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Crisis Communications in

the Digital Age

Deirdre Walsh

Marketing Director

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The ReactionWhen I start talking to executives

about crisis communications in the

digital age, I often get a response like

this guy!

That’s because people have one

definition of a “social crisis.”

They imagine situations like….

+Employee Tweets Something

Inappropriate from a Brand Channel

+Employee Isn’t Transparent

+Marketing Doesn’t “Get It.”

+BUT…..Social Can Be Your

Best Friend During a CrisisAnd I should know.

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+In My Role, I’ve….

Lead communications strategy and execution for several issues

around products, financials, litigation, natural disasters,

investigative journalism, environmental issues, etc.

Trained more than 100 executives and public officials

worldwide on how to handle communications in high-pressure

environments

Provided internal and external clients with dynamic crisis

simulation exercises

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+ Case Study: Product(eev) Issue

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+In 2012, my company, Jive, acquired the

task-management tool Producteev.

Adopted by more

than 100,000

businesses and

1 million people

+The press and analyst coverage

was very positive.

+ A few months later, in true marketing

fashion, we created a new logo,

launched a new website, and hosted a

big press event in NYC.

+On May 21, I Woke Up To This….

I didn’t know the user. I didn’t know what he was referencing

(we do lots of acquisitions). I didn’t even know who managed

the website Contact Us form.

So I turned to our employee network to get some answers and

then publically responded.

+But the Social Swarming Began

+And I Watched Twitter Explode

Producteev end users took to social channels to complain. There

were big issues like, “I can’t access my service” and “I want a refund

since the product is now free” to “I don’t like the stars in the UI.”

For the first time in company history, our sentiment was negative.

+My Team was Spread Across the

Country so I Turned to Social.

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PR Team

Community Managers

Social Media Managers

Me

Support and Product Teams

+

Employee

Intranet

I Used Social Technologies to Centralize

& Coordinate Communications.

Customer

Community

Social

Media

+Social Intranet: Share Insights

+Social Intranet:

Corporate Alignment

+Social Intranet: Action Items

+Customer Community: Updates

JIVE CMO

+Customer Community: Support

+Customer Community:

Product Ideas & FAQ

+Social Media:

Real-Time Communications

Changed sentiment

through open communications

and strategic coordination.

+Results By the Numbers

Became the command center. Updated current messaging for employees, specifically support and sales. Additionally provided regular customer updates.

The actual product issue lasted 8 days but we were able to change sentiment to positive by day 1 and level out the volume of social conversation by day 4.

Sent more than 400 personal messages on Facebook and Twitter answering questions, addressing concerns, providing updates

Monitored and addressed 300 unique discussion threads and 500 new users in the Producteev group in the online community

+ Want to Learn More about How

Social Can Streamline Your

Crisis Communications Efforts? Connect with me!