Crisis Communications
The following are two processes that PoCoCo took in order to handle a simulated crisis. A potential crisis was developed and the situation was planned around by using the "ROPE Model" and an issued "Crisis Planning Worksheet" exercise.
As explained in the "ROPE Model," the crisis situation is that certain accredited businesses have been found breaking policy and have not been following the set standards of PoCoCo to maintain accreditation. This incident potentially compromises all trust PoCoCo has built up to this point with the public.
As explained in the "ROPE Model," the crisis situation is that certain accredited businesses have been found breaking policy and have not been following the set standards of PoCoCo to maintain accreditation. This incident potentially compromises all trust PoCoCo has built up to this point with the public.
Crisis Planning Worksheet
Name of Organization: Pinnacle Oath Consumer Oriented Company
Crisis Type / Example:
5.D. Human Misconduct – Breaking set policies
Publics:
Who would you need / want to reach?
I would like to gain the support of all publics including but not limited to current supporters of PoCoCo, potential supporters of PoCoCo, non-supporters of PoCoCo, accredited businesses, potential businesses seeking accreditation, consumers of all demographics, etc. Most importantly, the focus of the publics we would like to reach would be the Opinion Leaders as they would be the audience members that will have the most influence on the rest of the majority.
Media:
What communication methods would you use?
PoCoCo will be using communication channels such as in-person communication, telephone, e-mail, letter mail, newspapers, magazines, website, fax, and press releases. If it is suggested that another communication channel should be used then PoCoCo will seek to establish a connection as soon as possible.
Spokesperon(s):
Who would you use as a spokesperson?
On the surface of the situation the CEOs of the company will be the ones delivering the message directly to the public. However, our strategy is to also use the publics themselves, that is the audience members, as our spokespersons as well. Our intentions are to win the appeal of the Opinion Leaders as well as the rest of the audience. In order to do so, it is integral that the audience itself will also be our spokesperson and support our company.
Support:
What specific materials would you need?
Above all else, we need to gain back the trust and support of the public. We intend on doing so by being honest, transparent, and responsive towards the situation. We need to show them that steps are being taken to prevent the future occurrence of this situation; such as encouraging community involvement in reporting business behaviors.
Pinnacle Oath Consumer Oriented Company Crisis Plan
ROPE Model
Problem
Certain accredited businesses have been found breaking policy and have not been following the set standards of to maintain accreditation. This incident potentially compromises all trust PoCoCo has built up to this point with the public.
Research
Client/Organization: The Pinnacle Oath Consumer Oriented Company (PoCoCo) is an organization that sets and upholds high consumer-oriented standards for marketplace behavior. PoCoCo strives to be the authority on better business practices in the marketplace by seeking support to refine and actualize core consumer-oriented company values. The focus of PoCoCo is to refine business practices so that an entire corporation may be viewed as a customer-creating and customer-satisfying organism.
PoCoCo depends highly on creating and maintaining a positive reputation with the general public. Consumer perceptions about PoCoCo accreditation plays a key role in the overall success or failure of the company itself. That is, if the public supports and believes in PoCoCo accreditation, then more clients will seek to receive accreditation, however, if the public does not support and does not believe in PoCoCo accreditation then no one will seek to receive accreditation.
Due to PoCoCo’s reliance on public support, high company standards are kept within the organization. PoCoCo is constantly trying to better itself so to maintain such standards and keep positive public relations. This also pushes PoCoCo to idealize any consumer-oriented philosophies it pushes onto other organizations as PoCoCo must also be a consumer-oriented company.
PoCoCo’s reliance on public support also makes it easy for the company to potentially fail. Public support for PoCoCo would cease once there is no longer any trust in the PoCoCo name. PoCoCo cannot sustain itself if there is no public support. As a nonprofit company PoCoCo also relies entirely on membership dues and or subscriptions paid by businesses and professional firms within the community.
PoCoCo has always recognized and acknowledged the Better Business Bureau as a noteworthy competitor, however; welcomes competition. Competition and rivalry will keep PoCoCo thinking of ways to better suit the needs of consumers better than rival organizations as well as ways to better ourselves. Competition keeps PoCoCo motivated and actually helps fulfill one of the key goals: benefit the consumer. And also helps fulfill another key goal: benefit the producer. Being certified by multiple credible sources would also result in better credibility.
PoCoCo intends to make communication easy, efficient, and effective for any public that is interested in joining. As of now PoCoCo is using communication channels such as: in-person communication, telephone, e-mail, letter mail, newspapers, magazines, website, fax, and press releases. If it is suggested that another communication channel should be used then PoCoCo will seek to establish a connection as soon as possible.
Opportunity or Problem: Although the situation is very problematic, PoCoCo would like to consider the situation as an opportunity. The proper and successful remedying of the situation will prove the qualification, expertise, and ability of PoCoCo. The experience will also help PoCoCo better prepare for such situations in the future.
PoCoCo should conduct a communication campaign addressing the public of the situation so it is known that PoCoCo is aware of the situation. Additionally, conducting a communication campaign will help solidify The PoCoCo Standards of Trust—one of many sets of standards held by the company. PoCoCo seeks to build trust by advertising honesty and being transpoarent. It will honor its promises of such and be responsive. PoCoCo safeguards privacy and embodies integrity.
Following the seven point standards of trust seems to be the best option to remedy the situation. PoCoCo will focus on rebuilding the trust between the public and the company by being honest, transparent, responsive, and by honoring promises.
Potential problems that could arise from the given situation include but are not limited to:
- Loss of trust in the PoCoCo name
- Lawsuits for false claims
- “Death” of company
Audience: The incident affected many different publics including but not limited to:
- Current supporters of PoCoCo
- Potential supporters of PoCoCo
- Non-supporters of PoCoCo
- Accredited businesses
- Potential businesses seeking accreditation
- Consumers of all demographics
Although PoCoCo believes all publics are important, no matter who it may encompass, PoCoCo realizes that in order to remedy this situation, it should focus on shaping the opinion of Opinion Leaders. Through research and data analysis, Opinion Leaders are understood as the audience members that will undoubtedly have the most influence on the rest of the majority.
Objectives
Informational: To inform all of the different publics surrounding this issue whether or not they support PoCoCo. Entails message exposure and comprehension of the public.
Attitudinal: To convince all of the different publics surrounding this issue, most importantly the opinion leaders of the audiences. Ability to build a new attitude or reinforce or change existing attitudes will reflect the overall success of the plan.
Behavioral: To modify actions of those organizations at fault as well as potential organizations that would follow. Creating new behaviors or enhancing existing actions or reversing negative behavior is necessary.
Programming
Theme / Messages: Certain accredited businesses have been found breaking policy and have not been following the set standards of to maintain accreditation. This incident potentially compromises all trust PoCoCo has built up to this point with the public.
Action / Special Event: Please, join the PoCoCo cause. We, PoCoCo, ask of you, the public, to report your experiences with local and non-local businesses that you frequent.
Controlled Media: Convey a message of a formal apology even if the situation is not necessarily PoCoCo’s fault. Send a message that expresses our concerns, is open to our fears, and takes responsibility of what happened as well as what may potentially happen in the future.
Uncontrolled Media: Generate buzz in the news media. We welcome any criticism other journalists and publics may have. Their criticism will help us in the researching process of understanding what the public wants and expects.
Communication Principles: The message PoCoCo sends will hopefully generate positive appeal from the opinion leaders of the audiences. According to some persuasion theory, winning the support of opinion leaders is key in gaining overall support from the rest of the public. The opinion leaders generally have substantial pull in what others around them think about (agenda setting), and believe (opinion formation). The CEOs of the company will be the ones delivering the message directly to the public. The appearance of the CEOs in such a matter conveys the nonverbal message of how important this issue is to our company as a whole. During an informational criticism and feedback will be encouraged. The audience will also be encouraged to help in hopes to prevent the repeated occurrence of such a situation by asking them to report to PoCoCo on business behaviors by in-person communication, telephone, e-mail, letter mail, newspapers, magazines, website, fax, and press releases. If it is suggested that another communication channel should be used then PoCoCo will seek to establish a connection as soon as possible.
Evaluation
Informational Objectives: Message exposure is very high. Even unaffected publics will be notified and informed of the situation as they may be potential consumers or potential clients. Continued efforts by the public to inform PoCoCo about business behaviors will help refine message comprehension and also help develop message retention.
Attitudinal Objectives: Support for PoCoCo will hopefully increase. The increase in support and community involvement will reflect the success of changing the publics values.
Behavioral Objectives: Similar to our attitudinal objectives, support for PoCoCo will hopefully increase. The increase in support and community involvement will reflect the targeted behavioral objective. Additionally, we hope that future clients will not break our trust again.
Output Objectives: Is very high. Information regarding the situation has been released through all of our conversation channels and we even support outside criticism. With the addition of media coverage and criticism, we have essentially distributed the information three times the amount we could normally, through our own conversation channels, through media coverage and through outside criticism.