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Dr. Rehab Rabei

Public Relations Management

October 16, y

Crisis Management

“Apologizing Doesn’t Always Mean That You

Are

WRONG”.

Randa Altaher
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Introduction

Sometimes a simple “ I am Sorry” can go a

long way.

This is a small price to repair a

“Relationship”.

“ Sometimes you’ve got to drop your pride

and give a

a good APOLOGY”

I am Sorry ? Relationship ? Apology ?

I am PR specialist not a Social Councilor.
Well Bare with me for a minute, What Does “PR”
Stand for?
" Public Relations “…..
Great, So you are all about the people, Right ?
Yes, !
I handle everything when it comes to communicating
with the
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Public.

This is a conversation I had with my self, all I did was

play two different roles.
The Specialist and the Public.
But what does Relationships has to do with it ?

A Public Relations specialist is the medium between any

Corporation, Company, Celebrity and the Public.
They Aim to COMMUNICATE.
Public relations is all about communication and problem
solving.
They don’t address individuals only, the address nations.
They address people form different cultures, races,
ethnic groups, both genders, all age groups.

SIMPLY EVERYONE

"Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds

mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their
publics”

“Public relations (PR) is the way organizations, companies and

individuals communicate with the public and media. A PR
specialist communicates with the target audience directly or
indirectly through media with an aim to create and maintain a
positive image and create a strong relationship with the audience.
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Examples include press releases, newsletters, public appearances,

etc., as well as utilization of the World Wide Web.”

CRISIS EXPLAINED

The history of the world is a study of crisis—natural and manmade. How

well we deal with it, if at all, is what sets us apart as a species—not to
mention bankruptcy.

Fire, flood, product adulteration, oil spills, airline crashes, pandemics,

active shooter situations, and massive data breaches, often the result
of corporate and leadership malaise, seem to be everyday occurrences.
And lying in the weeds is insatiable mainstream and online media that
feed off everything, exacerbating an already miserable situation.

It makes no difference if your brand has been around for one year or
100 years. Everyone is vulnerable to the slings and arrows of
outrageous disasters. In fact, a crisis is virtually inevitable at some
point in the life of any company. The worst thing is to believe that it
can’t happen to you.

But you do have a choice. You can hunker in the bunker and wait for
the storm to pass, or get ahead of the story by embracing crisis
management, not as a necessary evil but as a corporate imperative
that can save a company from a firestorm of public condemnation and
keep a brand from falling into a bottomless pit.
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Types of Crisis:

1. Natural Crisis
▪ Disturbances in the environment and nature lead to natural
crisis.
▪ Such events are generally beyond the control of human
beings.
▪ Tornadoes, Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Landslides, Tsunamis,
Flood, Drought all result in natural disaster.

2. Technological Crisis
▪ Technological crisis arises as a result of failure in
technology. Problems in the overall systems lead to
technological crisis.
▪ Breakdown of machine, corrupted software and so on
give rise to technological crisis.
3. Confrontation Crisis
▪ Confrontation crises arise when employees fight amongst
themselves. Individuals do not agree to each other and
eventually depend on non productive acts like boycotts,
strikes for indefinite periods and so on.
▪ In such a type of crisis, employees disobey superiors; give
them ultimatums and force them to accept their demands.
▪ Internal disputes, ineffective communication and lack of
coordination give rise to confrontation crisis.
4. Crisis of Malevolence
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▪ Organizations face crisis of malevolence when some

notorious employees take the help of criminal activities and
extreme steps to fulfill their demands.
▪ Acts like kidnapping company’s officials, false rumors all
lead to crisis of malevolence.

5. Crisis of Organizational Misdeeds

▪ Crises of organizational misdeeds arise when management
takes certain decisions knowing the harmful consequences
of the same towards the stakeholders and external parties.
▪ In such cases, superiors ignore the after effects of strategies
and implement the same for quick results.
6. Crisis of organizational misdeeds can be further classified into
following three types:

i. Crisis of Skewed Management Values

▪ Crisis of Skewed Management Values arises when
management supports short term growth and ignores
broader issues.
ii. Crisis of Deception
▪ Organizations face crisis of deception when
management purposely tampers data and information.
▪ Management makes fake promises and wrong
commitments to the customers. Communicating wrong
information about the organization and products lead
to crisis of deception.

iii. Crisis of Management Misconduct

▪ Organizations face crisis of management misconduct
when management indulges in deliberate acts of
illegality like accepting bribes, passing on confidential
information and so on.

7. Crisis due to Workplace Violence

▪ Such a type of crisis arises when employees are indulged in
violent acts such as beating employees, superiors in the
office premises itself.
8. Crisis Due to Rumors
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▪ Spreading false rumors about the organization and brand

lead to crisis. Employees must not spread anything which
would tarnish the image of their organization.

9. Bankruptcy
▪ A crisis also arises when organizations fail to pay its
creditors and other parties.
▪ Lack of fund leads to crisis.
10. Crisis Due to Natural Factors
▪ Disturbances in environment and nature such as hurricanes,
volcanoes, storms, flood; droughts, earthquakes etc. result
in crisis.
11. Sudden Crisis
▪ As the name suggests, such situations arise all of a
sudden and on an extremely short notice.
▪ Managers do not get warning signals and such a
situation is in most cases beyond any one’s control.
12. Smoldering Crisis
▪ Neglecting minor issues in the beginning lead to smoldering
crisis later.
▪ Managers often can foresee crisis but they should not ignore
the same and wait for someone else to take action.
▪ Warn the employees immediately to avoid such a situation.

“As a Public Relations specialist you are open to any kind of crisis

whether from those mentioned previously or any other sort of crisis and you

have to be able to access and act in the right way, The right way that suits

the situation you are in.”

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“DIAGNOSE,PLAN,ADJUST”

HOW ?!

HERE ARE THE 13 GOLDEN RULES OF PR CRISIS

MANAGEMENT

1. Take Responsibility !

First off, don’t try to cover up the PR crisis, it will only worsen the
damage. Instead, manage the situation by taking responsibility,
reacting immediately, and responding to feedback. Instead of arguing
publicly, acknowledge people’s concerns and questions and respond to
the right conversations. Write a press release and post on social media
to control the situation and get the message visible.   - Solomon
Timothy, OneIMS

2. Be Proactive, Be Transparent, Be Accountable

In today’s real-time world of social media, and with critics everywhere,

reputation management matters more than ever and it can be lost in
an instant. The tenets of any crisis communication are to be proactive,
be transparent, and be accountable. When put into action it looks like
this: acknowledge the incident, accept responsibility, and apologize.
- Lisa Allocca, Red Javelin Communications

3. Get Ahead Of The Story

If I were the CEO of United Airlines, I would have been tweeting, texting
and sending smoke signals the minute after I heard the story about the
guy taken off the flight. I wouldn't wait until I had a strategy. Getting
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ahead of the story is the strategy. Figuring out the fine points of the
strategy -- do that over the weekend. But start communicating,
apologizing, refunding, or whatever-ing now! - Michael
Levin, BusinessGhost, Inc.

4. Be Ready For Social Media Backlash

The worst thing companies can do is ignore the possibility that a

firestorm could ignite on social media. Smaller organizations can be
more guilty of this, and especially those that are not active on social
media. Just because a company is not marketing on social does
not mean their customers won't put them in check on those
platforms when something goes wrong. Have a plan and review
it often. - Chris Dreyer, Rankings.io

5. Remember To Be Human

Saying “you’ll look into it” doesn’t make anyone feel better. Saying
you’re deeply saddened by what went down and will work on making
things better is important. Then, immediately share how policies will be
put in place so it doesn’t happen again. Act fast before people lose
faith in your brand. - Nicole Rodrigues, NRPR Group, LLC

6. First Apologize, Then Take Action

Extending a heartfelt apology is key to moving forward. Not

doing so adds fuel to the fire and delays changing the narrative.
Following a public apology,  the company must offer a call to action.
They must do something substantial to show that they are changing
their ways moving forward. - Leila Lewis, Be Inspired PR
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7. Monitor, Plan And Communicate

Have your social team on high alert, with monitoring at the forefront? If
they start noticing spikes of negativity or increased activity, utilize an
already well-versed crisis plan to proactively respond on social with
prepared materials. Never let executives go rogue and
potentially fuel the flames, but do encourage them to
apologize immediately with predetermined and approved key
messages. - Matthew Jonas, TopFire Media

8. Seek First To Understand The Situation

Communicate all relevant details to key stakeholders. When asked to

comment never reply with “no comment.” Even if you’re still
assessing a situation, simply say that. If you don’t have a voice in the
matter, people immediately assume guilt or make their own
suppositions. Also, recognize when operational improvements are
necessary and be transparent about how you're solving the situation.
- Ashley Walters, Empower MediaMarketing

9. Listen To Your Team First

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It's too easy to be reactive, especially when your company's brand and
reputation are at stake. Don't comment, post or tweet before you've
conferred with your PR team on what the best, most reasoned
approach will be. If you have a great team (and you should!),
they will be on top of this and will have crafted language you
can use immediately. - Diana Wolff, LRG Marketing

10. Develop Strong Organizational Brand Culture

Prevent the crisis. It's easy to blame frontline employees for recurring
viral nightmares, but they’re not responsible for the toxic brand culture
that breeds them. An organizational brand culture that treats
customers badly likely treats its employees poorly too. Dig deep into
organizational culture and service delivery and you’ll find that
new lows in brand experience always start at the top. - Stephen
Rosa, (add)ventures

11. Turn Off The Fan

When the you-know-what hits the fan, the first rule of crisis
management is to turn off the fan. Don't fuel the fire. Step back, put
yourself in the consumers' shoes and ask, "How would I feel if this
happened to me?" Looking in the mirror is the best PR advice there is
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when dealing with crisis situations. It ensures we do the right thing.

And right beats spin every time. - Kim Miller, Ink Link Marketing LLC

12. Avoid Knee-Jerk Reactions

Companies, brand representatives or influencers often provide

emotional, frenzied responses. Going silent on social is not a bad thing
when you are monitoring a crisis. Freeze all external communication
until you can assess what’s going on. Be sure that the first external
communication following the crisis is a well-thought-out
response that resonates with your consumers. - Coltrane
Curtis, Team Epiphany

13. Be Prepared

No one wants to be at the center of a scandal, but scrambling around

because you're not prepared to handle it takes things from bad to
worse. Anticipate potentials crisis scenarios and establish internal
protocols for handling them. Before a crisis hits, outline who needs to
be notified, your internal review process and the individuals who are
authorized to speak publicly on your behalf. - Lindsay Mullen, Prosper
Strategies
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“ACTIONs DO SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDs”

EVIDENCE (1)

THE TYLENOL CRISIS ( 1989)

The aches and pain medication, Tylenol gave Johnson &

Johnson more than a headache in October, 1982 when seven

people were reported killed after ingesting cyanide-laced

Tylenol capsules in Chicago.

Johnson & Johnson recalled all of its product and over the following
week, every Tylenol product was removed from every store around the
world and destroyed. That’s all 31 million capsules values at $100
million.

The Tylenol crises soon became the benchmark, the gold standard of
how to view and manage crises.  More importantly, Tylenol is really the
benchmark on why values matter. The Tylenol success story is
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currently the most widely taught case study of effective crises

management in business schools in the US.

It is remarkable, but through more than 200 crises I’ve been involved
with, every CEO had one common objective. They say, “We want to
come through it like Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol.” More than merely
surviving the crisis, Tylenol demonstrates how crises, when well
managed, build a stronger business, culture and reputation. Crises tell
you that something is wrong that needs to be fixed. It’s, therefore, an
opportunity to be better. As former US President Kennedy said,
“Crises are opportunities in waiting.”

The company embarked on a two pronged strategy built around two

key questions. How to return a safer product to the marketplace and
how to earn back the trust of fearful customers?

The solution was not limited to developing safer packing for

Tylenol, but it looked at how to address the more important
issue of consumer confidence in product safety. As a result, the
Johnson & Johnson team challenged itself to revolutionize
packaging.  The product safety solution was also the catalyst
for reversing consumer fear and winning back trust.

Larry Foster, Corporate Vice President of Public Relations at Johnson

& Johnson said, in reflecting on the astute management of the crises,
“What began as Johnsons & Johnson’s darkest hour turned out to be its
brightest in terms of corporate reputation.”  When probed further,
did you respond to a plan?  His response was visionary.

“No, not really.  We responded from our values,” he said.  The

company’s values, written in the mid-1940’s by Robert Wood
Johnson, stated that the company‘s responsibilities were to the
consumers and medical professionals using its products,
employees, the communities where its people work and live,
and its stockholders. Therefore, it was essential to maintain
the safety of its publics to ensure business continuity. Johnson
& Johnson’s responsibility to its publics became the compass
which guided the company’s decisions.
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Chairman James Burke appeared on commercials, did more than

50 interviews and was the chief trust-builder. A press event was held
concurrently by satellite in 100 cities in the US to introduce the new
packaging, a new technology innovation in itself for its time.

Tylenol was re-launched with a revolutionary tamper proof packaging

seal and introduced caplets. The solution, however, was less about
innovative packaging or a great crises plan. It was more about a crises
solution that focused on public safety and consumer peace of mind. 
Innovative packaging was a rational driven solution.  Public safety and
peace of mind was the emotional driven solution which, from more than
200 crises I’ve managed, always resonates with customers or victims.

What is also significant is that while a crises plan protects you brand
and reputation, crises are more about the victims? It’s what I refer to as
an “outside-in” instead of “inside-out” viewpoint. I’ve seen this cardinal
mistake being made time and time again, most recently in the BP oil
disaster in the Gulf of Mexico when CEO Tony Howard famously
proclaimed, “There’s no one who wants this over more than I do.
I would like my life back.”

Tylenol’s market share spiked from 33% before the crisis to 48% 90
days after the re-launch. Consumer trust in Tylenol increased three fold
compared to the period prior to the crisis, restoring confidence in the
brand.

So what are the five key learning from Tylenol’s

experience?

1.   Values based brands outperform non-values based brands

on trust, credibility and listenability. In other words, great
companies and great brands stand on a platform of great values. In a
crises I’d rather defend the values than the facts.

2. Crisis management is not about public relations driven ‘damage

control’. It’s about business continuity. About affirmative strategic,
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business-centric action with a strong focus on the victims in a

crises.

3. Assume responsibility for the solution, even if you don’t

have to, because it’s about the publics’ trust in your brand and the
test of your character.

4.  Act Quickly, Honestly and Decisively.

5. Good behavior delivers great returns. Remember the high cost of

low trust.

Nothing good happens without trust.  One of the most

overlooked concepts in crisis management and mitigation is forgetting
about the ‘speed of trust.’  It’s a concept that reflects the speed of
gaining or losing the trust that communities have in your brand.  In
crisis management, trust changes everything.  Why?  

Because it’s the only thing that

means

EVERYTHING.

Learn from the Best

http://www.aerobiologicalengineering.com/wxk116/TylenolMurders/crisis.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtuvgAkKGqM
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EVIDENCE (2)

THE TOYOTA RECALL FIASCO (2010)

The crisis: 

Toyota recalled a total of 8.8 million vehicles for safety

defects, including a problem where the car's accelerator would
jam, which caused multiple deaths.

How Toyota responded: 

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Toyota initially couldn't figure out the exact problem, but it sent out PR
teams to try and stop the media backlash anyway. The upper
management was invisible in the early stages of the crisis, skewing
public perception further against the company.

Toyota's response was slow, with devastating results. But it served

as a wake-up call for the company, which somehow turned it around in
the months following the debacle.

The company failed miserably in its initial crisis management, but

that's what makes Toyota's case so intriguing. Despite its monumental
mistakes early on, Toyota still bounced back. Why?

It didn't take long for the public to remember Toyota's previously stellar
reputation.  The company offered extended warranties and pumped up
marketing, leveraging its long-term track record and reassuring
consumers about safety.

Its ads in the following months were more thoughtful and sincere,
showing the company's dedication to fixing the problem. Toyota's
executives -- especially in the US -- became more visible, speaking to
the media and becoming active in the investigations.

The Result:
 The Toyota brand showcased its resiliency, with its positive reputation
built up over decades of good performance. The company leveraged
this, focusing it's marketing once again on safety and its proven track
record. It had to show that this disaster -- including its own horrible
mishandling of the situation -- was an aberration.
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And it worked, with a little bit an of luck. NASA exonerated Toyota of

the blame for most of the accidents in 2011 and the company's brand
equity leapt 11% this year, according to WPP.

Yet, there are a lot of theories of the fiasco around Toyota and the
allegations thats chased it.

Let me ask you this - As a PR specialist, what would you add to

what was done ?

Could you have made a bigger difference ?

What do you think was the Pro’s and Con’s to their approach ?

7 Years Post this Fiasco, Are they doing well ?

Did they recover completely ?

Will this ever come out again ?

Tell us your opinion, Because it matters !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIHgB6GHTwQ

DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS

You all watched Harry Potter, Right ?

Remember Prof. Snabe ? Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher.

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Well, You gotta be Prof.Snabe In the real world that is full of

Lies,Rumors,Propaganda.

Those three evil arts are mastered by many. You PR specialist, You
have to fight back. How ? UP Next.

A flood means you no harm. People understand the fires

happen, that bosses sometimes have personal problems.

When you're confronted with rumors, lies, or propaganda,

it's bad news aimed straight at your heart, and it's not
random at all. Another human being is aiming that arrow.

How to Fight Rumors, Lies, and Propaganda

Public figures are as effective as their reputations are strong.

Rumors, lies, and propaganda eat away at reputations.
Defending against these cancers takes patience, skill, and
strategy. Part of the reason is that our brains are hard-wired to
only keep the most important information about other people.
You don't have enough space in your head to remember every
little detail, good or bad, about all the people you encounter.
Propaganda is even tougher to combat. It's an organized
campaign of misinformation, fear, censorship, half-truths, and
lies.

Why Rumors are So Viral and Damaging

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Once a rumor is in the wild, you can't unring that bell,

especially in the age of e-mail chains, text messages,
and Twitter. The worst rumors are about non-factual things.
That doesn't mean lies. It means things you can't know: future
events, past mysteries, and motivations.

Rumors are inherently tough to squash because they have

built-in defenses. Nobody can know the future. There's never
any proof of another person's innermost thoughts, feeling, and
motivations.

Rumors Can Plant False Memories

Hearing a rumor can make you not only think it might be true,
and believe it, hearing a rumor can actually implant false
memories that it actually happened to you. Perception is the
reality. That's not just a cynical bumper sticker. There's real
science behind it now.

How to Fight Rumors

It's because of built-in defenses that rumors persist. People

want to know the unknown. They will always gossip about
public figures and people in power. Its inevitable. So how do
you fight a damaging rumor without giving it legs in the
media?
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How Lies Work

Lies are different from rumors. A lie tries to subvert a known

fact. It's aimed at undermining the truth. A famous example is
this lie: "The earth is flat." Despite mountains of evidence
showing that the earth is round, some people persist in
believing that the earth is flat because they want to believe it.

Fighting Back Against Lies

When confronted with a lie, it's not enough to fight back with
the fact and the truth. That's because people are motivated to
believe certain lies. The best example of this is the birther
movement that believes President Barack Obama was born
outside the country, despite all the evidence that he was born
in Hawaii and clear forgeries of supposed proof that he was
born in Kenya. The first step in attacking the foundation of a
lie isn't giving people the facts and the truth -- it's chipping
away at the motive for people to believe it.

What is Propaganda, and How Does It Work?

Rumors and lies are often organic. They are sometimes

manufactured and leaked by the opposition, but most often,
they just happen. Propaganda is entirely different. It's an
organized effort to manipulate the public using mass media,
censorship, misinformation, half-truths, and lies. Propaganda
uses images, caricatures, and fear like a weapon. Rumors and
lies can damage you like shrapnel. If you're the target of
propaganda, it's not random. It's a dagger aimed at your heart.
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How You Can Defeat Propaganda

It's hard to fight fire with fire, especially when you can't use
the same evil techniques, manipulations and lies as the other
side employing propaganda against you. The playing field isn't
even, either, as you will typically be David in a fight against
Goliath as propaganda is a tool of those in power and on top.
Yet the greatest strength of propaganda is also its greatest
weakness. You don't have to fight on their terms.

Before Rapping this up, Ive got one question for you.

Say The Tylenol Crisis, occurs again. History Repeating itself.

But now it will be WORSE ( Why?)

Think, What Changed Since 1989 ?

Its 2017 now, What Changed ?

Answer That and you will have one side of the string. The Rest
is all up to you.

How are you Going to Fix it ? UP TO YOU.

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Take a minute, let it sink in…..

You will realize that your life has been nothing but Public
Relations in all of its sorts. Since the day you gained the ability
to speak you became your own Public relations specialist . You
practice it everyday, whether your in school, with friends, at
work, etc….

Its all about common sense, there is no science to it. What

seems to be the right solution ? It is the Question and the
Answer.

Always switch places with those in despair.

Look around, Look closely, try not to miss out on details, better
what !

Team up, two heads are better than one.

Now you have 2 pairs of eyes. You will see more. You’ve got
more idea’s, More solutions, Different approaches to different
situations.

Make sure they are the RIGHT one’s.

When will you know its the right one ?

Like I said, switch places. Just Think, If someone you loved was
the victim to the poisoned pill. What would you want ? What
sort of actions do you want to see taking place ?

What would you want to Hear ?

Just Think About It.

Always Remember

“Apologizing Doesn’t Always Mean That You Are

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WRONG”

Further Knowledge:

You can use this strategy in your daily life

Pretty Simple !!!

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A Modern Take On PR

Guess The Right Order to the Pictures

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Here are some of the Historical Leaders OF PR

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References:

2011-2012 PRSA winning definition of Public Relations.

Introduction to Public Relations.

www.ipr.org.uk - Retrieved on April 2017.

Management Study Guide - Crisis.

Golden rules of crisis Management - Forbes Agency Council.

The Tylenol crisis By Alan Hilburg

Toyota Recall Fiasco - The Business Insider on Crisis Management.

The Balance - Rumors, Lies & Propaganda.

All pictures obtained from Google.

Search Engine : Public Relations Management.

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