Final Post

Crisis public relations plays an integral role in each and every corporation, organization and business. Every organization is vulnerable to crises. If you don't prepare, you will take more damage. Planning for the worst and expecting the backlash is what crisis PR is all about. Crisis public relations is a field which is rapidly expanding and becoming a well recognized field and career path.

Throughout the course of the semester, I have learned that a crisis is any situation that threatens the integrity or reputation of your company, usually brought on by adverse or negative media attention. These situations can be any kind of legal dispute, theft, accident, fire, flood or manmade disaster that could be attributed to your company. It can also be a situation where in the eyes of the media or general public your company did not react to one of the above situations in the appropriate manner. The basic causes of a business crisis are four in number:

1. Acts of God (storms, earthquakes, volcanic action, etc)
2. Mechanical problems (ruptured pipes, metal fatigue, etc.)
3. Human errors (the wrong valve was opened, miscommunication about what to do, etc.)
4. Management decisions/indecision (the problem is not serious, nobody will find out)

I have also learned that if handled correctly the damage can be minimized. The main point I have taken away from this blog is that if there’s one key rule is crisis management, it’s tell it all, tell it fast and tell the truth. Other main principles of crisis management that have been utilized by the subjects reviewed in my blog are:

• The first and foremost goal is protecting the integrity and reputation of the Company.
• Never try to lie, deny or hide your involvement.
• If you ignore the situation it will only get worse.
• Don't let the lawyers make the decisions. While they are good intentioned it may cause the crisis to escalate.
• The cause of almost all crises fall into two broad categories:
• Overt acts and acts of omission.
• Issues of competence or lack thereof in matters of public perception.

I have an interest in becoming a public relations specialist so this project has helped me learn how to prepare for my future. I want to pursue a career in public relations and throughout the course of this semester I have picked up a few pointers on a PR practitioner should deal with the media and the most effective strategies to use when facing a crisis. They include:

* Prepare "talking paper" on primary points you want to make when giving speeches to the media.
* Anticipate questions and prepare responses.
* Build bridges, network and make as many contacts as possible because you never know when you might need an ally.
* Use specifics, analogies, contrast and comparisons to help your audience understand the message you are trying to portray.
* Be enthusiastic/animated.
* Do be a listener.

After completing two months of blogging about crisis public relations I feel as though I have a better understanding of the field as a whole and the strategies employed in successful public relations campaigns. I have an increased interest in pursuing this field as a career as well. I have also learned the benefits of blogging as a medium for two-way communication. I feel that blogging is quickly becoming the future of the communication industry, bringing more interaction and engagement to consumers and organizations alike. Blogging helps create an environment that facilitates two-way communication and feedback from users which in turn helps organizations better meet the needs and wants of their consumers. Blogging also provides an opportunity to speak freely about topics and gives other users the chance to read a variety of opinions and perspectives.

Blogging is extremely important to the public relations departments of companies as the public image and awareness of a product or person is greatly affected by what appears on blogs. In terms of crisis public relations, I believe blogging will be a positive and a negative, both aiding in free publicity for a company but also serving as an outlet for unsatisfied customers to vent about their frustrations with your company. Keeping on top of what is being said about your company or organization throughout the blogosphere will be an important component of any crisis public relations strategy from now on.

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

All Together Now

There have been countless public relations crises in the past and there are five steps that should be executed in order to properly manage a crisis. First, the corporation in crisis should be prompt, addressing the public immediately following the discovery of the crisis. Second, the corporation in question should maintain honesty because the public is more willing to forgive an honest mistake than a calculated lie. Third, it is important to be informative because the media as well as the public will create their own rumors if no information is given to them by the corporation in crisis. Rumors can cause significantly more damage to the corporation than the truth. Next, it is important to be concerned and show the public you care because people will be more forgiving if it is clear that the corporation cares about the victims of the crisis. Finally, maintain two-way relationships. This is important because the corporation can learn a lot about the status of public opinion by listening. These five steps are necessary in order to manage any crisis public relations situation.

With that having been said, each crisis situation is unique and, therefore, requires a tailored response. There are six types of responses and they range on a continuum from defensive to accommodative. First, corporations can attack the accuser attempting to eliminate the attacker’s credibility. Second, corporations can use denial claiming that no crisis exists. The third response is justification where the corporation claims no serious damage was done or that the victim was at fault. Fourth, the corporation can use ingratiation to appease the publics, such as giving away coupons. Next, corporations can use corrective action to right their wrongs. Finally, the corporation can give a full apology asking for forgiveness for their mistake. All six responses have been used in the past with varying results. If chosen properly, one of the six responses can help mitigate damage.

In March 2005, a woman bit into a finger while eating chili at Wendy’s. This crisis could have damaged Wendy’s image, but the corporation responded properly. They shut down the location, threw out the chili and had an investigation to discover the source of the finger. Wendy’s communicated with the public openly and honestly. As a result, very little damage was done to their image.

Other successful cases of crisis public relations include the well-known Diet Pepsi case and the Tylenol case. Diet Pepsi ran into trouble when consumers began “finding” foreign objects in cans of Diet Pepsi. A variety of different objects were found including a syringe, a bullet, and even a crack cocaine vial. The corporation knew that there was no possible way for these objects to be inserted during the bottling process. As a result, Diet Pepsi used a defensive strategy claiming its innocence. They communicated openly with the public, attacked the accusers, and allowed their bottling process to be shown on the news. Temporary damage had been done to Diet Pepsi, but they quickly rebounded from the situation. In a similar manner, Tylenol found itself in a crisis situation when people started dying from consuming cyanide laced Tylenol capsules. Tylenol acted quickly and pulled its product off the shelves without being forced to do so. They communicated openly and often with the public and had an investigation. Tylenol was found innocent at the conclusion of the investigation. Tylenol had a favorable brand image with the public because they pulled their product when they discovered the problem. Following the crisis, they even added safety seals to ensure the safety of its consumers.

While there are successful crisis public relations crises, there are a number of poor examples of crisis management. Ford and Firestone destroyed their images after mismanaging the crisis that occurred when many of their consumers died as a result of tire blowouts. Both companies claimed innocence and blamed the other. Ford and Firestone did not communicate openly or honestly with the public. Also, both corporations implied their lack of concern for their customers when they ignored the deaths and injuries of their customers to protect their bottom line. Ford’s and Firestone’s response to the crisis alienated their customers and caused significant damage to their image.

More recently, it seems the government has seen itself attempting to manage public relations crises, many of which could have been prevented. Dick Cheney found himself at the center of media attention when he shot his friend with a shot gun while hunting. He did not communicate with the public nor the administration in Washington about the incident until well after the incident had occurred. His actions made it appear to the public as though he were hiding something. When he finally addressed the public, it was too little too late. His mistake continues to be the foundation of many jokes to this day.

Additionally, the United Arab Emerites received the contract to protect many of America’s ports. This caused a crisis because many if not most Americans do not trust the UAE at this particular moment. In the eyes of many, Bush gave the job of protecting out ports to the enemy. Not to mention, he is perpetuating job outsourcing which makes Americans nervous. Protecting America’s ports should be America’s job. Also, Bush gave the UAE the contract at his discretion without consulting the public. He seems to have overstepped the system of checks and balances this country was founded on. Bush created an unnecessary crisis causing more negative public sentiment to be directed at his administration.

Other government flops have occurred in recent months, such as the failure to rescue Hurricane Katrina victims and Condoleezza Rice’s feud with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. These two crises caused more negative media attention on the Bush administration.

The Olympics always have their fair share of crises to handle. Athletes taking performance enhancing drugs has been an issue in recent times, not only in the Olympics, but major league baseball and other sports as well. During the Olympics in Torino, Austria’s ski team had their home raided by Italian police in an effort to discover drug use by the athletes. The police had probable cause to search because the team had been spending time with their ex-coach, Walter Mayer, who had been suspended for providing drugs to his athletes. Team Austria should have known that a visit from their ex-coach could have negative consequences such as this.

The most recent major pubic relations crisis involves Duke University and their lacrosse team. On March 13, the lacrosse team had a party with a stripper. Following the party, the stripper reported having been assaulted and raped. The fact that she was African American only made the school’s relationship with local residents, who are majority African American shakier than it already had been. Following the accusation, there is an ongoing investigation into the incident. 46 of the 47 players were forced to submit DNA and while no DNA was found on the stripper, the investigation continues. Days after the investigation began; one lacrosse player sent a horrible e-mail to team mates claiming that he would brutally kill the next stripper they had at a party. After the e-mail was discovered and released by the media, the lacrosse team’s head coach, Mike Pressler, resigned. The crisis is not over yet and continues to be discussed in the media.

No matter how much planning goes into preventing crises, there are always crisis situations that can not be planned for. Thankfully, Levick Communications exists to help corporations properly manage crisis situations. They have experience and success in the industry and were named crisis communications firm of the year by the Holmes Report. Richard Levick started the business in 1998 with the hope of helping people manage crises. Levick is a great company with great success. Maybe George Dubya could use some advice from Levick.

While Levick is experienced in crisis communication, technology is creating more ways for crises to occur. My Space.com got bad press when stories surfaced about young My Space users being stalked and harassed by sexual predators. This popular site is used by many young people and their safety has been a cause for concern. My Space is managing the situation well and plans to implement safety devices to prevent young people from being stalked by sexual predators. My Space is a new media and it is already managing crises.

Crisis public relations is changing. With new media, such as My Space and Facebook, crisis situations have occurred on the web. While products and services expand to new media, there are new ways for crises to emerge. At the same time, new media can be used to communicate with the public. Corporations no longer have to rely solely on tradition broadcast news or print advertising to properly manage a crisis. Corporations can now communicate with customers across the world using a number of different media such as e-mail, websites, podcasts, internet video, and more. With more ways to reach the public and the lower cost of reaching a higher number of people, crisis communications can communicate with the public in ways corporations never imagined during the 1980’s. While communication with the public is easier and cheaper than in the past, the original 5 steps to properly manage a crisis as well as the six types of responses continue to be at the foundation of any crisis public relations plan.

The Duke Lacrosse Coach Resigns After A Player Sends A Vulgar E-Mail

Duke University is still the center of attention as authorities continue to investigate the alleged rape of a stripper at one of the team's parties.

The team has remained relatively quiet about the incident since it took place. However, one Duke lacrosse player recently sent an e-mail to team mates saying that he would "kill" the strippers when they came for their next party and he would "cut their skin off". The e-mail was signed with the player's jersey number. The e-mail was released to the public and shortly after, lacrosse coach Mike Pressler resigned as head coach. In addition to the resignation, the team's season has been cancelled.

This e-mail has created more bad press for Duke and its lacrosse team. Students and residents have marched daily since the alleged rape took place. The lacrosse team is the focus of a lot of anger and many players have changed their residence in order to protect themselves from any attacks that may be directed at them.

Duke University is handling the situation to the best of their ability. While the e-mail perpetuates the recent negetive image of the school and the resignation of the coach raises questions to how much he knew about the incident, the school is taking steps to mitigate damage to their reputation and thei already shaky relationship with local residents.

Duke President, Richard Brodhead, says that the school will undertake a serious self-study of campus culture as well as a specific study analyzing the culture of the lacrosse team. Additionally, the player who sent the vulgar e-mail has been suspended and asked to leave campus for the moment.

Duke University has maintained contact with the media, keeping them updated on what is happening. Duke is using the crisis public relations approach of corrective action by stating that it will work to build better relationships with the local community. Duke's situation is very sensitive. It is difficult to win back public support when such horrible activities are taking place on campus. However, Duke has taken the appropriate steps to mitigate damage, at least for the moment.

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/ap/
2006/04/06/ap2651398.html

Wal-Mart's new PR perspective

Wal-Mart owner Sam Walton has never been an advocate for the practice of public relations. The now deceased business tycoon was said to detest public relations, preferring to let Wal-Mart products and services speak for themselves. Under the new regime, public relations has taken on a special role in the corporate life of Wal-Mart, with company officials locking into a political campaign-like mentality to respond to critics of its labor and big box store setting strategies.

Recently, there have been reports that the company is looking for "triage" and "emergency response" specialists in its next key hires. Michael Barbaro reported that the executive search firm Crowe-Innes & Associates has been engaged to help find a director of media relations who can manage a "crisis communications program" and "triage" such crises "in rapid response mode." Hours of work: up to "24/7" according to the posting, which was released to the Times by one of Wal-Mart's biggest critics, Wal-Mart Watch.

A second job posting seeks a candidate who can address "high profile political activities" and "operate successfully in a campaign mode." Wal-Mart does not seem to worry about getting a bargain when it comes to hiring high level public relations professionals. In November, 2005, the New York Times reported that the company had hired the Edelman public relations firm, including ex-advisers from the camps of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and John Kerry.

Wal-Mart's new perspective on the importance of public relations, and more interestingly, crisis public relations further proves the point that no one is safe from a potential crisis, not even a business leader such as Wal-Mart. I find it hard to believe that public relations wasn't high on Wal-Mart's priority list prior to now seeing as they have been linked to so much negative publicity surrounding their labor relations and alleged discrimination in hiring. It will be interesting to see how an independent public relations firm will handle such a large and controversial account. I'd say, Edelman has their work cut out for them!

In other Wal-Mart news, CNN reported this morning that Wal-Mart plans to open 50 new stores in communities where crime and or unemployment rates are high. Critics say this plan is a superficial effort by the chain to create favorable publicity for the company. Wal-Mart claims the new stores will hundreds of thousands of dollars in state tax revenue and hundreds of new jobs to the communities where stores are being built.

New York Times: March 30, 2006

Duke Lacrosse Scandal

"The victim stated she tried to leave and the three males (Adam, Bret, and Matt) forcefully held her legs and arms and sexually assaulted her anally, vaginally and orally. The victim states she was hit, kicked and strangled during the assault and she attempted to defend herself, but was overpowered. The victim reported she was sexually assaulted for an approximate 30 minute time period by the three males. " This is the statement from police in Durham, North Carolina, where the Duke Lacrosse program is in the midst of a catastrophic controversy.

The allegation is that three white players from Duke's lacrosse team raped a black student from North Carolina Central University. The student, an exotic dancer, was hired to work at a party in an off-campus home, where the alleged rape occurred. So far, no one has been officially charged with a crime. Investigators are waiting on DNA tests performed on 46 of the 47 players.

Duke had the No. 2 lacrosse team in the country and was expected to win the national title this year. So far, members of the team have remained silent in solidarity, but officials vow to break the stalemate. It is not surprising that team is remaining so silent; the party was hosted in a house rented to the team's three captains.

This scandal will catapult Duke lacrosse into the nationalconsciousnesss negatively for a long time. This story is front page news: rape and gender, race, class, timing, and the team's foolhardy adherence to a code of silence are issues that make this crisis one of such great magnitude. The incident has sparked a series of protests on campus this week. Many of the protesters have said the case is the product of a culture of power and privilege at Duke that protects the wealthy and well-placed, especially athletes, at the expense of others.

Duke University staff are trying to keep positive and spin the negative aspects of the scandal. Duke vice president of communications John Burness says the school is trying to use the incident as a "teachable moment." (USAToday.com) "There are many topics to consider," he says. "The Fifth Amendment, race, privilege and the role athletics plays." After suspending the team from playing, Duke President ,Richard Brodhead said, "In this painful period of uncertainty, it is clear to me, as it was to the players, that it would be inappropriate to resume the normal schedule of play." (SI.Com) Brodhead met with students Wednesday morning to discuss the incident in a forum closed to reporters.

USAToday.com

SI.com

Tom Delay to resign in coming weeks

Former Majority Leader Tom Delay intends to resign from Congress within weeks. The conservative is known for his bare-knuckled political style. Delay was first elected in 1984 and his career will come to an end in the coming weeks. Republican officials expect Delay to quit his seat later this spring. "He has served our nation with integrity and honor," said Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio, who succeeded DeLay in his leadership post earlier this year.

Tom DeLay's decision to leave Congress is just the latest piece of evidence that the Republican Party is a party in disarray, a party out of ideas and out of energy," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

DeLay is under indictment in Texas as part of an investigation into the allegedly illegal use of funds for state legislative races. He is accused of funneling corporate donations to Republican candidates for the Texas House in violation of state laws. A federal investigation also is pursuing DeLay's ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Delay's ties with lobbyist Jack Abramoff caused him to formally surrender his post as majority leader in January.

Neither Rudy, Abramoff nor anyone else connected with the investigation has publicly accused DeLay of breaking the law. DeLay has consistently denied all wrongdoing. Delay told Time magazine he was to announce on Tuesday that he was not running for re-election. "I'm very much at peace with it," he said.

On Friday, March 31, DeLay's former chief of staff pleaded guilty to conspiracy and promised to help with a federal investigation of bribery and lobbying fraud relating to Abramoff. Tony Rudy admitted conspiring with Abramoff, both while Rudy worked for Delay and after he left the lawmaker's staff to become a lobbyist himself. He is the second former DeLay staffer to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with the lobbying probe. The plea agreement makes no allegation that DeLay did anything wrong.

Delay has had a successful career filled with legislation, lobbying, political campaigns and money. And while he was a conservative, he raised millions of dollars for the campaigns of fellow House Republicans regardless of their ideology. He supported tax cuts, limits on abortions, looser government regulation of business and other items on the conservative agenda, and he rarely backed down. DeLay was the driving force behind
President Clinton' impeachment in 1999.

NewYorkTimes.com
CBSNews.com

PT ADYATMIKA SAKTI NUSANTARA
no.1 Communication Strategic Consultant

Duke Lacrosse Team Is At The Center Of Attention After A Team Party Goes Wrong


The Duke University Lacrosse team has had its season suspended indefinitely after the rape accusation of a local stripper following a Duke Lacrosse team party.

On March 13, the lacrosse team had a party that involved having strippers dance for them. However, the night ended with a rape accusation from one of the strippers who also happened to be African American.

Duke University has a poor relationship with the town and its residents. In fact, last yer, the Princton Review reported that Duke had the country's fifth worst 'town-gown relationship'. Additionally, the university, which is predominantly white, is surrounded by a town largely full of blue collar workers. Also, the majority of the local residents are African American, which brings racial issues to the forefront.

The rape accusation in addition to the race issue is creating a great deal of bad PR for Duke University forcing them to re-establish control of student partying as well as their relationship with local residents.

Following the incident, 46 of the 47 Duke Lacrosse players were asked to give samples of DNA to authorities in order to facilitate the investigation. The school has already lost a portion of its reputation as the media focus has shifted from its fine academics to the rape of a stripper. However, the lacrosse players stand to lose a lot as well. The guilty individual or individuals could receive anywhere from 16 to 20 years in prison.

With such a horrible event taking place, it is strange that the Duke University lacrosse coach, Mike Pressler, has had nothing to say of the incident. Since his players were the ones involved, he should have spoken openly at a press conference saying that the team is cooperating with the authorities. Speaking openly with the media would prevent rumors and heresay from spreading.

The school has suffered irreparable damage to its reputation. The players (and I'm talking about the ones not involved with the incident) have had their reputations injured even more.

The school has taken some positive steps to mitigate the damage caused by the incident, but, at the same time, has made some mistakes. First of all, Duke is already making changes in order to create a better relationship with its local residents. Many of the off-campus houses leased by the Duke students will be sold after the lease runs out this year in order to prevent loud parties from occuring off-campus and prevent students from disturbing local residents. Also, the school is speaking openly about the incident. However, the lacrosse coach, Mike Pressler, has not spoken about the incident. The school is handling the situation well, but the administration needs to get Mike Pressler in front of the camera in order to end any suspicion that he is hiding information.

Only time will tell if anyone on the team is guilty, but much of the damage has already been done. For the past week, the public has been talking about the incident that occurred at Duke. Their reputation has been damaged and they have taken steps to prevent further damage, but Duke will have to work hard to fix the damage caused by the incident and the rumors surrounding it.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/charlotte/news/14244805.htm?source=rss&channel=charlotte_news

How baseball should deal with the steroid scandal

Baseball's image at stake as commissioner mulls response to most recent steroid abuse allegations. Selig said he would rather have root-canal surgery than deal with the controversy stirred by Game of Shadows, the new book about Barry Bonds reportedly using steroids. Experts are saying that Selig has no choice now but to be proactive and aggressive in dealing with Bonds. These experts say"One of the first things to do is talk to Bonds. Will he cooperate? If he doesn't, I think that leads to disaster for Bonds,"

steroids were, in fact, banned from baseball as early as 1991, when Fay Vincent, as commissioner, circulated a document titled "Baseball's Drug Policy and Prevention Program," detailing the prohibition of "all illegal drugs and controlled substances, including steroids." ESPN The Magazine has reported on the little-known policy's existence, and also reported that Selig sent out a similar memo in 1997. The players' union refused to submit to a testing program. But that didn't mean steroids were legal.

Bonds wasn't the only one breaking the rules. There's no telling how many players used illegal performance-enhancing substances to better themselves and their games. That's one reason Bonds' supporters say he shouldn't be singled out.

The debate is over what Selig should do in response to this scandal. The easy response would be to do nothing and Selig would love to do that, despite his professed concern for ridding baseball of steroids. However, taking on Bonds could lead to trouble with the players union, complaints from Bonds' team, the San Francisco Giants and maybe even a lawsuit from Bonds himself. Vincent suggests furthering the story and gathering information grounded in fact, not rumor. The public relations lesson to be learned is that you have to act, respond, take chances.The one thing you can't do is, nothing.

www.baltimoresun.com