Tag: Crisis Communications

What PR & Marketing Teams Can Do Now

Dana PhelpsBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , , ,

This is a time when we are all asking “What can I do?” What can I do to stay healthy and make sure others are safe? What can I do help my children get their school lessons while I still do my job, all in the same house? What can I do to help my neighbors? What can I do to stay sane? To see how we at Clairemont are attempting to answer these particular questions (coupled with views into our personal lives), check out Clairemont’s Instagram stories.

Like a lot of you, we are also finding ourselves asking what can I do as it pertains to work right now. There’s no denying it: this is not business as usual, nor will “normal” return anytime soon. We have cancelled client events, postponed openings and had difficult conversations with clients who have been forced to temporarily close. These conversations have included the questions what can we be doing and what should we be doing?

PR and marketing during the coronavirus is no doubt challenging. Without events and live activations, we have to rely on other elements in the marketing mix. First and foremost, Clairemont advises to have a heart. Do nothing that is opportunistic or that can be perceived that way. Operating from a place of care and concern for your workforce, your customers, your community and our country is never wrong. With this in mind, here are some actions to consider:

Take care of your people first.

Internal communications has never been more vital. Today, more is more — as long as it is meaningful. In addition to equipping your employee base with health and wellness facts they need to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19, consider what resources they need if they are new to working remotely. Also consider the mental health of your teams, and embrace the spirit of we are all in this together. Ask yourself how your employee communications can comfort, inspire and keep people feeling connected.

Meet your customers where they are.

We get it — it feels hard to connect when you’ve been forced to cancel your customer appreciation event, postpone your grand opening or close the doors to a place people love to gather. Resist the urge to “shut down” communications, too. Think about where your customers and key audiences can be reached today. Whether that is LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or any number of online collaboration tools, go THERE. Be THERE. Provide support, give relevant updates and most importantly, stay connected.

Stockpile content.

Think about all of the things way down at the bottom of your content creation list that you’ve been telling yourself you will get to when you have time. You know that executive who is always traveling and too busy for you to interview for a Q&A? Chances are, she isn’t on the road now. For that matter, are all of your executive bios updated? How about your website copy? Perhaps now is the time to shoot some iPhone videos or beef up your LinkedIn presence. Consider starting a blog or writing posts for your existing blog that can be rolled out in the coming months and highlight your organization’s greatest attributes.

Don’t know where to start? I’m back to that question of “What can I do?” And the answer is that I can help you. I would LOVE to help you during this incredibly uncertain time. Let’s jump on the phone or video chat and talk through some ideas. Shoot me an email to schedule a complimentary consultation.

In the meantime, hang in there. Remember that you are not alone.



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Crisis Com: A Crock-Pot Crack Up

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

NBC’s hit TV series “This Is Us” wrapped up an emotional third season last week. Since fans are still reeling from the dramatic ending, I can’t help but think back to the events that played out after last year’s season finale, bringing together a few of my favorite things: Crock-Pot, a strategic PR crisis plan and actor Milo Ventimiglia. (I bet you didn’t ever expect those three things in the same sentence.)

For Ashley Mowrey, director of global social media marketing, Newell Brands, January 24 of last year was just a typical morning. She woke up at 6 a.m. to get ready and picked up her phone to scroll through Twitter. Almost immediately she realized that the Newell brand Crock-Pot was trending. Sure, we all love a classic Crock-Pot dinner, but even she could admit that Crock-Pot trending on Twitter was a little unusual. Little did Mowrey know, one of the most unusual crises she had ever encountered was beginning to take form.

So what was it that led Crock-Pot to be a hot-topic item on Twitter? The night before “This Is Us” had finally revealed to fans how beloved protagonist and fictional father Jack Pearson was killed. A slow cooker identical to the Crock-Pot had caught on fire after the family’s Super Bowl party, burning down their Pittsburgh home and killing Jack Pearson.

“This Is Us” fans were both outraged and devastated at the loss of a character who had won over the hearts of so many. They  immediately took to Twitter by storm. Fans tweeted videos of themselves throwing away their Crock-Pots, and some vowed never to use their Crock-Pot again. Luckily, Mowrey and the crisis management team with help from Edelman reacted strategically, and here are six lessons we can pull from the Crock-Pot playbook.

1. Choose your social media platform strategically.

Majority of the outrage towards Crock-Pot was surfacing on Twitter, a platform that (surprisingly) Crock-Pot was not using. Knowing the brand would have to react fast to douse the emotional flames, Mowrey instructed her team to create a Twitter account, @CrockPotCares. The brand began using the hashtag #CrockPotIsInnocent, so they could respond to people who were questioning the safety of their slow cooker and demanding a Crock-Pot boycott.

2. Be empathetic and genuine.

Even though the death of Jack Pearson was completely fictional, the team had to be empathetic and aware that fans were grieving. The loss of this character felt very real. All of Crock-Pot’s responses to Twitter fans were genuine, reassuring and also interwoven with facts that backed up the safety and quality of the Crock-Pot brand.

In addition to their Twitter account, they posted a message to Facebook, adorned with broken heart emojis and a heartfelt response:

“THIS IS US SPOILER ALERT. We’re still trying to mend our heart after watching This Is Us on Tuesday night. America’s favorite dad and husband deserved a better exit and Crock-Pot shares in your devastation. Don’t further add to this tragedy by throwing your Crock-Pot Slow Cooker away. It’s hard to pass something down from generation to generation if you throw it away (grandma won’t be too happy). Spending time with his family while enjoying comfort food from his Crock-Pot was one of his favorite things to do. Let’s all do our part and honor his legacy in the kitchen with Crock-Pot.”

3. Go the extra mile to make consumers happy.

Crock-Pot’s response went beyond what was expected. Instead of just releasing a traditional press release online, the team knew they had to level with “This Is Us” Twitter fans on the same platform and acknowledge what had happened on the show. The empathetic responses and personal touch (Crock-Pot went as far as gifting a distraught “This Is Us” fan a Crock-Pot for her wedding registry) gave them a leg up is resolving the crisis. They took the time to respond to every concerned “This Is Us” fan on social media instead of waiting for it to blow over.

4. Get creative with your strategy.

This was not a crisis that the brand could have ever predicted. Crock-Pot did nothing wrong, yet found itself pulled into the middle of a fictional death catastrophe that rattled consumers and left them questioning its products. So how do you respond to an issue that isn’t part of your crisis plan? Mowrey ditched the traditional handbook and got creative. Crock-Pot teamed up with “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman and actor Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Jack Pearson) to craft a well-planned Super Bowl ad that cleared the air for Crock-Pot.

5. Tell a compelling story.

In the ad, Milo Ventimiglia delivers a message to fans ahead of last year’s Super Bowl match-up, reminding audiences to find the ability to forgive … followed by a close-up of a Crock-Pot and the hashtag #CrockPotIsInnocent. The ad was a smashing success with viewers and one of the most watched Super Bowl ads of the season. In addition to their Super Bowl coverage, Crock-Pot partnered up with the Ellen DeGeneres show. When Ventimiglia appeared on Ellen, he made sure to defend the Crock-Pot brand, and fans at the taping of the show were gifted Crock-Pot appliances and gift cards. When it comes to spinning negative publicity into great publicity, Crock-Pot knew what they were doing. Between the Super Bowl ad and the rave reviews from the tv show’s cast members, Crock-Pot had solidified its version of the story in a way that caught the public’s attention.

6. Utilize the brand’s loyal followers.

Additionally, Crock-Pot enlisted the help of its trusty consumers. Crock-Pot has a loyal brand following, including many consumers who have used their slow cookers for years. They were quick to defend the Crock-Pot when the Twitter conversation began to unravel, which was a reassuring testimony to Crock-Pot of its faithful buyers.

A Crisis Communications Success Story

From Ventimiglia’s Super Bowl Ad to #CrockPotIsInnocent trending, the conversation began to shift in a matter of days in a favorable direction. Sales for the brand even saw an increase in weeks following the “This Is Us” episode, and Crock-Pot began selling personalized Pittsburgh Steeler Crock-Pots in honor of Jack Pearson.

Even though Mowrey’s head still starts to spin when she thinks back to that morning on January 24, she is proud of the work her team accomplished to resolve the crisis. This is a prime example of an issue that is completely unpredictable, but when handled right, can be a valuable lesson  for crisis communication professionals everywhere.

Want to read about another one of my favorite PR crisis recoveries? Check out my blog on Zion Williamson’s broken shoe, and Nike’s strategy to make (literal) amends.

Written by Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. She heard Ashley Mowrey speak on the Crock-Pot crisis this past January at the Atlanta PRSA convention. 



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From Shoe Blow Out to Custom Knockouts

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , ,

All it took was less than a minute of the most anticipated college basketball game of the season. Ticket prices hovered just below those of the Super Bowl LIII, and celebrities from around the country had flown to North Carolina to watch what many sports fans call one of the greatest rivalries of all times, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels versus the Duke Blue Devils.

This year’s game had an even higher percentage of viewers than normal. Duke’s Forward Zion Williamson, the likely number one pick in the 2019 NBA draft and arguably the biggest basketball powerhouse since young LeBron James, had developed an enormous following. It was 30 seconds into the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium when Williamson jumped down and planted his feet. Jaws dropped as Williamson tore entirely through his left Nike shoe, leaving him flat on the floor with a minor knee injury. Far from a tiny rip or hole in the shoe, the sole was completely ripped.

Within hours, Nike found themselves trending on social media. Viral videos of former President Barack Obama (who sat courtside at the game) saying, “His shoe broke!” took the internet by storm, and close-up pictures of Williamson’s destroyed Nike PG 2.5’s were the front-page story for countless sports outlets.

Nike Works to Dissolve Crisis

One of the hardest parts of crisis management is the inability to predict when a crisis (big or small) will happen. Unfortunately for Nike, this shoe fiasco hit during the most-watched game of the regular season, with 4.34 million viewers on ESPN.

Nike, however, pulled out all of the stops to diffuse the crisis. Immediately after the incident, the company released an official statement acknowledging the broken shoe and identifying the actions it was taking.

“We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.”

When Nike stocks dropped by more than 1 percent the following Thursday morning, Nike decided to go the extra mile. That same day, the company sent a team of upper-level employees to Durham to meet with Zion Williamson and his coach Mike Krzyzewski to figure out what had gone wrong. Following their meeting in Durham, the team then flew across the globe to China. They personally oversaw the construction of a more durable and resilient shoe for Williamson.

The priority treatment didn’t stop there. Within the same week, the Nike team returned to Durham with a variety of shoe alternatives for Williamson. Nike wanted to ensure the same incident wouldn’t happen again and that Williamson would be ready for his anticipated and suspenseful return to the court in the ACC Tournament against Syracuse.

Williamson didn’t disappoint. His return following the shoe fiasco was a basketball game filled with one-armed dunks and electrifying energy that led Duke to a quarterfinals victory. After the game, Williamson raved about his custom knockout pair of Nike Kyrie 4’s to reporters, giving an enthusiastic thanks to Nike and the steps they had taken for him.

Nike’s Next Steps

While not every company can afford to fly around the world to appease a client, public relations professionals can still take a note out of Nike’s crisis management handbook. Nike was thorough and strategic in its crisis management. Since Zion Williamson is one of the most popular players in the country, it reflected highly on Nike that the team took the time to oversee the production of a custom shoe, reinforcing the idea that even a corporate powerhouse believes in a personal touch and quality care. Nike didn’t try to deny its responsibility in the crisis. Instead, they owned up to the isolated incident and went above and beyond to ensure Williamson and devoted fans were satisfied.

Nike’s actions are also a great look for a future endorsement deal with prodigy Williamson, who will be signing a contract with one lucky shoe company once he goes pro later this year.

Want to learn more about how social media can be detrimental during a crisis? Check out our blog post on Social Media in Crisis.

Written by Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Pageant PR Crisis

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , , , ,

Anyone who knows me knows that I love pageantry. In college, I was privileged to take top honors in five pageants, but I walked away with a lot more than a crown and a title. The wins also meant a substantial amount of money for scholarships and trips around the world. Pageantry has helped cultivate and culminate my skills and talents. I believe that pageants are more than just the tiara – they teach young women about volunteerism, kind deeds and love for all mankind.

So how does pageantry relate to PR?

In recent news, The Miss USA system has been under copious amounts of scrutiny in relation to the presidential election. There have been fresh changes in the ownership of the organization and a lot of confusion over the brand’s identity. Last year the pageant was dropped from NBC and Univision and it aired on the independent channel REELZ instead. Sponsorships from Macy’s were also pulled from the pageant along with a lot of commercials that would have aired on NBC. Put it all together and you get a PR crisis, but it doesn’t stop there.

The big fail: Q&A

Normally, most of the criticism spinning around the Miss USA system takes place during the swimsuit round. Viewers often find it demeaning – claiming that it shows too much skin and promotes “perfect” bodies to viewers of all shapes and sizes in the United States.

If you watched the pageant this week, you learned that the Q&A round may be even worse. It’s meant to be a chance for the contestants to showcase their intelligence and public speaking skills. In most instances this is the only time we get a chance to hear their perspective on issues that should prove they are the pristine candidate. As a previous contender, I know that this is the opportunity to either shine or shatter and lose the crown.

Questions are selected at random so the contestants have no idea what they will be asked. The tricky questions in the mix seem increasingly concocted to trip contestants up (from a production standpoint). Viewers can expect 30 seconds of utter terror assessing questions surrounding issues like the bathroom bill and the migrant crisis, as well as other social and political issues.

Although all five questions were tricky, one question took the cake. Miss Hawaii was asked point blank who she would be voting for in the presidential election. A question that was not exactly expected and the audience responded with loud screams and boos.

In the PR industry, we are constantly preparing our clients for a crisis. On the stage at that very moment, Miss Hawaii needed a crisis communications plan. Of course, she can be accused of the fallacy of fence-sitting after not answering the question, but it was also a wise choice for her to keep away from political associations.

What can you learn from this moment?

Sometimes our clients will be thrown curve balls. We as PR professionals know to expect and anticipate thorny questions from a reporter or media contact from time to time, and that’s why preparation and key messages are invaluable. Although I am sure Miss Hawaii did not think she would be asked who she would vote for, there is no question after hearing her response that she has knowledge about the controversial issues that are currently in the news surrounding the election.

My tip – the next time your client steps into the spotlight make sure that they are well prepared for their close up on camera no matter what direction the interview takes.

Want to learn how to perfect your crisis communications plan? Watch our On The Record series here.

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On the Record: Crisis Communications

Sarah HattmanBlog, On the Record, Public Relations, , , ,

Crisis communications is a vital element to any PR plan. However, all too often it’s more of an afterthought than a key component of the strategy. I sat down with Stephanie Llorente, founder of Prep Communications, who says crisis communications is all about preparation, preparation, preparation.

 

How do you prepare for crisis incidents? Connect with us on Facebook.

 

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