Digital Crisis Communications: A Survival Guide

Dallas SEM & SMC

July 8, 2015

About Scott Monty

• Two decades of agency and brand experience

• Strategic communications consultancy founded, 2015

• This Week in Digital newsletter smonty.co/twidsignup

• @scottmonty

“There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.”

- Henry Kissinger

Lessons from Shackleton

• Be prepared to dig in and go the distance

• Assign roles

• Be flexible

• Pick your point people well

• Have the right tools

Two kinds of crises

Unplanned / immediate

• Natural disasters

• Industrial accidents

• Acts of terrorism

Foreseen / emerging

• Product recalls

• Security breach / hacks

• Rogue employees

• Dissatisfied customers

• Stupid marketing/PR decisions

Crisis management tips

1. Stop doing whatever is causing the crisis

2. Know who your influencers are

3. Listen / monitor

4. Say something. Silence spurs rumors.

5. Messaging should be appropriate for and on platforms where it’s happening

6. Journalists use Twitter to mine for news

7. Communicate from your people, not logos

smonty.co/rangerfire

8. Integrate all channels –paid, earned, owned

9. Admit your mistakes

10. Prepare your employees

Gaggle Amp

Serenity now!

Thank you

scottmonty.com @scottmonty