
6. Journalists use Twitter to mine for news
7. Communicate from your people, not logos
smonty.co/rangerfire
8. Integrate all channels –paid, earned, owned
9. Admit your mistakes
10. Prepare your employees
Gaggle Amp
Thank you
scottmonty.com @scottmonty