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Crisis Communications

Corzine Owes NJ (and All) Citizens a Wear Your Seat Belt Campaign

Corzine Owes NJ (and All) Citizens a Wear Your Seat Belt CampaignUpdate — May 2, 2007

Corzine has apologized, and voluntarily paid his $46 fine for failing to wear a seat belt. I appreciate that, but hope he’ll take it further to full-scale “wear your seat belt” activism. The opportunity is there.
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You’ve probably heard about Governor John Corzine’s (NJ) critical injuries (12 broken ribs, broken sternum and collarbone, broken femur, and many more) resulting from an automobile crash late last week. Strange thing? Corzine was not wearing a seat belt, even though doing so is required by NJ law. That’s a model?

I wish Governor Corzine a speedy and thorough recovery (NJ needs him bad), but hope that includes a mea culpa in terms of the arrogance conveyed in breaking the seat belt law, and the terrible example he’s set for folks nationwide.

The New Jersey seat belt law calls for a $42 fine for non-wearers. There are no points involved and it is not a moving violation.

What I’d love to see is Corzine making bad out of good by personally spearheading the Click It or Ticket seat belt safety campaign that was already scheduled to launch in late May. The seat belt safety campaign will include radio and TV ads, plus increased law enforcement.

The campaign will be in full-swing long before the governor recuperates from his injuries, so what better opportunity for Corzine than to be the star of the campaign, showcasing his healing process (and advocating for seat belt wearing state (and nationwide). And he should extend the campaign from its current three-week run.

Drama gets attention, and this is drama. So get well soon, Governor Corzine. Your family needs you and we need you — in the state house and as the spokesperson of the Click It or Ticket campaign.

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Nancy Schwartz on May 2, 2007 in Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications, Social Marketing | 0 comments
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MIT Admissions Staff Bloggers Respond to Dean of Admissions Scandal — No Better Crisis Communications

MIT Admissions Staff Bloggers Respond to Dean of Admissions Scandal -- No Better Crisis CommunicationsHigher ed marketing Guru Bob Johnson reported recently on how blogs have helped MIT talk frankly about last week’s departure of the dean of admissions. Read Message from Ben and Matt, the recently-launched blog from MIT’s admissions communications director to see how the blog format serves as a natural, honest way to communicate directly with future students.

Nothing like conversation (and blogs are online conversation, when done right) to quell worries, emphasize credibility and build loyalty. Good move MIT.

Consider launching staff  blogs (from by staff members who most public facing — or should be), member-to-member, donor-to-donor, volunteer-to-volunteer or a mix thereof blogs for your organization, before its crisis communication time. Then you’re good to go with a strong channel if/when a crisis arises and you need to get the word out quickly.

Are any of your staff members blogging? Let me know if the comments field below please.

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Nancy Schwartz on April 30, 2007 in Blogging for Nonprofits, Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches | 0 comments
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When is a Pool Heater More than Just a Pool Heater?

When is a Pool Heater More than Just a Pool HeaterWhen it’s money from the Smithsonian’s budget diverted to cover personal expenses of recently-booted (OK, they say he "resigned") secretary (their handle for Executive Director) Lawrence Small. Here’s the whole story.

This burns me up. I was in DC last week for a conference (more on that later) and treated myself to a few hours on the mall. The Small story had just surfaced when I stepped into the Smithsonian Castle (the information center). Well let me tell you, that pool maintenance budget should have been diverted to bathroom maintenance. These were a horror.

Not only that, despite the fact that the story had made page one that morning in the Washington Post, there was no messaging, no signage, no nothing being put out at the Castle. I pity those two seniors volunteering at the information desk. They were deluged with questions about what’s next, and had no idea how to respond. Don’t forget Crisis Communications 101 — have a plan and share it with all who might have the necessity to respond on the crisis, including volunteers. 

On the other hand, I think the Smithsonian board and administration has done a stellar job of managing the crisis in appointing a content expert — Cristián Samper, a biologist who heads the National Museum of Natural History  — as acting secretary, and getting him out in front of the press pronto. This appointment turns the focus back to the incredibly rich and diverse content and research as the core of the Smithsonian. Nice board work. Strong crisis communications.

Your thoughts?

P.S. More crisis communciations tips here.

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Nancy Schwartz on April 9, 2007 in Branding and Messages, Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Japan Society Comes Clean at Time of Organizational Challenge

Japan Society Comes Clean at Time of Organizational ChallengeI was surprised and impressed by the straightforward way in which the Japan Society, a NYC institution founded a century ago to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations — came clean about its trials in last week’s feature article in The New York Times.

Being that NYC is such a cultural center, I’m frequently reading about the ups and downs of its cultural institutions of various sizes, foci and board configurations. But rarely have I heard from a president as refreshingly honest as Richard J. Wood, named in May to succeed former leader Frank L. Ellsworth who resigned after a brief yet tumultuous tenure.

According to writer Robin Pogrebin, Ellsworth left the Japan Society with an almost-empty exhibition calendar for the next five years, and an alienated membership and major donor base. Mr. Wood has come in and "put the gallery on a very restricted financial diet," while reaching out (with great success to some former Society friends, and many new ones.

Dirty laundry indeed. But by facing the reality head on, and speaking about his plans to fix it, Richard Wood demonstrates skillful crisis communications. I am confident that under his leadership, the Japan Society will regain a great deal of its focus, budget and supporters lost over recent years. And audience confidence is the ultimate goal of crisis communications.

Bravo, Mr. Wood.

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Nancy Schwartz on March 27, 2007 in Case Studies, Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Jet Blues — How NOT to Do Crisis Communications

Jet Blues -- How NOT to Do Crisis CommunicationsJetBlue is in hot water, big time. This company, formerly the darling of its customers, investors and the press, is fighting for its life. And the same could happen to your nonprofit or program if perceptions change, even if the reason behind it all isn’t true.  So read on to learn how to  make the greatest impact with your crisis communications.

Last week’s outrageous delays (the more experienced airlines canceled earlier, and didn’t have as many passengers sitting on planes), anti-customer service (9 planes filled with passengers sat on the tarmac for more than 6 hours with no food, drink or polite handling), poor decision making, and a complete system breakdown that (even more frighteningly) indicates that JetBlue doesn’t have the infrastructure or policies to cope with challenges that are going to crop up from time to time in the airline business.

The JetBlue brand (all about customer service) is toast, and the company might not be far behind. They’ve already reported a significant fall in earnings from the more than 1,200 cancellations, and it’s hard to imagine that bookings won’t fall.

When you do something very wrong, you have to do a lot — completely right — to make it even a bit better. JetBlue needs to execute the best in crisis communications, and that’s not happening.

Here’s what JetBlue did do right:

  • " I’m mortified," said CEO David Neeleman on February 19th, acknowledging responsibility, and getting that acknowledgment, and his vision for making things better covered in major print and broadcast media
  • Put customers first. JetBlue built its reputation on customer service so last week’s events really hurt. Yesterday, nearly a week since the problems, they released a Customer Bill of Rights feature it on the JetBlue homepage.
  • Brought CEO Neeleman to customers via a heartfelt conversation delivered via a YouTube video.

Here’s what they should have done:

  • Acted more quickly to make a broad apology, via broad scale print and media
    • Ideally, they would have immediately (i.e. February 15) run a full-page ad, with a simple, heartfelt apology
      from Jet Blue CEO David Neeleman, his photo and his promise to make
      things work.
    • JetBlue finally ran full-page ads starting today (a week
      later), and will run them in 15 cities over the next few days. Too late, and probably too little.
  • Feature the apology (and Neeleman’s face and video) on JetBlue’s home page — it’s  just as important as the Bill of Rights
  • Put Neeleman and his colleagues in touch with who were on the planes stuck on the tarmac
  • Make the Customer Bill of Rights truly customer-centric.
    • At this moment, at least, they should be giving every passenger who suffered a significant delay on the runway or in the airport one or more round trips to the destination of their choices.
    • Instead, this complicated policy drips rebates/free tickets depending on the length of delay. Not good enough, JetBlue.
  • Get the passengers who were stranded on the planes or otherwise inconvenienced, but whom still believe JetBlue is worth flying (perhaps after Neeleman’s call), out as spokespeople
  • Used FlightLog, their CEO’s blog (or fake blog — no opportunity to comment) as a primary vehicle to talk with disappointed flyers, and the business community.
    • The latest entry (Feb. 1) is headlined "2007 Takes Off in Right Direction," and boasts on JetBlue’s 2006 earnings.
    • The blog is designed as a way for Neeleman to converse with key audiences. Why ignore it?

Any other recommendations for JetBlue’s crisis communications? The point here is that JetBlue should have had a crisis communications strategy up and ready to go — it’s not unreasonable to realize that an airline is going to face just this kind of weather crisis. They didn’t, and it shows, although they’re trying very hard to fix that.

Here’s more guidance on crisis communications for your nonprofit.

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Nancy Schwartz on February 21, 2007 in Case Studies, Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications | 6 comments
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What to Do when Your Nonprofit’s Approach Differs Radically From the One that’s Grabbing the Headlines

Who could have missed front page headlines about Harvard making the decision to drop its early admissions program? And then the ones Princeton grabbed when it decided to follow course. Of course, these are prestige institutions, and it’s no surprise that their actions command attention. But, in doing so, they establish a precedent that’s hard to fight.

So what do you do if your organization (or, in this case, a smaller, less media-focused, college or university) takes another direction? In a way, such a strong and widely publicized precedent puts your organization in a position of defending its divergent choice. But, as always, positioning this choice in a positive way is the best defense.

For a great model of positive positioning, take a look at this statement by Muhlenberg College on the reasons it’s upholding its early admissions policy. Muhlenberg’s communicators have done a fantastic job in presenting their approach as a positive (and it truly is, they felt this way before Harvard and Princeton changed their minds, but had no need to defend it).

A couple of pointers your nonprofit can take away from Muhlenberg’s communications coup:

  • No need to mention the organization you differ from in perspective and decision. Your readers will know the context. But this statement is all about you, not them. Use the opportunity to showcase your organization’s savvy thinking.
  • Its ideal to root your position in context, e.g. one that your organization has held prior to the headlines featuring another perspective. Rather than saying "we’ve been doing so since 1967…," root your position in real-life date-stamped stores.

All too often we (consciously or sub-consciously) avoid such communications confrontations, and miss these great opportunities for self-organization. Think of it as a conversation. Harvard got the first word, but not necessarily the last. Follow Muhlenberg’s example and grab the opportunities. And remember, nothing is better than being early and loud when you do so.

(Via Bob Johnson)

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Nancy Schwartz on September 28, 2006 in Branding and Messages, Case Studies, Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Make the Most from Online Fundraising — Report from Direct Marketing Association (DMA) 2006 NY Nonprofit Conference

Many of the conference presenters, particularly on the nonprofit side (lots and lots of vendors there too, who shared the broader perspective of working with many nonprofit clients) had great recommendations for boosting the impact of your online fundraising. Here are a few of the most useful take-aways:

  • Be creative in your post-gift reports to donors
    • UNICEF kept its tsunami-relief donors fully informed via a series of reports from the field, which included videocasts.
    • Conference calls with relief staff in the field, your organization’s executive director or a volunteer or major donor are also gaining popularity. You can re-purpose recorded calls as downloadable podcasts available via your Web site.
  • Online gifts show a snapshot of your current relationship with a donor.Online interactions show giving potential
    • Track both streams of activity carefully.
    • Launch compelling elements such as online games to engage folks in your Web site. Engagement precedes giving.
  • Keep online donors informed with frequent information-filled emails
    • Limit promotional email.
    • Put a cap on pitches too.
  • Use text-to-give cell messaging for crisis fundraising campaigns
    • The greatest text-to-give success was a post-tsunami effort in Greece. Donors donors gave more than six million Euros via text-messaging on their wireless phones. Most importantly, most gave multiple times.
    • Text-to-give works great for crisis communications and fundraising.
    • MobileAccord specializes in helping your nonprofit launch text-to-give campaigns.
    • Usage demographics tell us that middle-aged women are heavy text messaging users in the U.S., making text  ideal for volunteer management.
  • Email addresses gone bad are correctable — advocacy organizations pay attention

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Nancy Schwartz on August 17, 2006 in Crisis Communications, Email and E-Newsletters, Fundraising: Innovations & Research, Nonprofit Communications, Powerful Podcasting, Unique Approaches | 0 comments
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LAPD Blogs Its Point of View

Take a look at the LAPD’s blog. According to Police Chief William Bratton, the LAPD just launched its blog to to respond directly (who needs a journalist intermediary) to public criticism. I’d say they are way out front with this proactive response which has the potential go beyond crisis communications to build real dialogue.

Don’t get me wrong. Blogging is an effective crisis communications tactic. But remember how much more meaningful those posts will be when your nonprofit blogs regularly on the good, as well as the bad and the ugly. LAPD does a great job of this even in Bratton’s welcome post, where he details recent decreases in crime rate and personalizes the department by including his photo, writing the welcome post and bringing officers to life by mentioning them by name. Very important in building relationships.

The LAPD also does a masterful job of responding to recent criticism. These posts have just the right tone, firm and confident but also honest, admitting that there are problems within the department. No one would believe otherwise.

Great model you have here Chief Bratton.

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Nancy Schwartz on May 15, 2006 in Blogging for Nonprofits, Case Studies, Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications | 0 comments
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Tsunami Tragedy Begets Small Triumphs—How Unicef’s PR Worked Wonders

I just read a great interview with UNICEF’s Lisa Szarkowski, Managing Director of Public Relations. Lisa tells the amazing story how, in the face of an incredible disaster which generated suffering on the part of adults and children alike, UNICEF delivered an unprecedented response to breaking news, diligent preparedness, on-the-spot spokespersons and implementation. As a result, no children died from measles, typhoid or cholera as a result of the disaster—a testament to the media’s ability to galvanize public support … and to UNICEF’s quick thinking.

Lisa cites the following factors as key to UNICEF’s success:

  • Being prepared. UNICEF had been preparing for a disaster like this for years
  • Building media responsiveness into that preparedness
  • Capitalize on online communications to extend reach and save time.

Read more about this UNICEF case study, and Lisa’s insightful comments on working in nonprofit communications, in the full article at Bulldog Reporter’s Daily Dog.

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Nancy Schwartz on April 17, 2006 in Crisis Communications, Media Relations and Press, Nonprofit Communications | 1 comment
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UNICEF Harnesses Adults-Only Episode of The Smurfs to Motivate Giving

Picture this scene: Birds flying, rabbits hopping, cute Smurfs singing and dancing. Suddenly a group of warplanes descends and starts bombing. As the Smurfs run for their lives,their village goes up in flames. When the bombs have stopped and dead Smurfs are scattered like waste all over the ground, a scorched and tattered Baby Smurf sits alone, crying.

UNICEF aired this 30-second spot in Belgium this fall as part of its campaign to raise money to support the rehabilitation of child soldiers in Sudan, Burundi and Congo. As reported in the New York Times, the straegy of using cartoon characters, rather actual children, was calculated not to lessen the horror but to amplify it.  According to UNICEF Belgium, people are no longer surprised, moved or very responsive to traditional images of children in despair, especially from African countries. 

So, in order to convey the horror of war to its target audience (Belgians 30-45), UNICEF Belgium decided to provoke their childhood memories with images related to the idea of a happy childhood." As you can imagine, the spot has generated siginificant controversy. But UNICEF Belgium responds that they’ve also received a lot of positive reaction, and a huge upsurge in donations.

Is this the shock value we need to use to jolt audiences out of their complancency? I’ve written frequently about the need to do something different. And UNICEF Belgium sure did.
Another interesting point is their very targeted tactic, deciding on the cartoon characters most likely to evoke the childhoods of their target audience.

Cartoon empathy anyone?

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Nancy Schwartz on December 19, 2005 in Crisis Communications, Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches | 0 comments
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