Clarify. Connect. Change.

@ 2016 Morningstar Communications

Crisis Communicationsin a Social EraTricia McKim, Vice President, @TAMcKim Brian Van Note, Account Executive, @BrianVanNote

*Photo Credit: USA Today

• Prepared

• Transparency and authenticity

• Omni-channel approach

• Fast response times

Today You Will Learn

• Why crisis communications planning is important and how to plan

• How to use social media to your advantage before and during a crisis

• Five tips for communicating in a crisis situation

• What you can do today to better prepare for a crisis tomorrow

A Crisis Is…

• An opportunity for marketing communications to shine

• Your organization will be in the spotlight

• How you handle it will shape your brand for years

Types of Crisis

• Deliberate corporate action

• Smoldering crisis

• National or international risk

• Operational crisis

• Social media

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.

8 Tips for Crisis Communications Planning

1. Create a written crisis communications plan

2. Engage a communications leader

3. Conduct scenario planning

4. Determine roles

5. Define key stakeholders

6. Craft preliminary messages in advance

7. Know which channels you will use to reach stakeholders

8. Train your teams

Use Social Media to Stay on Top of Crisis Situations

Crisis is rarely a matter of “if,” but rather “when.”

5 Tips for Communicating in a Crisis

1. Deliver accurate and transparent information

2. Remember, tone matters

3. Take decisive action quickly

4. Never argue or put down your audience

5. Implement the strategy: Strengthen/Soften/Separate

Deliver Accurate and Transparent Information

Remember, Tone Matters

Take Decisive Action Quickly

Never Argue or Put Down Your Audience

Strengthen/Soften/Separate

Strengthen/Soften/Separate

Remember…

• Crisis communications is an ongoing priority, not a “plan on a shelf”

• Practice. Practice. Practice.

• Crisis communications is everyone’s job

• Lead with honesty and transparency

• The planning process never ends

Three Things You Can Do Today…

• Start monitoring

• Plan. Refresh. Practice.

• Commit to honest, transparent communication

TRICIA MCKIM TMCKIM@MORNINGSTARCOMM.COM

BRIAN VAN NOTE BVANNOTE@MORNINGSTARCOMM.COM