At this week's PRSA World Congress in Chicago, we plan to ask PR practitioners to name the first three tactics that come to mind in putting out a fire in a crisis. Without
biasing the survey, it's our belief that "a comprehensive Internet strategy" will not top the list of responses. Despite all the rhetoric about the Web's revolutionary PR value,
the preferred arrows in our collective crisis management quivers continue to include more traditional PR tactics such as focus group research, message development, media training,
PR counsel for company decision-makers, media monitoring, testimony and speech crafting.
That said, we are missing the mark - or at least taking the long route to get there. The Internet's ability to bypass intermediaries (such as the press) and reach key
constituents directly with customized messages has profound meaning for crisis response and issues management. The Internet is fast, easy to update and deep. It provides a forum
for in-depth content, interactive chats or even responding to critical media stories in real-time.
The term "disintermediation," of course, is the strategy of collapsing distribution channels and reaching out to customers instantaneously. Consider that the removal of the
"middle man" already has altered our rituals as consumers by permitting us to buy plane tickets, bid on auction items and trade stocks online. On a more macro scale, the Web now
allows b-to-b players in entire vertical industries to move machinery, develop partnerships and request proposals. The same model can apply to crisis response - in which the goal
is to deliver a consistent, undiluted message to one or more audiences with immediacy. In the future, newspapers, business publications and even television may not be the most
critical distribution channels for crisis response. When the added value of third-party press interpretation is not required (or at least is not the number one priority) direct-
to-audience PR is the smarter approach.
Insto-matic Web Sites?
Many practitioners shy away from Web-based crisis strategies, assuming that the back-end development will be too time-consuming. It doesn't have to be. Many of today's best
crisis experts anticipate potential disasters and develop "dark sites" in advance that they can activate when situations warrant them. (For example, a food, beverage or
pharmaceutical company might have a prototype site in the wings that anticipates product-tampering disasters.)
The next logical progression in Web-based crisis management is real-time, secure and scaleable dynamic communications. Many ASPs (Application Service Providers) offer tools
that permit rapid deployment and open integration with a client's existing Web assets. In plain language, this means you can quickly link a dedicated crisis "micro" site to your
existing Web site. ASP technology is user friendly: micro sites can be created using a ready-made template - with no html coding required.
Your crisis response micro site might include any number of materials: press releases, fact sheets, CEO statements, photographs, technical diagrams/animation, pre-taped
streaming video news releases, or related news clips. A new program being launched at PRSA World Congress - known as AS@P PR (from Firewater.com) - will allow companies to post
micro-sites within hours of a crisis or the emergence of a hot issue. It's the first ASP geared specifically toward agency PR counselors.
Safety Precautions
Of course, the best way to temper a crisis is to anticipate it before it ever happens. Online monitoring services such as PR Newswire's eWatch keep communications pros attuned
to tiny image "cavities" in various online circles that have the potential to develop into full-blown problems.
Another new ASP product due out this week at the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) show in San Francisco will help crisis communications managers on the monitoring end.
"beCyber Response," as it is known (from Cyberserv, Inc.), is a Web-based system that allows PR teams to track visitor activity and responses on a given site. This is done via
server-based technology (no cookies or privacy invasion) and helps the account person determine what type of response is working or how an issue is evolving.
For instance, the New Media Society of Washington uses the beCyber Response
tool to gauge the success of various areas of its Web site (http://www.newmediasociety.org). The
tool helps site managers learn which streaming videos or monthly "Cybersalon"
programs are getting the highest click-through rates. In a crisis situation,
a PR person might use this type of user feedback to groom spokespersons (in
terms of who "plays better" to certain markets and audiences). Monitoring site
traffic also provides powerful insights regarding the raw level of interest
in the site.
The success or failure of a crisis management campaign is often determined "where the rubber meets the road" (apologies to Firestone). PR professionals who leverage the latest
downloadable applications to reach their target audiences quickly have a better chance of controlling fires before they rage out of control.
Mike Smith is president of Upstart Vision, Inc., a Reston, Va.-based PR firm specializing in high-tech start-ups and product launches. 703/742-6482; [email protected].
Control Your Crisis Online
Some proven steps for using the Web to douse a hot fire:
- Post a parallel micro-site in the event that a crisis erupts. The newest ASP technology is user-friendly and allows PR counselors to circumvent Web masters and IT staff,
thus cutting down the number of layers required to go live. - Co-opt hackers whose alternative sites ridicule your brand. Use their criticisms and suggestions (however rude) to improve your own site and anticipate concerns your
stakeholders may have. - Monitor online chat and newsrooms. They do matter. One East Coast editor for Interactive Week told me he finds 70-80% of his source material online by scouring
newsrooms. - Bolster traffic to your own crisis response site by posting links and notices on other sites.
- Target your "publics" by offering tailored information to shareholders, customers, reporters, distributors and other influencers (e.g., soccer moms online).
- Use listservs and Web-enabled distribution to maintain ongoing dialogue with reporters covering your industry or profession.