OSU Scandal

University takes the high road when it comes to crisis management

Ohio State's football program has been in hot water since late May, when it came to light that (now)ex-coach Jim Tressel was aware of players receiving kickbacks and selling OSU equipment for cash on the side.

OSU leadership has tightened up, refusing to crucify Tressel for his errors and remaining silent for the most part as the NCAA proceeds with its investigation, which, according to BCM President Jonathan Bernstein, is probably a good idea.

A quote, from the Columbus Business First:

Also willing to give Ohio State a break on its handling of the Tressel situation is Jonathan Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management Inc. in Los Angeles. He gives Ohio State good marks on one of the keys to effective crisis communications – showing compassion toward those with an important stake in the company or organization buffeted by the crisis.

“They didn’t lynch Coach Tressel,” said the crisis management consultant of more than 25 years. “They clearly put the feelings of their most important audiences first – students, alumni and donors. That is what you should do.”

Most important, Bernstein said, is crisis communicators need to be honest and their information must pass the fact test. And a press conference may not be best to disseminate that information, he said.

“They can be real feeding frenzies and everyone goes negative,” he said. “None of the key stakeholders at Ohio State needed to see a press conference (on Tressel’s resignation).”

OSU is actually doing a fairly deft job of crisis management in acknowledging that yes, there is blame to be had, but not dumping the entire load on Tressel or demoralizing stakeholders more than necessary. Thanks to that quick acknowledgement, the focus can more quickly turn to the solution to, rather than the cause of, the problem.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

A Crisis Waiting to Xploderz

Don't turn a blind eye to safety

One of the most powerful (and overlooked) aspects of crisis management is the ability to come in and spot "crises waiting to happen." Often they are things that could result in minor lawsuits, ie. slippery spots in restaurants, but sometimes problems are so glaring that even an outsider can spot the danger immediately.

"Xploderz," manufactured by The Maya Group, look like the lovechild of a supersoaker and a paintball gun, firing small capsules of superabsorbent polymers, basically a semisoft gel, that break apart upon impact with a hard surface. Sounds fun, right?

Here's the problem - although Xploderz are meant to be fired at one another, not one image on the website or promotional video shows players wearing protective gear, and not one word recommends it.

The Xploderz safety "mission statement" as published on their website:

Safety is our top priority. All of our products have undergone rigorous testing to ensure their safety. Contracting with the recognized leader in toy safety testing we have met all US federal safety standards for toy safety. In addition we have gone beyond mandatory requirements in our packaging and labeling to ensure that our products are used safely by consumers. Our Customer Service Department is fully trained and available to answer all your concerns and questions.

Just below that is the FAQ, which includes this question and answer:

Can the Ammo hurt or injure someone?

No.  The ammo might sting but it will not cause injuries. Still, you should not fire your weapon at someone’s face or eyes. If it hits a hard surface it will normally break apart on impact, breaking down into a soft gel.

Both of your writing team here are former competitive paintball players and can tell you first hand the struggles that industry fought in order to make parents believe that it was safe to play; at the very center of that battle was adequate protection for the face and eyes. There is no way you will ever convince us an object that "if it hits a hard surface it will normally break apart on impact," is safe enough to be fired at one another with no protection at all.

The second someone loses an eye, the statement that "we have gone beyond mandatory requirements in our packaging and labeling to ensure that our products are used safely by consumers" will be mercilessly mocked by the media and dismantled by lawyers because quite simply, it's not true. Nowhere on the site or the product packaging does it suggest eye protection, which is priority #1 in safety for anything that shoots, well...anything. In fact, there is no nod at all to potential dangers except to say "you should not fire your weapon at someone’s face or eyes." No player engaged in a game that involves shooting at others while moving can have the aim control that would allow them to avoid hitting the face -- making the warnings about it so much hot air.

What can The Maya Group do to stop this "crisis waiting to happen?" It's very simple - goggles. Include an inexpensive pair of goggles with every single Xploder sold, two with the dual sets, and change both packaging and the website to expressly forbid playing without the proper eye protection. Problem solved, industry improved, and potential multi-million dollar lawsuit averted.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

Digital Crisis Planning

To respond, or not to respond?

Like it or not, communication has gone digital. As a result, our crisis management planning absolutely must account for the fact that when a situation heats up, the bulk of the backlash, and our response, will be Web-based. In a recent blog post, social media expert Justin Levy laid out his "11 Steps to Developing a Digital Crisis Communications Plan," that included these two frequently overlooked steps:

5. Determine what you WILL respond to

It is important to have listed what your company is willing to respond to. These may be general inquiries such as customer service/support issues, product inquiries or publicly available information.

6. Determine what you WILL NOT respond to

Equally, if not more important is having listed what your company WILL NOT respond to. These may be legal or financial inquiries that are not publicly available, potentially inflammatory comments or something that the company does not possess the ability to properly respond to.

That's right, you're actually not under any obligation to answer people or reporters. Although it's most often a good choice to do so, there are times when you can simply refuse to respond, such as when facing unfounded criticism or bullying.

Other times, it pays to respond privately, rather than further escalating the matter. Twitter makes it especially easy to do this. Just address a public @ message to the individual explaining that you would be glad to assist them if they would be so kind as to follow you and send a private message. Voila, the public knows you care, and any potential dirty laundry is kept private while you work towards a resolution.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

B-Schools Ignore PR

Study reveals only small percentage teach any PR at all

An analysis of highly ranked MBA programs by the Public Relations Society of America showed that only 16 percent offer a single course in crisis and conflict management, strategic communications, public relations, or whatever label one chooses to describe management of a precious organizational asset: reputation. Even that course is likely to be an elective. So glaring is this omission that it's typical for MBA-holding executives to assume "reputation management" or "public relations" is the black art of spinning an alternative version of reality, as though that works in today's wide-open, relentlessly scrutinized, electron-speed information environment.

This quote, from a BusinessWeek article, could very well illustrate one of the defining factors in the seeming disconnect in thinking that can exist between the "C-suite" and crisis management or public relations consultants. The scarceness of these types of programs is even more shocking due to the number of otherwise successful corporations who have recently taken massive monetary losses as a result of reputation-related crises or plain bad communication.

All businesses are bound to encounter crises at one time or another, so wouldn't it follow that MBA's be prepared to handle them? While the number of classes currently available is low, we would bet that in the coming years we'll see a massive expansion as knowledge of public relations and communication strategy and tactics become perceived as vital skills.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

Who's Driving?

Do you know who's manning your social media accounts?

The pressure to get involved with social media is coming at organizations from all angles, and rightly so. One common mistake made by those looking to jump in as quickly as possible, though, is to just let whoever knows how to use the popular services take the reins, often with minimal or non-Web savvy supervision.

This can lead to trouble when their choice of message or topic violates acceptable business practice, as demonstrated in this quote from a Ragan PR Daily article by Pam Sahota:

Who has the keys?

Although the “younger” folks know how to use social media—because they’ve been thrown into it at an earlier age—does that mean they know how to use it properly for business? When making hiring decisions and “handing over the keys,” companies should not hire based solely on social media experience, but also on experience in business strategy and implementation.

Vodafone realized this after the fact. The company had a junior employee handling its online community, and the young gentleman foolishly posted a homophobic comment on the brand’s Twitter page.

Immature? Yes. Inexperienced? Most definitely.

Hand over the keys with care, folks—it’s just your brand’s reputation on the line. 

It's only human to make mistakes, but crisis management after a big one often requires a significant investment of time and money. While it can pay off to have your most "in touch" employees manning social media accounts, the less experienced benefit greatly from a veteran voice guiding the tone and direction of communication.


The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/

Social Media Saves Lives

Replaces traditional tools in times of crisis

The effectiveness of social media as a crisis management tool has been proven repeatedly over recent years, with some of the most telling demonstrations coming in the midst of natural disasters. The flurry of tornadoes that struck the Southern U.S.in late April was yet another incident where social media shined through, as described in this quote from a "Spin Sucks" blog post by marketing pro Stacey Hood:

When the storm system that was responsible for these tornadoes started, Birmingham-based meteorologist, James Spann, started using various social networks to supplement his television broadcast and coverage of this life-changing event.

As an early adoptor of social media, Spann is familiar with various social networks, but used Twitter primarily to broadcast warnings and forecasts for the paths of the tornadoes in central Alabama thanks to the fact that power was lost and a large majority of people were able to stay in contact with the Twitter stream coverage. Spann credits Twitter with being able to get most of the warnings out to more people.

In addition to Spann’s coverage and early warnings, other major companies in the state used social media for its crisis communications. Alabama Power, for example, took advantage of the reach of Twitter and broadcast hourly updates of power outages, warnings of downed power lines, announced areas in which shelter was being provided and other statements that previously would have been broadcasted or written about too late.

Individuals used the social network themselves to announce if local stores were running low on much-needed supplies like diapers, bottled water, non-perishable food, etc. Local charities then started using hashtags on Twitter such as #ALNeeds thanks to Spann’s efforts for those involved in local recovery programs.

Not only does social media facilitate external communication, but internal communication as well. In the event of a disaster many employees will be left without active land lines, but it's highly unlikely these days that most will be more than ten feet from a charged cell phone. Simple mass tweets or posts to an internal blog can keep everyone on the same page, facilitating your crisis response and keeping your workforce safe.

The BCM Blogging Team
http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/