As PR professionals, we counsel our clients about how to best anticipate and manage crisis situations. We can "talk the talk" and "walk the walk" - but what happens when a crisis literally hits home? At Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, we responded to a crisis by creating a virtual PR office. In the process, we discovered that as the stripped-down "Edelman Exposed," we had a lot for which to be proud.
The Crisis
On July 21, scaffolding at the 48-story Conde Nast tower under construction in Times Square collapsed, raining metal onto neighboring buildings. The most serious consequence was the death of an elderly woman residing in a nearby hotel. Miraculously, the death toll in this densely populated area was not higher.
At the Edelman New York offices located in the epicenter of the disaster, our staff members heard the noise, and some even saw the disaster as it happened.
Within minutes of the impact, the New York City Police Department began the immediate evacuation of our building. We did not know that this was not just a run-of-the mill fire drill-type activity.
The result was that 320 Edelman employees, including 105 healthcare specialists, were immediately separated from their offices, computers, client materials, media contact lists and all other business survival tools. One hour after the catastrophe, our offices were lost to us for the remainder of the week, and our staff was scattered to the far corners of the tri-state (N.Y., N.J., Conn.) area.
Virtual "Action Central"
Priority One was continuity of client service. We immediately contacted our clients and began developing plans - Edelman team by Edelman team - to keep our account work going.
Establishing worksites and accessing and utilizing communications equipment were key to maintaining productivity. Senior staff secured alternate locations where groups could assemble and work. Some people were dispatched to the offices of account teammates in D.C. or Chicago.
We established "Edelman Sheraton," "Edelman Renaissance," "Edelman Whitehall-Robins," "Edelman-NCR," "Edelman Upper West Side Apartment," "Edelman Suburban NY Home".well, you get the idea!
Our MIS department tackled the formidable task of ensuring that laptops, desktop computers and phone lines were available to employees, and that satellite worksites had the technical support required to access vital files.
Regular agency-wide communication was also crucial. Through voice mail messages, staff were updated on building status, directed to satellite locations and provided with information about linking to other groups.
The result was that time-sensitive client deliverables - presentations, plans and press releases - were completed and delivered on deadline. This included a major media conference.
Another team had an emergency change of event venue from Bryant Park (a block away from the accident) to Columbus Circle.
Each day, we saw our own "brand personality" pay off: we found it difficult, but frankly thrilling, to solve the myriad problems that the disaster brought to our doorstep.
'After the Fall' Lessons Reinforced
1. Have a crisis plan in place. A core crisis management team must meet regularly and update the plan. Designate alternate work locations in advance. All staff members must know their responsibilities in a crisis (collect client materials, log off computers, etc.).
2. An "evacuation" is not a "fire drill." Never assume that you will be allowed back into your building. Take everything you need to conduct business.
3. Enhance your communications infrastructure now. Vital tools include laptops and electronic organizers for all senior staff and a toll-free number for retrieving voice mail messages. Ensure that senior managers have directories of home telephone numbers for all staff.
4. A collection of "villages" is more effective than one large city. We learned the true value of "think global, act local." Our structure of smaller groups with strong general managers, who, in turn, were led by an Edelman management team, made us more effective in dealing with the crisis and meeting our clients' needs. And, our MIS leaders served as the nexus of our operational success.
5. Professionals tend to rise to the challenge. Most staff members viewed the crisis as a new professional challenge, a little like an "Outward Bound" survival course in Manhattan.
6. A crisis requires client partnerships. Our clients understood the situation, appreciated our extra effort and were impressed by our results.
Many staff members spent more time working with clients at their offices. The unexpected benefits include strengthened relationships, an expanded network of contacts and possible opportunities to grow future business.
7. A crisis can be your finest hour. Stripped of the trappings of your office, all that remains are the core competencies of you and your staff. A crisis can be an opportunity to show your clients - and each other - how capable you are.
Nancy Turett is president of the healthcare and consumer division of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide. She can be reached at 212/704-8195 or [email protected]
Jon Goldberg, executive VP/director of crisis management at Edelman also contributed to this article.