Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding By W. Timothy Coombs

I was asked by organisers of the  New Zealand Communication Association to do a key note speach at their 24th Annual conference which was held at the Heritage Hotel in Auckland on 12th & 13th December, 2011.

The theme for the conference was “Convergence”. This lent itself to discuss topics around convergence of of ideas, technology, cutures and nations, academic disciplines and education and industry.

It was a good opportunity to interact with the people who are shaping our university students minds in the area of communications.

Some of the papers discussed at the forum included:

• Josephine Ellis, AUT University. “On-line feedback and the Facebook effect” and  “A research journey by way of the classroom”.
• Dr. Lara Giles, EIT. “Meta-literacy”.
• Dr Kane Hopkins, Massey University. “How New Zealand organisations are using Facebook: A public relations perspective”.
• Jill Clark & Leta Roache, Whitireia.  “Grunting and Snorting on Facebook and Twitter: A Boomer’s Guide to Communicating with Gen Y”.
• Hamish Robertson Dr. Trudy Rosenfeld and Dr. Joanne Travaglia, University of NSW. “Communicating in Ageing Societies: Diversity and Dementia Looking to 2050”.
• Jacqui Hartley-Smith, EIT. “The jigsaw puzzle”.
  Arjan Van der Boon, MIT. “Teaching in your pyjamas? Online Learning with Wimba – The Student Experience”.
• Peter Bruce, Northtec.  “Building Stakeholder Engagement Capability”.
• Nuddy Pillay, MIT.  “To blend or not to blend, that is the question: the perceptions of students on the impact of the face to face and Web Based learning environment on their learning”.
• Susan O’Rourke, AUT.  “Teaching journalism, newspapers, convergence and the Arab Spring: Reflections from Oman”.
• Dr. Rosser Johnson. AUT.  “Cosmopolitanism, commercialism and food television: a case study of Tegal World Kitchen”.
• Debbie Page and Elna Fourie, Wintec. “Leaps and bounds, or a technological divide in the communication classroom”
• Una Wildon, MIT. “Process Based Learning: The Convergence of Teaching and Assessment in Writing courses”.   
• Nippy Paea, MIT student.  Whakarongomai ki taaku nei Reo:
• An Investigation into key factors in the engagement processes between Institute and Iwi
• Saarah Gul, MIT student. Investigating Facebook: The Impact of Facebook usage on the youth in New Zealand
• Manisha Jyoti, MIT student. “Perceptions of homosexuality and homosexuals among different Christian believers”.
• Trish Baker (Wellington Institute of Technology) and Jill Clark (Whitireia New Zealand). An introduction to cooperative learning. 
• Josephine Ellis, AUT University. This workshop to get participants to look at their own areas of teaching practice to identify research questions

My own talk focussed on Convergence and Conversation and how, for better and for worse they are changing how businesses and organisations respond during times of crisis.

I discussed examples of organisations where Convergence (media, technology etc) was beneficial and also where this same concept made lives difficult for company and organisational executives. 

Media Convergence can work against organisations :

• Organisations have less time to respond
• Organisations are global even if they are localy focussed, are forced to consider how their actions are seen beyond country boundaries 
• People (customers, voyears, onlookers) will comment on issues even while not understanding the facts
• There are always opposing viewpoints ready in the wings to be quoted or published online
• Private conversations become public faster and are more available
• Company execs are expected to be available – whenever…wherever.

Media Convergence can work for organisations : 

• Organisations have more media avenues to add to their toolbox
• Everything organisations and companies  do is visible Internationally
• People will go with their gut / brand allegiances / values and this will be demonstrated visually through social media
• Opinions  can be “heard”, published and commented on the minute you want them to be. The power is now with consumers as opposed to with media alone.

We discussed the necessity to have a plan in place for the unexpected and how to achieve outcomes by using the strengths of “Convergence” to our advantage and how to minimise the effects of the negatives. I have attached an example of one of the many and growing texts on the subject for those interested.

Last year I delivered the worst presentation of my career. I’ve tried to forget it. I have since made up for it with many successful, impactful presentations that have  engaged and added value to my audience. The difference between that one disaster and the many successful presentations before and after that episode over my career is in the story telling.

In the great ones, I was relaxed, knew my audience and built their respect quickly with the backstory and relevant tales. They left with a number of useful “takeaways” that they could use immediately after being inspired by these true stories. The worst one  quickly created a hostile audience that momentarily tripped me up and made me fall back on theory, product and widget. I temporarily forgot the art of story telling. It was hard for me to recover after that. Some things you just have to move on from. Onwards and upwards as they say.

I have enjoyed being involved with many successful Ceo’s over the years. Savvy chief executives I have known understand how to tell their (and their company’s)  story. Yes the numbers are important, but only when woven together by the magical (and sometimes terrifying) story that helps make sense of the numbers. We can relate to the story in some way.

The product, service and the experience are vital, but it’s the story that capivates and attracts early adopters and then the follower market. Refining, refreshing and adapting this story along the way in a relevant and impactful way to your target audiences including your own team, suppliers, partners, clients and the market is vital.

The art of story telling is learned really early on in life if you are lucky. If you can draw on this you will be ok. Have you ever told your children a story “out of your imagination” rather than reading out of a book? Have you ever told a story around a campfire? It’s about theatre of the mind, setting the scene, relating to your audience and having good timing. A beginning. A middle. An end. Many of us  tell stories each day around the water cooler, at the barbeque over the weekend and in our favourite coffee shop.

There is no doubt about it for me, the secret to successful business is in the story telling. We have had some success in this at Alexander Communications through both our keynote presentations and our case studies - effectively stories about what our clients are doing to communicate with their audiences. What has particularly interested me is observing some of the world renowned business leaders who have visited New Zealand. I have been been involved with a few international management consultants recently. I hold these experiences in a special place. I have helped to share their story with New Zealand business leaders. Meeting Tom Peters, Jack Daly, Li Cunxin, Michael E. Gerber and many other local thought leaders has inspired and taught me in so many ways. I have interviewed a number of these leaders at the New Zealand Herald, on Livemygoals.com and Unlimited.co.nz and there are many recurring themes in the tales of these leaders rise to the top of their professions.

One of the observations I have about these thought leaders is that they have honed and crafted their story over time and had success in their own backyards, often writing a book ( or many) about their thoughts and experiences and use this as a story telling medium. They then tell the same story all around the world, adapting as they go along, just like your average Rock and Roll, Hip Hop or Country Music star- they learn their lyrics and tell their story more and more effectively, with authenticity and keeping it fresh, engaging with their audiences and adapting all the time.

Successful Ceo’s and business leaders are in touch with good and accessible stories and share them regularly. The stories are then easy to repeat and share with others. Its not about the widget, but about capturing hearts and minds.

Some of the things I learned from Tom Peters, Jack Daly, Li Cuxin and Michael E. Gerber:

• Write a book (or a few)
• Stick at it – invest 10 000 hours or more at your craft
• Have good timing (in your delivery), know how to read your audience
• Understand that you will affend some in your audience, maybe even shock some , but you will do so in a way that is congruent with your brand. Keep the surprises relevant to your message.
• Apply your knowledge using international and local stories that your audience can relate to, but keep them out of their “comfort zone”
• Dress distinctively. Jack wears monogrammed shirts, Michael wears a panama hat and either full white of full black dress suit. Li Cuxin dresses simply but charms people with stories of his family
• Some of these people are naturally shy, but overcome this on the stage to tell their story
• Pick up local and relevant examples along the way- use this to create content for the future
• Use teleseminars and webinars to engage interested people ahead of your address. This enables you to pick up local questions ahead of your trip. This works equally well for Kiwi’s and Aussies branching out into other markets.

There are many other techniques that the best story tellers use. What are yours? What do you observe from the stories that business leaders around you tell? My own perspective is that the most engaging stories are the “warts and all” stories where we can all learn something from the story teller’s experience. No one likes, or even believes the perfect story… the one without pitfalls, trials and tribulations.

Stories can help you build your support, your team, your business.

How is your story unfolding?

Recently I was asked by Simon O’Shaughnessy of TEC to address his group of executives on the subject of Building Reputation / The Media Is Your Business.

Many business leaders are either in awe of, afraid of or indifferent to the media. They think of it as something that exists separately to their activity – ‘it has no bearing on my business success’. Despite consuming media each day, they create a mental, usually subconscious, division between the media world and their own.This is a mistake. While the media can never quite be tamed, it’s possible to harness some of its star power or halo effect to achieve commercial outcomes within your chosen markets.

My session , (which was rated  4+ out of 5 by the TEC executives) was aimed at:

•  Demystifying the media
• Unpacking some simple but effective ways of becoming (and staying) relevant to the media
• Being ready for your opportunity when it happens
• Being ready for disaster or the unexpected call from a journalist who has heard something bad about you / your company/ your industry
• Using your opinion to build your business
• Making the most of a time-poor, overworked media contingent in New Zealand

Providing at least 15 business-building techniques: using media profile as a business tool.

Here is a link to the presentation on Slideshare

About TEC

TEC is a global organisation that promotes the effectiveness of CEO’s and enhances their personal lives. It is global, with approx 1400 members in Australasia.
In Auckland the new group is building a think tank of 16 CEO’s who are able to access the support and improved decision making which TEC uniquely delivers.

About Simon O’Shaughnessy

• Mentor to CEO’s at TEC
• CEO at Walrus Spa Designers
• CEO at Carista

Thank you for the invitation Simon and for writing your recommendation on Linkedin.com for me.

The difference between a master craftsperson – a true artist – and someone who has done a ‘paint by numbers’ job is often easily discernable to observers. But where do you start in demonstrating your expertise? Like all professionals you have a day job – KPIs to meet, a company to run, clients to engage, a board or investors to answer to. You want to take the next step in your business model and have a hunch that getting some publicity might be one of the necessary steps.

I am often asked what the best way is to attract ‘good’ media attention (getting attention for the wrong reasons is easy).  There are some basic things that, with planning, will ensure you optimize opportunities when they come your way.

Here is where the disparity between a master craftsperson (who relies on contacts, relationships, and expert knowledge of your market and the media agenda) and a paint-by-numbers PR practitioner can become most evident. The latter approach is unlikely to be sustainable – it’s a far better idea to work on the basics so when the time comes and cashflows can sustain it, you are in a position to partner with a professional PR firm that can help you engage with your markets in a meaningful and perpetual way.

After all, luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet. It’s also true that while gaining positive publicity is essentially about trust, relationships and content, there are some basic paint by numbers initiatives that can get you closer to your PR goals. Being an expert in your area helps too.

While there are many other factors that affect whether you are quoted or not (eg the news agenda of the day, the availability of journalists, what the competition is saying) here is a list of building blocks that will help get your name or company closer to featuring in the media as an industry or key opinion leader:

1.  Have an opinion – be willing to comment clearly and pithily on industry issues and how they relate to the national / local news agenda

2. Have a quality, creative photo (not a passport- type photo) that demonstrates your personality / what you do

3. Have an elevator pitch for your company and know how to adapt it according to the situation

4. Have a good, relevant (short-form) bio

5. Be open to using business milestones to illustrate economic shifts and trends – for example:

• You are investing in a new strategy / building / refurbishing / market
• You are moving factories / warehouse / plants / stores
• You are acquiring or being acquired by a company
• You have an overseas visitor / international CEO / manager / guest speaker that has relevant ideas for New Zealand
• You have done research on your markets
• You have a new product or service that has relevance to business or consumer markets
• You have invested in a community initiative – are ‘paying it forward’ in some way – or are attracting your community through a creative idea

6. Once you have a few ‘runs on the board’ and are getting quoted regularly and have developed trust:

• Create an In The Media section on your website – this will help you build momentum and share your media milestones with customers and prospects
• Share your media links, such as interviews and opinion pieces, in your e-mail signature, newsletters, and with staff – these create talking points for people within your company. When teams are talking with customers, that’s a good thing.
• Send your loyal clients and prospects a copy of the latest NBR, Unlimited or New Zealand Herald in which you or a company executive has been quoted. It’s a conversation starter.

7. Write a regular blog – this creates another opportunity to share your thoughts/ opinions/ ideas with your immediate community of staff, partners, stores, sales teams, regional teams etc. If they are written in a relevant way they can also be syndicated to mainstream media and used to ‘bait one-to-one coffees with journalists.

8. Learn how to tell stories. Nothing much has changed since sitting around the campfire thousands of years ago. Journalists know their readers like anecdotes and real stories that capture their imagination.

9. Get to know the journalists and bloggers in your area of specialization. Read what they write and be ready to engage them on relevant story ideas.

10. Ask for recommendations of your work on LinkedIn and on your own website – these  add credibility when journalists are investigating your background.

11. Don’t send a “media release” to multiples of outlets expecting journalists to pick it up. They receive hundreds, sometimes thousands a day.

12. Be  mindful of the deadlines and leadtimes of the various media as well as what editorial features they have planned. Bugging a journalist at the wrong time won’t do it.

13. Write a book – it’s not only a giant business card , but another good excuse for a conversation.

Sure, where there’s smoke there’s fire, as they say. There is certainly evidence that the decline in newspaper and magazine advertising revenues corresponds with an increasing ad spend in social media.

Looking at it strictly from a first-world perspective, yes, technologies and behaviours like blogging, social media, the iPhone and iPad are permanently changing the way we consume media. However, our newspapers’ (mainly) Australian bosses are not stupid (truly – I have worked with some of them). They will change their business models to reflect the new paradigm. They will buy, they will merge, they will purge. One sure thing is that the large  newspapers, and other traditional media, have been experimenting with new business models for some time. They will crack it eventually, even if it means hiring in some young guns to help change the paradigm (again, this has started already).

In fact, the ‘old’ mainstream media have already started to get more social (see Stuff.co.nz and nzherald.co.nz for examples), while social media are becoming more mainstream (WordPress, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn). I believe that in the end these media will blend their technologies and start to look more similar – that is, until the next revolution comes along. What’s after social media? When all media is ‘social’? What’s the next thing?  Is it media collaboration? Or co-opetition? I’m not sure yet, but we are working on it.

One prediction I will make confidently is that more journalists will be required to embrace the online world; many leading journalists already use social media for research and story leads, blog regularly themselves and see these things as natural extensions of the craft. Those that don’t embrace it will be left behind – at least in the developed world.

Slightly less relevant but important in terms of world-wide change: looking purely at population statistics in less developed countries, the newspapers (outdoor advertising and radio) are there to stay for a long time yet, and social media is really. . . well, it’s getting social around a water pump, or the community clinic or at local shebeen (pub).

Now where is that iPad so that I can read the news and check out my fave technology mag and the new Lee Child novel!

As you may have guessed, I don’t believe traditional media will die or that social media will take over the world, but the technologies will be shared and the process will sort out the wheat from the chaff  in developed markets. There will be room only for those that can attract revenue and deliver relevant content (and fast). Co-opetition may be the new strategy for media companies.

It’s a question that I have asked many executives and Ceo’s over the last 3 years and received varied responses - the usual good, bad and ugly rule applies.

I remarked that he has been a profilic blogger over many years and whether any of the current successes he and his company have had can be specifically ascribed to writing a regular blog about his thoughts about his industry , his company and his personal experiences? Rod was an extremely active blogger for over 5 years, 1626 posts, 3 companies, 3 children and 10 kilos (he says) and while he has moved now to an occassional post on Xero’s blog  and in some other mainstream media blogs, he absolutely believes that blogging has made a significant contribution to his personal and business succcess. He went further to say that he probably wouldn’t have been able to raise the capital he did unless he had that rich repository of his “back story” readily available for investors and interested parties to see his track record and credibility.

Another Ceo who blogs is Carey Smith , Ceo of Ray White who has a personal blog about leadership and all things related on his personal site (including promoting his book – Deliver -36 Life Stories on Leadership) , and has created a company blog to discuss meaningful events with loyal followers of Ray White, his staff, suppliers, media and the market in general. The blogging has created opportunities to share his story with all stakeholders in a personal, regular and meaningful way.

More and more Ceo’s, business owners and executives are now taking this out of the”too hard” box and beginning to think how they can use blogging to further their own personal and business goals. Many of our clients for example executives from Results.com , Switch Business and others have begun blogging in the last two years – with dramatic results.

What are the benefits of blogging for CEO’s?

• Blogging creates discipline for developing worthwhile ideas and content that will enrich your audience and add value to readers, who include staff, suppliers, clients, prospects, media and (yes) competitors.
• The idea written up in a post creates the perfect opportunity to have open dialogue about an idea and get  feedback – instantly.
• Especially if you are in the intellectual capital or service related business , it’s the perfect opportunity to merchandise your teams IP and case studies that create value and bring readers benefit. But don’t be fooled – even people who are product manaufacturers or distributors can be successful bloggers.
• Each post becomes a “syndication opportunity” for influential online news sites and blogs that can spread your ideas further afield and attact like minded people into the debate.
• The blog shows your personal and company milestones along the way and helps communicate your intent and “backstory” in a meaningful way.
• Blogging and your style and “voice” can be a source of differentiation from your competitors.
•  Your latest blog post can be shared by your “community” – at least the ones that find your latest idea interesting on Twitter, Linkedin.com and elsewhere on the bloggosphere.
• People who understand their business and industry in detail have a dramatic advantage when it comes to blogging- and when you can translate this into words in a blog- then its adds instant credibility if you have been at it for some time and have developed a following.
• The blog and its associated tags and posts are found easily on Google and all the other search engines – all working together to show your vision, intent and actions – all usefull when engaging with existing and potential clients.

So when executives tell me that they are too busy minding their business to do any of that nonsense, I usually tell them that blogging can be a very useful instrument for Ceo’s in business. The Ceo blogger can achieve more depth and engagement with all his or her stakeholders than someone who only practices management by walk-about (which is also a necessity !) Of course the Ceo who engages their team in the process and gets the team involved in posting has that one further advantage- multiplying the ideas and thoughts that attract other like minded people.

So I say to would be bloggers who are Ceo’s – carry on minding your business – and start a blog. Start small. Be authentic. be purposeful.

Yes, make a calendar entry for the first one, by the end of the quarter. (Lets be realistic now) Start a plan for what you would like to write about and give it a go.

So you have built a compelling story and you have been quoted representing your company in the media. You have either had an opinion piece published or having been quoted as an expert in your area by a journalist. How do you maximise your success of being quoted? Do you share your media links with interested people?

It’s always good news when the so-called “traditional media” with strong online search engine optimisation and editors and journalists of their own have picked up your news or your quote. Even the  “fast” and more easily controlled online pr engines have great value in communicating your key messages.

What now?

 Well, we have always recognized that internal communication within companies is vital. Creating energy and excitement about new product launches and other company announcements is part of the success formula. If your team is genuinely excited about the latest news and has been part of the building process then it is only logical that they will want to share the news with their immediate friends, customers and contacts. The enthusiasm is likely to rub off and these people will in turn share the news.

After all something good happening in recessionery times is something to be proud about. What’s more? It can inspire others in your industry, suppliers and of course, tip prospects over the edge towards picking up the phone and having that coffee.

Here is a very short list of basic things that you can do to leverage good news, an opinion thats been picked up in the media or an announcement that has been written about:

1. Add a simple one liner underneath your e-mail signature highlighting the fact that “NBR (insert media here) has quoted your company spokesperson (insert name here)  in the latest edition- talking about …(insert title of article here)

2. Create an “In The Media” section on your website and add each media link , along with other client testimonials.

3. Use the “ShareThis” button which many blogs and online media carry these days and share it with your immediate contact base on Twitter, Linkedin.com or Facebook -whichever is the most relevant.

4. The next time you send out an e-mail newsletter , utilize the media link in the copy in an authentic way – sharing the fact that your company has been quoted by the particular journalist from this particular media outlet. Journalists and bloggers are very busy and very short-staffed most of the time.If they have taken the trouble to interview your company spokesperson or use an extract from your traditional or social media release – then be happy, be proud and share this “implied endorsement” with people who are in a position to do business with you, and people who already do.

5.Utilise the shared links on these social media to create relevant conversations with people. An idea, especially an inspired one, shared in the media is the perfect excuse to create a “good old coffee” with someone who has been meaning to do business with you. If you are like most business people, you don’t share ideas in a vaccuum. You share them because you are passionate about them and they are part of your expertise. Sharing your ideas, with your network and in the media often attracts like minded people who would like to do business with you, based on a shared mindset or a skill set that you have that they need.

If you are like most people, the end goal is to do business with people “who get what you do” and who are committed to following your advice and working together for mutual benefit. One sure way of creating opportunities to work with people and businesses is to share ideas that are relevant to them and that help solve a problem that they have.

Next time you have very good pickup in traditional and new media – be sure to use this momentum internally with your own team, to help them confidently connect with existing clients and prospects – helping you grow the business.

What would you add to this list?

                    What do clients expect from a PR consultancy? 

Building media profile? Demonstrating opinion leadership in the media and illustrating industry leadership?Movement of KPI’s such as website metrics, new members, new client acquisition, sales , buzz, connecting them authentically with internal and external audiences?

We find that apart from these stated objectives that introducing one client to another is a highly valued experience – especially where there are potential commercial , idea sharing or mutual interest opportunities that perhaps only you would recognise.

It’s always about the commercial objectives.

Being able to understand and translate their corporate strategy and commercial objectives is a must in todays complex and highly demanding “recessionery” envirionment.

So setting up a coffee between like-minded people in complimentary industries or with skill sets that can add value to each other should definately be on your agenda. It’s a way to ‘pay it forward’ and ensure that your clients are benefitting from quality 1-1 profile opportunities as well as the larger scale conference speaking and multi-media profile building exercises that we do.

So, in whatever consultancy you operate in whether that be brand, marketing, online, PR or business strategy consider having “introductions” as a specific weekly goal.

Introducing clients to each other in a targetted and appropriate way presents commercial opportunities beyond the usual cocktail hour 30 person talk-fest.

Ok.  I have on occasion wondered what all the fuss is about, as I am sure you have. However after around 6 months on Twitter and using it as a tool to learn, connect and engage with people, I have come to the conclusion that, together with an integrated campaign of other traditional and new media – it can be a very powerful business tool . Twitter is no longer cosmetic for me, but of real value. So this post is not aimed at Twitter users , but at clients, associates and acquaintances that ask me why? How? When ? What? questions about Twitter.

The function and form of Twitter changes for me daily and over the course of the last six months I have used it to:

• Follow international and local experts and see what they are doing around media, PR and social networking, Goals , Guitar and many other interests.
• Share interviews with successful people on my other blogs livemygoals.com and the nzherald Inspired People Blog
• Share thoughts, links and stories that we deal with through our own clients at Alexander Communications, to (have actually been contacted by journalists following up on tweets / newsworthy clients  for opinions on a  business issue
• At times I have used it to diary personal moments of triumph and discord (as you do!)
• I’ve steered clear of the spammers and wierdos and managed to learn something new each (or every other) day and share it.
• I’ve organised meetings
• I have retweeted links and posts that resonated with my value system
• I have shared articles and opinions that I have enjoyed
• I have laughed until my stomach hurt at funny videos shared at opportune moments
• I’ve also shared articles which we have arranged on behalf of some of our clients when I believe they have something interesting to say
• I’ve captured moments on my iPhone camera and shared it – from concerts, (international stars and my daughters home made ones!), situations (traffic, beautiful scenary, scenes of interest) and other hobby related things.
• I’ve linked my Twitter feed with Facebook so that I can share some of this with people I chose to have on my Facebook profile. We are all interested in similar things.
• I’ve searched for ideas and comments on latest # hashtags on issues, people etc.
• I’ve downloaded stuff from links shared.
• I’ve “listened” to conversations and noted the tone and content and internalised ideas.

So you see – it can be frivalous, but actually fullfills an increasingly important role both for R & R and for business – that is as long as you don’t have addictive tendencies… 

In which I would say, Put it down. Walk slowly backwards. Turn and run as fast as you can.

Skills

• Create an integrated marketing and communications strategy
• Deploy live ‘listening posts’ online and offline
• Design and deploy an advanced search engine optimization program
• Plan and run a new media relations program inclusive of head-of-the-tail and long tail “media”
• Identify & engage with influencers online and offline
• Manage communities
• Integrate new technologies into their own lives
• Model measurement and performance metrics including new “engagement” metrics
• Run quick pilot programs and evaluate on-the-fly
• Train staff and clients continuously

(What am I leaving out)?

I would add to this that to really communicate effectively in the New Zealand context on behalf of clients, communications advisors need to have, or have access to the traditional PR skills as well.

The two different skill bases (with some overlap) make for a winning combination. Would you add any skills to this list in the New Zealand Context?