The past year has been marked less by calendar events and more by catastrophic natural disasters: the tsunami; Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma; and the earthquake in
Pakistan. Beyond testing the strength of human character, each tragedy challenged the depth of corporate America's pockets, the breadth of its commitment to social responsibility
and the gumption of PR professionals who had to align the two.
The BSR 2005 Annual Conference, hosted in Washington, D.C., Nov. 1-4, addressed this challenge and framed ways in which businesses can effectively communicate and utilize CSR
beyond traditional donations during the five phases of response: short-term emergency response, relief, recovery, reconstruction and mitigation.
"The money is far less important than the logistical scale," said Robert Davies, CEO of The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum and a participant in the
disaster discussion. This fact poses an immediate challenge to PR pros who must respond via CEO initiatives, corporate partnerships and public messages. But while a hefty
donation in the days following a disaster allows corporations to check the "relief" box, so to speak, it is not enough. Recent natural catastrophes have occurred on both the
localized and international levels, presenting corporate communicators with an enormous gap to fill.
The first step? Organization at all levels matched by unshakable preparedness. "It is absolutely critical that companies are ready to respond on their feet. There is no
replacement for knowing how to make intelligent assessments," Davies said. "And the most successful corporations are those that trust local management in their response to
disasters."
Stephen Burns, another panelist and director of community engagement for Chevron Corporation, applies a plan that serves as a paradigm for senior PR execs who must
communicate and execute relief strategies: Allot an initial donation to coincide with the rush of corporate givings and media attention, but hold back a substantial chunk of
change until the recovery stage begins. At that time, funnel it through your business' local divisions or through local partnerships, because those managers on the ground will
know where the money can be best spent. By then, the deluge of donations will have subsided to a mere trickle, and a check for recovery efforts will help rebuild the community -
and the CSR message.
But the biggest challenge to aiding communities devastated by natural disasters always will be forging partnerships on the ground and learning to respond to both localized and
international catastrophes through coordinated efforts.
"Once you're in the midst of disasters, it's essential to develop lasting partnerships," said George Devendorf, CSR panelist and director of public affairs for Mercy
Corps. "Coordination has to happen at all levels; a big part of it is international management."
PR pros can coordinate at all levels by maintaining an effective chain of command throughout the organization and, if the disaster is of international scope, by communicating
with the host government through all stages of response. This is the only effective way to know what's going on in the hectic hours after disaster strikes and then manage it
through the weeks, months and years of recovery.
"In the beginning, we're starving for information," Devendorf concluded. "In the end, we're drowning in it."
Contacts: Stephen Burns, [email protected]; Robert Davies, 011 44 (0)20 7467 3667, [email protected]; George Devendorf, 202.463.7383
Effective Communications During The 5 Stages Of Disaster
- Short-term emergency response: Prior planning and preparation is essential, so have a game plan and act on it in the hours after catastrophe strikes. Then get into the mix
early with search-and rescue efforts and volunteerism. If you have employees based in hard-hit areas, set up a communications structure (intranet, e-mail, hotline) to account for
each person. - Relief: Develop and maintain contact with managers at local, national and international levels to disseminate information and to allocate funds from the initial donation.
Don't spend the money all at once or all in one place. Do provide guidance on how and where employees can volunteer. - Recovery: Partnerships are integral to facilitate continued aid. Nurture them.
- Reconstruction: As this phase often begins long after the initial disaster, it can be the most overlooked in the media and in CSR efforts. Roll out additional relief aid as
communities rebuild. - Mitigation: Measure the success of your efforts over time. Did they make a difference? Did the community and the media respond well? What were the lessons learned? Integrate
all this information into the memory bank as you prepare for future catastrophes. It's become clear that you can never be too ready.