The best way to curtail an online crisis is to anticipate it before it happens,
Edelman VP Freda Colbourne told attendees at last week's seminar. Colbourne
discussed the value of "dark sites" (Web sites that are ready to be deployed
in the event of a crisis) intoday's PR arsenal. A primer on what every dark
site plan should include:
Internal crisis manual. A dynamic, password-protected site (accessible
via the company's intranet) that allows real-time updating and can be accessed
worldwide by key crisis staff. The manual might include step-by-step action
items, position papers, key messages, plant schematics, digitized video, procedures,
sample press releases, stakeholder/key influencer lists, media contact lists
and still images.
External dark site. A special "crisis channel" site that can be activated
on demand for public consumption, built with frames prepared ahead of time in
Word-HTML for immediate uploading. Should include pre-shot video of third-party
experts (for example, a food company might secure advance testimonials from
epidemiologists about e-coli and salmonella in preparation for a possible food
contamination scare). In the event that a crisis goes "live," the site can be
fleshed out with press releases, fact sheets, CEO statements, photographs, etc.
Distribution lists. An online database of email addresses, phone and
fax numbers for media targets and key influencers to be notified once a dark
site is activated. "If we are responding to a matter in the public interest,
such as a safety issue, then we go 'live' with the crisis channel directly to
consumers immediately," Colbourne said. "However, if we are responding to an
opinion-driven story, we limit notification about the dark site to key opinion
leaders for the first 24 hours."
Gaming simulations. Dark site strategies should be tested in advance
via focus groups and using real-time drills simulating media encounters. The
critiques that result from testing can help refine procedures, practices, strategies
and key messages. "While a company can never be too prepared, a company
can be well-prepared,"Colbourne said. "The way a company responds during
a crisis is as important as the outcome of the crisis."
(Colbourne, 416/979-1120)