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The making of a crisis communication plan for a large, public, national professional services company
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The making of a crisis communication plan for a large, public, national professional services company
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THE MAKING OF A CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN FOR A LARGE, PUBLIC,
NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COMPANY
By Sara Lattman
______________________________________________________________________________
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL
FOR COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)
MAY 2021
2021 SARA LATTMAN
ii
Table of Contents
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………iii
Part I: Introduction ................................................................................................................1
Part II: Literature Review
What is a crisis? .....................................................................................................................1
Structure of a crisis ................................................................................................................2
Crisis Communication vs. Crisis Management ......................................................................4
Models and Theories of Crisis Communication ....................................................................5
Crisis Types and Classifications ............................................................................................7
Crisis Response Strategies .....................................................................................................12
Apology vs. Apologia ............................................................................................................15
Evaluating Threats .................................................................................................................16
Timing ....................................................................................................................................18
Second-level crises .................................................................................................................20
Follow-up Communication ....................................................................................................21
Crisis Communication Plans ..................................................................................................22
Crisis Response Team ............................................................................................................27
Crisis Communication Simulation/Training ..........................................................................28
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………… 29
Part III: Crisis Communication Plan ......................................................................................30
Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................31
Teammate Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................32
Record of Revisions ...............................................................................................................33
Purpose & Objectives ............................................................................................................34
Risk Analysis .........................................................................................................................35
Key Publics ............................................................................................................................36
Crisis Response Team Roles ..................................................................................................37
Crisis Response Team Members ………………………………………………………….. 39
Crisis Response Teams ..........................................................................................................41
Crisis Response Team Contact Sheet ………………………………………………………43
Media Spokesperson ..............................................................................................................44
Key Media ..............................................................................................................................45
Teammate Media Policy ........................................................................................................46
Crisis Communication Control Center ...................................................................................47
Key Messages ........................................................................................................................48
Prevention ..............................................................................................................................49
Statement Templates ..............................................................................................................50
Checklists ...............................................................................................................................53
References…………………………………………………………………………………. 59
iii
Abstract
This thesis examines the topics of crisis communication, crisis management and crisis
communication plan development in the context of creating an actionable, usable plan for a
large, national public insurance company. Through an extensive literature review on these topics,
each aspect of crisis communication is discussed theoretically and through real-world examples.
Using the examples and theoretical foundation discussed, I created a full crisis communication
plan for Equal Insurance. Each section of the crisis plan can be tied back to an aspect discussed
in the literature review, in order to provide support as to why each aspect of the plan is vital to its
effectiveness. This plan will be implemented into Equal Insurance’s business plan, and will be
the basis for crisis planning and training within the corporation. All identifying information
about Equal Insurance and its employees have been replaced or redacted for security purposes.
1
Introduction
As the social media landscape expands and develops, corporations are more than ever,
expected to respond quickly and effectively to all of their stakeholders. A negative hit on a
company’s reputation is often followed by a decrease in their business performance. While
preventing every crisis is nearly impossible, a well thought-out and accessible crisis
communications plan can prevent missteps in the handling of the communication of a crisis,
which, when mishandled, can lead to reputational hurt, at best, and an existential threat to the
organization, at worst.
Equal Insurance is a national insurance company that provides risk management policies
and insurance to businesses and individuals. While the company has an established C-suite, a
risk management plan, and very basic template crisis management-focused statements on hold, it
lacks a stable crisis response team or a detailed plan to help guide the company in times of
trouble Crises are a When, not an If. By providing Equal Insurance with an accessible and clear
crisis communication plan and a simulation guide and guidelines for updating the plan on a
regular basis, the corporation will be well-prepared to communicate any crises and maintain
reputation while also protecting profits. In this thesis, I will develop a thorough crisis
communications plan for Equal Insurance, based off the literature around crisis communication.
Literature Review
What is a crisis?
The way a crisis is perceived and defined can vary between industries, stakeholders and
executive roles. Different stakeholders view corporate issues differently, depending on how they
directly impact them and those they care about. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a crisis
as a) an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending;
especially: one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome and b) a situation
2
that has reached a critical place.
1
In Crisis Communications: The Definitive Guide to Managing
the Message, author Stephen Fink describes a crisis as “a fluid and dynamic state of affairs
containing equal parts danger and opportunity. It is a turning point, for better or for worse.”.
2
In
Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing and Responding, author Timothy Coombs
defines a crisis as “the perceived violation of salience stakeholder expectations that can create
negative outcomes for stakeholders and or the organization”.
3
Yunus D. Saleh defines a crisis as
“an occurrence that is either natural or human-instigated that affects the normal operation of
business and political systems” in Crisis Management: the Art of Success & Failure: The Art of
Success and Failure.
4
Despite differences in phrasing, all sources seem to agree on one thing—a
crisis can make or break an organization, both in reputation and profit. For the use of this project,
a crisis will be defined as an incident that poses risk to a company’s reputation as perceived by
one or more of their stakeholders.
Structure of a Crisis
While each crisis is unique and requires an individual response, most crises follow a
similar structure. Coombs describes a crisis in three stages: (1) pre-crisis, (2) crisis event and (3)
post-crisis.
5
The pre-crisis stage is composed of three substages, including (1) signal detection,
(2) prevention and (3) crisis preparation.
6
This stage has become less prevalent over the years
due to the rise in social media. Many crises now begin online either with videos of employee
wrongdoing, complaints on social media, leaked documents, etc. It has become increasingly
1
""Crisis"." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crisis.
2
Fink, S. (2013). Crisis communications: The definitive guide to managing the message McGraw Hill Education.
3
Coombs, W. Timothy. Ongoing Crisis Communications: Planning, Managing and Responding Sage
Publications, 2019.
4
Saleh, Yunus D. Crisis Management: The Art of Success and Failure Mill City Press, 2016.
5
Coombs, Ongoing.
6
Ibid.
3
more difficult for organizations to recognize a pre-crisis stage, especially when the crisis arises
externally. Difficult to detect, however, does not mean impossible to prevent. Implementing
positive company culture, an employee code of conduct and routine checks for best practices
may help prevent a crisis, as well as establish a positive reputation that will be useful when a
crisis does hit. The crisis event stage begins when a trigger marks the beginning of the crisis.
With two substages—crisis recognition and crisis containment—this stage is where crisis
communications are imperative. Communication with all of the company’s stakeholders is a
critical facet of this phase.
7
Communication of the crisis should also continue into the post-crisis
stage. Actions and statements during this time will help the organization to be better prepared for
the next crisis, make sure stakeholders are left with a positive impression of the organization’s
crisis management efforts and check to make sure the crisis is truly over.
8
Another view of the crisis model comes from Fink, who defines four stages: (1) the
prodromal stage, (2) the acute stage, (3) the chronic stage and (4) the resolution stage.
9
The
prodromal stage is where “symptoms” of the crisis begin to show, however recognizing a
prodrome was present often occurs in the second stage, after the dust has settled.
10
The acute
stage is what most people think of when they think of a crisis. The crisis is at its most chaotic
here. The longest crisis stage is usually the chronic stage. This is where litigation occurs, internal
investigations are launched and exposés are written.
11
Not all crises have all four stages—the
most successful go from prodrome to resolution without having to deal with an acute or chronic
stage—but none have more than these four stages.
12
7
Ibid.
8
Ibid.
9
Fink, Crisis Communication.
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid.
12
Ibid.
4
In 1994, Ian Mitroff, a scholar considered the founder of modern crisis management,
offered a five-stage crisis model. These stages include (1) signal detection, (2) probing and
prevention, (3) containment, (4) recovery and (5) learning. These three models of a crisis are
considered to be the most important in the field and can help a company organize even the most
complex crisis.
13
While models can vary, there is always one constant in a crisis: an aspect of the situation
that is more important than all the others.
14
This is the one component that must be tended to
immediately; Fink calls this the keystone crisis. A keystone crisis is what you must identify and
isolate before you can begin to manage or communicate your crisis.
15
“If you gain control over
this critical element, everything else tends to fall into place with less resistance and more
clarity”.
16
Crisis Communications vs. Crisis Management
Crisis communications and crisis management are terms often used interchangeably, but
there are important differences between the two concepts. While crisis management deals with
handling the actual situation at hand, crisis communication focuses on how to communicate that
crisis, from beginning to end, to each relevant public. Fink says that “crisis management deals
with the reality of the crisis. It is the actual management of the precarious situation that is rapidly
unfolding”.
17
He describes crisis communications as “managing the perception of that same
reality. It is about telling the public what is going on (or what you want the public to know about
13
"Models and Theories to Improve Crisis Management." https://www.smartsheet.com/content/crisis-
management-model-theories.
14
Fink, Ongoing.
15
Ibid.
16
Ibid.
17
Ibid.
5
what is going on). It is shaping public opinion.
18
In Chief Crisis Officer: Structure and
Leadership for Effective Communications Response, James Haggerty defines crisis
communications as “the process of ensuring an effective communications response to an unstable
or critical state of affairs that threatens to have an undesirable or negative impact on an
organization’s reputation, business or goals”.
19
A company may be able to fix a crisis quickly,
but if you aren’t able to communicate effectively with your publics, they may perceive that the
company is still in crisis. In corporate communications, if your stakeholders think you are in a
crisis, then you are in a crisis.
Models and Theories of Crisis Communication
There are several models of crisis management and communication that are worth
understanding. The Unequal Human Capital Theory says that “more often than not, the cause of
a crisis is the failure to consider all aspects that need to be part of a dynamic organization; an
example is the discrimination of individuals, especially minorities, when the organizational
rewards tend to be a preserve of the majority”.
20
In order to be proactive according to this theory,
there should be a review of the factors likely to have an adverse impact on the elements of
organizational performance and a shift to instill an element of quality in regards to some of the
key decisions that are made.
21
The Structural-Functional Theory says that “effective crisis
management can be feasible when information related to the occurrents of crises is availed. In
times of crisis, there is a better chance of solving the emerging issues when all the facts
18
Ibid.
19
Haggerty, James. Chief Crisis Officer, 2017.
20
Saleh, Crisis Management.
21
Ibid.
6
pertaining to the challenges are known.”
22
An established flow of information is vital to this
theory.
23
The main goal of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory is to “disseminate and
communicate innovation within a designated timeframe”.
24
In his book Diffusions of
Innovations, Evertt Rogers found that when 20 percent of the population adopts a new behavior,
70 percent of the remaining population will adopt it too.
25
Communicators can use this as way to
identify behaviors that can be easily changed, and then find the most effective ways to spread
new ideas.
26
The Contingency Theory is also fairly popular, asserting that there is not one best
method to handle a crisis, since each crisis is fluid and uncertain.
27
Keith Michael Hearit developed the Theory of Apology in his book Crisis Management
by Apology, and states that companies will avoid public apologies and instead make no comment
due to concerns about lawsuits.
28
Hearit asserted that a public relations based strategy where the
organization apologies is much more effective than a “no comment” moment to a news
reporter.
29
Image Restoration Theory, originated by William Benoit in his book Accounts,
Excuses, and Apologies: A Theory of Image Restoration Strategies, focused on how a company
should approach responding to a crisis.
30
Benoit lists five categories of image repair strategies
including (1) denial, (2) evasion of responsibility, (3) reducing perceived offensiveness of the
action, (4) corrective action and (5) mortification (confessing and asking forgiveness).
31
22
Ibid.
23
Ibid.
24
Ibid.
25
Smartsheet, Models and Theories.
26
Ibid.
27
Ibid.
28
Hearit, Keith Michael. Crisis Management by Apology: Corporate Response to Allegations of
Wrongdoing Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006.
29
Ibid.
30
Smartsheet, Models and Theories.
31
Ibid.
7
Choosing the response strategy an organization will take completely relies on the type of crisis
they are in, and how much damage it could do to the company’s reputation.
Perhaps the most important theory to crisis communications today is Coombs’ Situational
Crisis Communications Theory. In this theory, crisis managers must identify the level of threat to
the company’s reputation the crisis poses. An organization can fit into three clusters: (1) the
victim cluster, when the organization is a victim of the crisis, (2) the accidental cluster, when the
organization unintentionally caused the crisis, and (3) the intentional cluster, when the
organization intentionally acted wrongly.
32
The cluster you have identified that your company is
in will help determine the best response style to use.
Crisis Types and Classifications
While there are almost endless possibilities for types of corporate crises, Gerald Meyers
provides four main crisis classification factors in his 1986 book, When It Hits the Fan: Managing
the Nine Crises of Business. The four factors are: Dimension, Control, Time and Options. These
four classifications can help a company understand the position the crisis has put them in and
what the best plan for response is. Dimension measures the size of the stake at risk, control
measures your ability to influence the environment, time measures how much time you have for
maneuvering and options lays out the number and quality of your choices.
33
When it comes to
the relationship between dimension and control, Meyers assigns four classes, A-D, an
organization can be in. Class A crises occur when there is an extremely high risk and the
32
Ibid.
33
Meyers, Gerald and John Holusha. When it Hits the Fan: Managing the Nine Crises of Business Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1986.
8
company has no control.
34
In Class B crises, companies often maintain a little control, though the
dimension is still high.
35
Class C crises exhibit low danger and high control, while Class D is not
considered a crisis at all.
36
For the remaining two crisis classification factors, Time and Options,
Meyers describes Class Alpha and Class Beta.
37
Class Alpha is the most troubling position to be
in, as companies often have no time and no options.
38
Class Beta crises also have little time, but
more options to choose from.
39
Through the graphs below, Meyers illustrates these classes and
how they correlate to their factors.
A wide range of events can fall into the category of crisis:
• Data breaches and other issues involving information technology
40
• Workplace Violence
41
34
Ibid.
35
Ibid.
36
Ibid.
37
Ibid.
38
Ibid.
39
Ibid.
40
Haggerty, Chief Crisis Officer.
41
Ibid.
9
• Both natural and man-made disasters
42
• Regulatory investigations
43
• Incidents of discrimination or harassment
44
• High-profile lawsuits (either personal dealing with the C-suite or more commercial)
45
• Product failure
• Financial matters (embezzlement by a senior member, donations, insider trading, or a
SEC investigation, backlash for financial decisions)
46
o Ex. In 2012, Planned Parenthood announced that Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Foundation had withdrawn $680,000 worth of donations backing breast
screenings and educational programs from the organization.
47
The move was seen
as a political statement against abortion, especially during an election year, and a
politically inspired decision, which wasn’t appropriate for an organization like
Komen for the Cure.
48
• Personnel-related changes that could impact business operations
49
o Ex. When J.C. Penny hired Ron Johnson, an outsider, as a new CEO to help
handle its increased online sales activity in 2012, it ended in more losses than
profits.
50
Johnson wanted to reinvent J.C. Penny as having the best prices every
day, eliminating the words “sale” and “clearance” from the website which took
42
Ibid.
43
Ibid.
44
Ibid.
45
Ibid.
46
Ibid.
47
Saleh, Crisis Management
48
Ibid.
49
Haggerty, Chief Crisis Officer
50
Saleh, Crisis Management
10
away the appeal of shopping there for customers.
51
This change and more created
an identity crisis within employees and customers, that took years to help mend.
52
• Activist actions
53
o In the 1960s, activist organization Greenpeace garnered immense public pressure
on Lego to dissolve its partnership with Shell.
54
Greenpeace’s video, Lego:
Everything is NOT Awesome is still the most viral piece in the organization’s
history.
55
Due to the intense media attention and the amount of people supporting
Greenpeace’s campaign, Lego was pressured to surrender and end its partnership
with Shell.
56
• Boycotts
57
o Ex. When the public found out that Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy’s
foundation, largely funded by the chain’s profits, openly and loudly opposed same
sex marriage, Cathy did not back down from his views and boycotts took place all
over the country.
58
• Rumors
59
• Sexual Harassment
60
o Ex. The sexual abuse crimes committed by Jerry Sandusky at Penn State
University resulted in serious consequences for the entire school administration
51
Ibid.
52
Ibid.
53
Haggerty, Chief Crisis Officer
54
Saleh, Crisis Managment
55
Ibid.
56
Ibid.
57
Coombs, Ongoing.
58
Fink, Crisis Communications
59
Coombs, Ongoing
60
Ibid.
11
and football club. It came out that the first time someone brought up concerns
against Sandusky was in 1998, and no action was taken. The same occurred in
2001.
61
After the situation became public in 2011, Penn state made four terrible
blunders in the communication of the situation.
62
• Whistle blowing
63
These types of crises and others can be placed into broader categories of Operational Crises
and Paracrises.
64
Operational Crises are events that require the activation of the crisis
management response team and immediate action. Paracrises are smaller events that don’t
necessarily need to activate the crisis management team, but they do need to be tended to quickly
and effectively, as neglect and mismanagement of a paracrises can escalate it into an operational
crisis.
65
As for paracrises, there are four main sections Coombs describes: (1) faux pas, (2)
rumors, (3) challenges, and (4) collateral damage. Faux Pas paracrises occur when managers take
an action they think is positive or neutral but stakeholders view as negative, such as advertising
messages that stakeholders find insulting.
66
Rumors spread when false or misleading information
is intentionally circulated about an organization or an individual within that organization, that
could cause reputational harm.
67
Challenges result when “the organization is confronted by
discontented stakeholders with claims that it is operating in an inappropriate manner”.
68
Collateral damage occurs “when some negatively viewed actor mentions or is publicly associated
with the organization, thereby creating the risk of guilt by association”.
69
61
Fink, Crisis Communication
62
Ibid.
63
Coombs, Ongoing
64
Ibid.
65
Ibid.
66
Ibid.
67
Ibid.
68
Ibid.
69
Ibid.
12
Operational Crises can consist of operational disruptions from disasters, workplace
violence, unexpected loss of key leadership, malevolence, technical-error accidents, technical-
error product harm, human-error accidents, human-error product harm, data breach,
organizational misdeeds. Additionally, organization’s should avoid a double crisis at all costs. A
double crisis occurs when crisis managers and/or communicators handle a crisis so poorly, that
the response triggers a second crisis.
70
The most famous example of a double crisis may be the
BP Oil Spill. After the disastrous spill took place, BP Head Tony Hayward butchered the
communication of the crisis so poorly, the crisis multiplied in intensity. Hayward’s infamous
“I’d like my life back” statement sent BP into a crisis more difficult to recover from than the spill
itself.
71
A spillover can also occur when a crisis in one company negatively affects the reputation
of the entire industry.
72
Lastly, a synecdoche crisis occurs when one franchise in an organization
has a crisis, and it becomes a crisis for the entire organization.
73
Crisis Response Strategies
When formulating a response to a corporate crisis, communicators should take form,
strategy and content into account. Form is how the response will be presented to the publics,
strategy deals with the way crisis communications is used to achieve certain outcomes, and
content is what is said within the message.
74
Communicators should be aware that in the stressful
time of a crisis, stakeholders will not be at their best for receiving information.
75
According to a
study presented by Coombs, people’s ability to process information is reduced up to 80 percent
70
Ibid.
71
Fink, Crisis Communication
72
Coombs, Ongoing
73
Ibid.
74
Ibid.
75
Ibid.
13
during emotionally charged situations, meaning teams must make sure the messages they craft
are clear and easily understandable.
76
When it comes to taking a stance on their company’s crisis, corporate communicators
have numerous options. Broken up into denial, diminishment and rebuilding, these strategies
should be picked carefully based on the individual crisis at hand.
77
Denial strategies seek to
remove any connection between the crisis and the organization, and these are almost always the
wrong approach.
78
Diminishment strategies aim to reduce attributions of organizational control
over the crisis or the negative effects of the crisis.
79
Rebuilding strategies attempt to improve the
organizations reputation and are designed to benefit stakeholders and offset the negative effects
of the crisis.
80
Finally, bolstering strategies are to be used as supplements to the other three
categories. They seek to build a positive connection between the organization and its
stakeholders.
81
Denial Strategies
1. Attacking the Accuser — The crisis manager confronts the person or group that claims
the crisis exists.
82
2. Denial — The crisis manager states that no crisis exists, this response should include an
explanation as to why there is no crisis.
83
3. Scapegoating — Some other person or group outside of the organization is blamed for
the crisis.
84
76
Ibid.
77
Ibid.
78
Ibid.
79
Ibid.
80
Ibid.
81
Ibid.
82
Ibid.
83
Ibid.
84
Ibid.
14
Diminishment Strategies
1. Excusing — The crisis manager tries to minimize the organization’s responsibility for
the crisis, including denying intention of harm or claiming the incident was out of their
control.
85
2. Justification — The crisis manager tries to minimize the perceived damage associated
with the crisis.
86
Rebuilding Strategies
1. Compensation — The organization provides money or other gifts to victims.
87
2. Apology — The crisis manager publicly states that the organization takes full
responsibility for the crisis and asks for forgiveness.
88
Bolstering Strategies
1. Reminding — The organization tells stakeholders about its past good work.
89
2. Ingratiation — The organization praises its stakeholders.
90
3. Victimage —The organization explains how it is also a victim of the crisis.
91
The chart below illustrates a general guidance for using the crisis response strategies, pulled
from Coombs’ Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing and Responding.
92
Crisis Response
Strategy
Asset for Crisis
Communication
Liability for Crisis
Communication
Most Appropriate
Situation
Attacking the
Accuser
Refutes claims that a
crisis exists
Builds sympathy for
attacker
Offends victims
Rumor crisis
85
Ibid.
86
Ibid.
87
Ibid.
88
Ibid.
89
Ibid.
90
Ibid.
91
Ibid.
92
Ibid.
15
Denial Refutes claims that a
crisis exists
Offends victims Rumor crisis
Scapegoating Eliminates
responsibility for a
crisis
Angers victims and
nonvictims
Should be avoided
Excusing Reinforces minimal
responsibility for the
crisis
Angers victims and
nonvictims
Crises with low
levels of crisis
responsibility
Justification Reinforces minimal
damage from the
crisis
Angers victims and
nonvictims
Crises with low
levels of crisis
responsibility
Compensation Indicates
organization is taking
responsibility for the
crisis
Increases expenses
for the organization
Any crisis with
visible victims
Apology Organization accepts
responsibility for the
crisis
Increases expenses
for the organization
Any crises where
there is evidence that
the organization is
the primary actor
responsible for the
crisis
Reminding Adds positive
information about the
organization
Victims and
nonvictims may view
it as an attempt to
distract from the
crisis
When an organization
has a favorable prior
reputation
Ingratiation Adds positive
information about the
organization
Victims and
nonvictims may view
it as an attempt to
distract from the
crisis
Any crisis that
involves help from
outside actors
Victimage Builds sympathy for
the organization
Victims and
nonvictims may view
it as an attempt to
distract from the
crisis
Product tampering,
hacking, workplace
violence, etc.
Apology vs. Apologia
Apology vs. apologia and their potential effects on crisis messaging is a common
discussion in the communications industry. Apology and apologia are terms often used when
discussing how organizations tend to respond to crises. In Crisis Management by Apology,
16
“apologies acknowledge guilt and present the accused as defenseless; apologias may express
concern yet more typically offer a vigorous counteroffensive”.
93
Choosing to use an apologia
approach to crisis communication will often result in more backlash. Social media has also made
it easier for consumers to evaluate an apology’s sincerity and give feedback directly to the
company. A key factor in a stakeholder deciding whether or not an organization’s apology is
authentic, is the timing of the message.
Evaluating Threats
Situation crisis communication theory uses a two-step proves to help organizations
evaluate the level of reputational threat a crisis presents.
94
First is determining the crisis type.
Coombs describes three clusters of crisis types: (1) the Victim Cluster, (2) the Accidental Cluster
and (3) the Preventable Cluster.
95
The victim cluster contains crises that have very little
attribution of crisis responsibility, such as natural disasters, workplace violence and
malevolence.
96
The accidental cluster represents low attribution of crisis responsibility and
contains technical-error accidents and technical error-product harm.
97
Lastly is the preventable
cluster, which has strong attributions of crisis responsibility and includes human-error accidents,
human-error product harm, organizational misdeeds, and scansis.
98
Once the crisis type is
identified, it is time to assess reputational threat based on contextual modifiers.
99
These
modifiers are factors that affect an organization’s use of reputation management strategies.
100
93
Hearit, Crisis by Apology.
94
Coombs, Ongoing.
95
Ibid.
96
Ibid.
97
Ibid.
98
Ibid.
99
Ibid.
100
Ibid.
17
The most researched of these modifiers is known as the Velcro Effect. The Velcro Effect occurs
when organizations with a history of crises attract additional reputational damage, just as Velcro
attracts lint.
101
This means that if an organization has a history of crises or a negative prior
reputation, stakeholders will treat a victim crisis like an accidental one and an accidental crisis
like an intentional one.
102
Other contextual modifiers include national culture, organizational
culture, severity and strength of stakeholder organizational identification.
103
Coombs provides
ten recommendations for crisis response selection in Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning,
Managing and Responding.
104
They are:
1. Provide the ethical base response whenever there are victims of potential victims.
2. Use diminishment strategies for accident crises when there is no crisis history of
unfavorable prior reputation.
3. Use diminishment strategies for victim crises when there is a crisis history or unfavorable
prior reputation.
4. Use rebuilding strategies for accident crises when there is a crisis history or unfavorable
prior reputation.
5. Use rebuilding strategies for any preventable crisis.
6. Use reinforcing strategies as supplements to the other response strategies.
7. The victimage response strategy should be used only with the victim cluster.
8. To be consistent, do not mix denial strategies with wither diminishment or rebuilding
strategies.
9. Diminishment and rebuilding strategies can be used in combination with one another.
101
Ibid.
102
Ibid.
103
Ibid.
104
Ibid.
18
10. Denial is only used when there has been misinformation and the organization actually has
no connection or responsibility for the crisis.
Timing
Choosing the appropriate response strategy for a crisis is important, and that includes
ensuring a response comes as soon as possible. Stakeholders expect a timely response, especially
with the accessibility of social media. Coombs quotes Burton saying “the need for speed in crisis
communication continues to escalate as technology accelerates the spread of information,
thereby actually reducing the amount of time a crisis team has for responding.
105
Because of the
increased speed that the media reports a crisis, stakeholders often get the news of a crisis from
the media first, instead of the organization.
106
This presents a problem for the organization
because can lead to a potential loss of control over the story. It is vital for an organization to put
out its messages as quickly as possible; the quicker the stakeholders can hear about the crisis
from the organization, whether that is owned content or through the media, the better. While
speed is important, it also increases risks. It is vital for organization to take the appropriate time
to understand the situation and formulate the best response. The primary risk associated with
speed is the potential for inaccuracies.
107
If the organization’s crisis team doesn’t give
stakeholders the information, someone else will, and those groups or individuals may be ill
informed, misinformed or ill-intentioned.
108
These gaps in information are the breeding grounds
for rumors and speculation. Conversely, organizations that jump on a denial or apology too
quickly can receive backlash from publics. In his book Crisis Management by Apology, Keith
105
Ibid.
106
Ibid.
107
Ibid.
108
Ibid.
19
Michael Hearit, says “the idea here is that a ‘meaningful’ apology comes only after reflection on
the wrong that was perpetrated. If the apology happens immediately, then it is clear that the
apologist may not have fully considered the harmful impacts of his or her actions. Conversely, if
the apology comes not too early but too late, another less than desirable conclusion is drawn: The
apologist is uncaring an unsympathetic and lacks the basic human and communication
competence to recognize than an apology needed to be made much earlier”.
109
Silence is another
way for an organization to fail in its crisis response. Although it may be the legal counsels’
preferred response, it reflects uncertainty and passivity, the exact opposite of that an organization
should be in crisis.
110
On the other hand, a slow response gives the impression and a lack of
competence and no interest in the well-being of the stakeholders.
Control is important to credibility, and if a crisis is a lack of control, then a quick
response is the first step in reasserting control and reestablishing credibility.
111
In order to ensure
effective and timely crisis response, Coombs believes that organizations should focus on three
factors: (1) Control, (2) Information and (3) Response, or the CIR system.
112
Control during a
crisis can mean having control over the site of evets and the points of contact for the crisis, as
well as control over who is saying what to whom and when.
113
In this “Control” phase
company’s should make sure that the message being sent about the crisis is correct, accurate and
frames the story in the desired way.
114
In the “Information” stage, an organization should first
ensure that information is following from the crisis site, virtual or physical, to the crisis response
109
Hearit, Crisis by Apology.
110
Coombs, Ongoing.
111
Ibid.
112
Haggerty, Chief Crisis Officer
113
Ibid.
114
Ibid.
20
team.
115
The crisis response team should analyze each piece of information received, and never
automatically assume it is accurate.
116
Holding statements are extremely helpful in this stage, as it lets stakeholders know the
situation is being monitored and handled, even though very few facts are present.
117
It is
important for the organization to take care with their response message. Haggerty presents this
rule in his book, “the right message delivered once is always more effective than the wrong
message delivered over and over again”.
118
Any fault in displaying appropriate timeliness,
message delivery or authenticity can spiral the situation into a “second-level crisis,” furthering
the damage done to the organizations’ reputation.
119
Second-level Crises
Poor crisis management can also hurt a company’s reputation more than successful crisis
management can help it. “Depending on their reputation risk preparedness and response by
management immediately following a crisis, companies could add 20 percent of value or lose up
to 30% of value”.
120
This shows that second-level crises often hurt companies more than an
115
Ibid.
116
Ibid.
117
Ibid.
118
Ibid.
119
Jahng, Mi Rosie and Seoyeon Hong. "How should You Tweet?: The Effect of Crisis Response Voices,
Strategy, and Prior Brand Attitude in Social Media Crisis Communication." (21 June,
2017), https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41299-017-0022-7#citeas.
120
Steffee, S. "TAKE STOCK OF REPUTATION: In the wake of a crisis, social media is
magnifying reputation damage." Internal Auditor, Oct. 2018, p. 10+. Academic OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A560015389/AONE?u=tamp73569&sid=AONE&xid=e829fabc.
21
initial crisis that was handled well. It is vital for the future of corporate entities for them to learn
to adapt to the new media and the ways in which the public perceives certain messages on the
platforms to ensure they can maintain consumer trust and a positive brand reputation.
Follow Up Communication
Crisis communication doesn’t end when the news cycle moves on to the next big
corporate story. Following up with stakeholders helps answer any new inquiries, delivering any
promised information and updating them about new developments.
121
An organization’s
communication after a crisis can either hurt or bolster its reputation in the long run. Failure to
follow up on the crisis team’s words and promises gives the company less credibility for any
future promises it makes, especially those during future crises.
There are four pieces of crucial information you should provide in updates to
stakeholders, according to Coombs.. The first is to let stakeholders know how the recovery
process is going.
122
Second is to announce the cause of the crisis if it wasn’t known initially and
an investigation needed to be launched.
123
Third, inform stakeholders of any operational changes
or actions taken to prevent a repeat of the crisis, and continually update as those actions are
implemented and progressed upon.
124
Lastly is to report to stakeholders any third-party support
your organization is receiving.
125
Items 1, 2 and 3 reinforce the perception that the company has
control over the issue, while Item 4 provides added borrowed credibility from an outside expert.
As the crisis resolution stage progresses, Coombs provides four more points to make to your
121
Coombs, Ongoing.
122
Ibid.
123
Ibid.
124
Ibid.
125
Ibid.
22
stakeholders. The first is to continue to field questions and respond to inquiries, as well as track
them for evaluation and training purposes.
126
Secondly, the spokesperson should continue to
express compassion, since losing sight of any victim can cause people to doubt the authenticity
of the organization’s initial message and apology.
127
Additionally, if any aid or monetary
compensation was promised, make sure it has happened.
128
Next, employees should continue to
be brought into the discussion to monitor and treat ant issues they had during the crisis and any
organizational concerns they might have.
129
Lastly, the organization should continue to support
any outside ongoing investigations into the crisis and offer full transparency to those conducting
the investigation.
130
Crisis Communication Plans
According to PR News, 62 percent of companies have crisis plans, however it is
uncertain how many regularly update them.
131
Additionally, few of those companies practice
crisis simulations on a consistent basis.
132
A crisis is best handled by following the guidelines of a
crisis communications plan (CCP), preferably laid out before a crisis hits.
Coombs, along with other many of the other scholars mentioned in this paper, believe A
CCP should contain the information needed to manage a crisis sufficiently, but should not be too
126
Ibid.
127
Ibid.
128
Ibid.
129
Ibid.
130
Ibid.
131
Arenstein, Seth. "62% have Crisis Plans, but Few Update them Or Practice
Scenarios." https://www.prnewsonline.com/crisis-survey-CSA-
practice#:~:text=About%2062%20percent%20of%20companies,companies%20consistently%20practice%20cr
isis%20scenarios.
132
Ibid.
23
long and cumbersome, which could make it more difficult to use in the midst of the chaos.
133
CCPs should lay out steps to take but should not become inflexible. Plans that leave little to no
room for change and force managers to follow a prescribed set of actions can be negative for an
organization.
134
Coombs’ defines a CCP as a communication document and involves identifying who to
contact and how, and how to reach various stakeholders and the creation of pre-crisis
messages.
135
Coombs recommends that a CCP be broken up into three components: (1)
documentation, (2) contact information and (3) reminders.
136
The documentation section
includes an introduction, acknowledgment, a crisis management team contact, incident report
form and the crisis control center designation, among other information. The contact
information section indicates who to contact, how to contact them, as well as why they are
relevant to the crisis. It also includes a list of stakeholders who need to be informed and who
within the organization should be responsible for reaching out. The reminders section tells crisis
team members that certain information is confidential and cannot be given to stakeholders with
CEO authorization or review by legal counsel, as well as a reminder that all external
communication during a crisis needs to be synchronized. Public relations, marketing and
advertising messages should be consistent with the crisis effort.
Haggerty also breaks a crisis plan into three similar parts: (1) a roadmap for action for
when a crisis occurs, (2) a way to bring the crisis communications team together quickly and
efficiently in the early stages of a crisis and (3) pre-prepared tools and resources and the proper
133
Coombs, Ongoing.
134
Ibid.
135
Ibid.
136
Ibid.
24
methodology for distributing the information to various stakeholders and publics.
137
When
creating a crisis communications plan, companies can use the acronym A.C.T to help formulate
the manual. A.C.T stands for Assess, Create and Train. Companies should Assess potential crises
and the team or teams who will handle them, Create a plan of action that includes checklists,
templates and other necessary resources and Train the core team in tabletop or virtual scenarios
to ensure the plan is properly executed.
While nuances between CCPs can vary between organizations and industries, most
should have the same basic information and documentation. Coombs provides an outline of
Continental Airlines’ crisis management plan in his book Ongoing Crisis Planning, Managing
and Responding. This outline provides 21 components of a thorough CCP
138
:
1. Introduction — A statement about the importance of the plan, preferably from the
CEO or the “Chief Crisis Officer,” or whoever is in charge of the team.
2. Acknowledgments — Indication that employees and team members have read the
plan and understand their roles.
3. Rehearsal Dates — List of dates that the plan has been rehearsed, and a commitment
to future rehearsal dates.
4. Purpose and Objectives — The purpose of the plan and detailed objectives should
be listed here.
5. Key Publics — Lists all publics that have been identified as relevant to the crisis.
6. Notifying Publics — Notes important information that should be sent to the key
publics as soon as possible. These publics are divided into internal and external, and
internal publics should always be notified first. More direct and personal channels of
137
Haggerty, Chief Crisis Officer.
138
Coombs, Ongoing Crisis.
25
contact such as email are recommended for reaching internal publics, while more
widely accessed channels such as social media and news media are recommended for
external publics.
7. Crisis Communication Team — A list of the crisis team members and their contact
information . The list can also be divided into executive officers, board of directors,
public relations and legal teams.
8. Media Spokesperson —The spokesperson should be identified here, as well as
possible additional speakers that could be useful depending on the type of crisis at
hand.
9. Emergency Personnel and Local Officials — Provides a list of emergency officials
that should be contacted during a crisis, if needed.
10. Key Media — List of key media reporters and outlets to communicate the crisis
through.
11. Spokespersons for Related Organizations — Provides a list of names and contact
information for spokespeople at other organizations within the same industry, that
may be helpful within a crisis, or in the case of a spillover, also involved in the crisis.
12. Crisis Communication Control Center — Designated location (physical or virtual)
for the crisis communication team to meet once the crisis plan is activated.
13. Equipment and Supplies — Lists the materials the crisis team should have access to,
including pre-gathered information and what needs to be brought in.
14. Pre-gathered Information —A summary of the information that was gathered and
stored as reference material for the crisis team. This can include procedure
documents, audits and case studies.
26
15. Web Page — Information for the web master so that a separate crisis site can be set
up, or the organization can update their main website with accurate information.
16. Websites and Related Links — List of websites and links that may be useful,
including government regulation associations or hotline numbers.
17. Key Messages — Provides examples and templates for key messages to be conveyed
during the crisis. These should cover all possible crises and vary between publics and
stakeholders.
18. Trick Questions — Identifies possible questions from publics and media that can
distract from the key messages.
19. Sample Press Briefing — Sample text and questions from reporters or media.
20. Prodromes — Provides a list of preventative steps for possible crises and actions that
should be regularly taken to prevent them.
21. Evaluation Form — This section should be used to collect feedback about the crisis
communications response and the guide, in order to refine and adapt for the next
simulation and/or crisis.
Approval of the crisis communications plan before a crisis hits its vital. Needing the
go-ahead from board members and legal counsel can be a lengthy roadblock, that can
hinder the speed you can get your messaging out, and speed always counts in a crisis.
139
Essential approvals should come from (1) the CEO for message and tone, (2) the
corporate counsel for any legal issues, (3) the head of corporate communications for tone
and message points and (4) anyone whose specific duties are related to a possible crises,
139
Fink, Crisis Communication.
27
for example, a financial expert for financial crises or a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
officers for diversity issues.
140
Crisis Response Team
Coombs defines a crisis communications team as a “cross-functional group of people in
the organization who have been designated to handle any crises and is a core element of crisis
preparation.
141
The crisis team should not just be a list of names, but an engaged group that
meets regularly to discuss developments in the crisis communications plan.
142
The CRT is
responsible for three main tasks: (1) creating the CCP, (2) enacting it and (3) dealing with any
problems not covered in it.
143
Certain knowledge bases and organizational power sources should
always be represented on a CRT.
144
Functions such as legal counsel, media relations and
speaking directly to the publics are core pieces of the CRT. According to Haggerty, a core crisis
communications team should consist of a maximum of six to eight members from various
departments throughout the company, who can reach across organizational barriers in order to
get the job done.
145
Besides having a Chief Crisis Officer who will lead the operation, Haggerty
recommends someone from the legal department, one or two people from public or government
affairs, one or two members from the public relations team (including a social media specialist),
someone from investor relations, a member from the executive team to help facilitate
communication with the CEO and someone from a key operational division such as brand
manager or issue leader.
146
140
Ibid.
141
Coombs, Ongoing.
142
Ibid.
143
Ibid.
144
Ibid.
145
Haggerty, Chief Crisis Officer.
146
Ibid.
28
Additionally, the members of the CRT should reflect the nature of the crisis.
147
In
addition to core CRT members, people should be prepared to join the CRT if the crisis calls for
them. For example, a computer hacking crisis would need an information technology expert
onboard, whereas a product harm crisis likely would not need the help of IT professionals.
148
Crisis Communication Training/Simulation
The best way to ensure that a crisis communication plan is readable, usable and effective,
is to test it. A 2019 PR News study found that about 40 percent of employees said that their
company had never conducted a crisis exercise, and 20 percent weren’t sure if they had.
149
When
asked what the most difficult aspect of crisis response is for their organization, 41% said reacting
quickly, 40% said communicating issues between departments quickly and receive prompt
response and 38 percent said it was measuring the impact of the crisis.
150
All three of these issues
can be improved through regular crisis training.
Coombs provides a list of training options in his book Crisis Communication The five
exercises include (1) an orientation seminar, which is an overview of the crisis management
process, roles, procedures, policies and equipment, (2) a drill, which is a supervised exercise that
tests one crisis management function, (3) a tabletop, a guided analysis of a crisis situation, (4) a
functional exercise, which is a simulated interactive exercise that tests the complete crisis
management system and unfolds in real time and (5) a full-scale exercise that simulates a real
crisis as closely as possible, with actual equipment use and deployment of teams.
147
Coombs, Ongoing.
148
Ibid.
149
PR News Online.
150
Ibid.
29
Similar to the medical field, crisis experts train companies through simulations or crisis
inoculations to test the crisis response team. These simulations subject clients to real stress via
real crisis scenarios and run potential spokespeople through simulated media attacks and
interviews.
151
Trainers should create a simulated crisis and then provide the spokesperson
candidate with several key message points.
152
After the “press meeting” or “ambush interview,”
it’s important to sit down with the candidate and evaluate how they did.
153
Basic evaluation
questions include “Were they believable?,” “Did they make their points cogently?” and “Did
they look at the interviewer?”.
154
More complex questions are “How did they handle rude
questioners who didn’t let them finish their responses?,” “If they were being interviewed in a
hallway with a gaggle of reporters and TV cameras, did the spokesperson know where to look?”
and “When multiple questions were thrown at them at once, did they know what to do?”.
155
Conclusion
Applying the theories, resources and information found through the literature review
process, I will create an accessible, easy to understand and practical crisis communication plan
for Equal Insurance. From administrative paperwork to statement templates and checklists, this
plan will provide a thorough, step-by-step guide to formulating the fastest and best possible crisis
communication response in times of trouble. This plan can be adjusted to fit a wide-range of
crisis types, and should be used as a guiding document for the crisis communication process.
151
Fink, Crisis Communication.
152
Ibid.
153
Ibid.
154
Ibid.
155
Ibid.
30
EQUAL INSURANCE
CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN
31
Acknowledgement
This Equal Insurance Ins. Crisis Communication Plan has been created to provide guidance to
dealing with significant issues that may negatively impact the company. Remember that this
document is a guide. It should be referred to when handling a crisis, but it should be adjusted
when needed to best handle the situation.
This plan should be reviewed and updated annually, to account for changes in the executive
team, business operations, and potential risks.
This plan should also be tested, and key personnel should be trained, to ensure effective use of
the plan in real time.
I acknowledge that this crisis plan has been updated and evaluated and is ready to be used when
needed. Each member of the Crisis Response Team has been informed of their position and has
reviewed their role.
This crisis plan was last tested and trained on _________ and last updated on ___________.
Name: (CEO)
Signature:
Name: (General Counsel)
Signature:
Name: (Communications Director)
Signature:
32
Teammate Acknowledgement
Teammate Name: _____________________________________
Crisis Team Role: _____________________________________
I acknowledge that I have thoroughly read the Equal Insurance Ins. Crisis Communication plan
and understand my role in the Crisis Response Team and will abide by the policies and
procedures within it.
Teammate Signature: __________________________________ Date: _______________
Please sign and return this form to (Communications Director) as soon as possible.
33
Record of Revisions
Date Action Taken Participants Notes
34
Purpose
Equal Insurance has a responsibility to internal and external stakeholders to communicate
any issues quickly and clearly. The purpose of this plan is to provide the Crisis Response Team
at Equal Insurance, with a comprehensive guide to effectively communicate a reputational crisis.
A reputational crisis is any issue, internal or external, that could negatively impact the reputation
of the company and impact its ability to operate effectively. This plan should be used as a guide
and checklist when dealing with a crisis in real time and should be adjusted when needed.
This plan should be trained, reviewed and updated on at least an annual basis, to ensure
any changes to the company’s crisis response team and other operations are accounted for.
Objectives
1) Organization
a. Provide organized and comprehensive guides and checklists to follow when
dealing with a crisis.
b. Outline roles, responsibilities and tasks for members of the Crisis Response team
to prevent delays and errors in crisis response.
c. Provide information on key publics and messaging to ensure the right messaging
goes to the correct publics.
2) Communication
a. To serve as the central point of messaging in times of crisis to ensure cohesive
messaging to all publics.
b. Outline a chain of command to follow in times of crisis to ensure a free flow of
information in and out of the crisis response team.
c. Collect and analyze all information surrounding a crisis and provide templates
and checklists for all possible situations.
d. Provide a basis for training exercises.
3) Decision-Making
a. Facilitate collaborative communication between the crisis response team to ensure
cohesive messaging.
b. Outline spokespeople and a chain of command before a crisis hits to provide
clarity about which way information should flow.
c. Determine, through a clear process, the type of crisis at hand and the best way to
handle, communicate and mitigate reputational damage.
4) Recovery
a. Outlines actions that should be taken before, during and after the crisis occurs that
will support recovery processes.
b. Provide documentation and evaluation of the plan to adapt and update the plan as
needed.
c. Provide guide of messaging and actions to take during the restoration process.
35
Risk Analysis
Possible crisis types:
1) Data breaches, or other issues involving Information Technology/client and associate
data
2) Incidents of discrimination or harassment
3) High-profile lawsuits
4) Financial issues, including embezzlement, insider trading, an SEC investigation, or stock
market crises
5) Sudden personnel-related changes
6) Rumors and Accusations
7) Arrests
36
Key Publics
Internal Publics: Internal Publics should be the first to be notified when the crisis plan is
activated. Those who work internally at the company such as teammates, board members and
branch leaders should be notified with an email and update on any internal website or portal.
Clients and shareholders of Equal should be notified separately with specific messaging.
1) Teammates
2) Board of Directors
3) Leaders
4) Customers
5) Shareholders
External: External Publics should also be notified as quickly as possible. As soon as a crisis hits,
a holding statement should be given publicly explaining Equal Insurance’s awareness of the
problem and that an investigation is taking place.
1) Media
2) Government
3) Prospective Shareholders
4) Prospective Customers
5) Financial Community
6) Carrier-Broker partners
7) Deloitte/NYSE Regulators
All publics should be updated as new information comes out and referred to a separate email or
phone line for any questions to be answered.
37
Crisis Response Team Roles
“Chief Crisis Officer”
Responsibilities:
a. Facilitates the activation of the crisis plan
b. Facilitates the gathering of the crisis response team
c. Make decisions quickly with the group
d. Take authority over the crisis communications plan when timely decisions must
be made
e. Check all messaging that will be distributed throughout the crisis to all publics
f. Facilitate the flow of information to the legal counsel and the CEO
General Counsel
Responsibilities:
a. Provide legal advice and guidance about all actions taken and messages distributed
b. Approve all messaging to be sent out
c. Handle any legal consequences that may have caused the crisis, or that arise as a
result of the crisis
Chief Executive Officer
Responsibilities:
a. Serve as the main spokesperson in the majority of crises (subject to change only if the
CEO is unable to fulfill the role or if there is a clear alternative e.g. a small crisis at one
branch, the manager of that branch may be a better choice)
b. Undergo media training if necessary
Chief Financial Officer
Responsibilities:
a. Manage Equal Insurance’s financial stability during and after the crisis
b. Manage any SEC investigations and financial documentation needed
c. Provide advice on any financial decisions that need to be made as a result of the crisis
Government Relations/Public Affairs Specialist
Responsibilities:
a. Provide advice on governmental regulation to the rest of the crisis response team
b. Handle any government documentation
c. Communicate the crisis with governmental publics with the appropriate messaging
Public Relations Specialist(s)/Social Media Specialist
Responsibilities:
a. Develop statements to key publics from templates or from scratch if necessary
b. Check messaging for tone
c. Incorporate key messages in all statements
d. Facilitate media training for the spokesperson
e. Advise all crisis team members and internal publics on etiquette of communicating
with the media before, during and after a crisis
38
f. Handle all social media statements
g. Engage in media relations
h. Set up any necessary press briefings
i. Monitor social media
Investor Relations Specialist
Responsibilities:
a. Communicate with investor publics
b. Provide advice to the team on investor messaging
Someone from a key operational division relevant to the crisis
Responsibilities:
a. Provide expertise on a certain area relevant to the crises (e.g. Information technology,
Insurance expert etc.)
39
Crisis Response Team Members
Crisis Response Team Leader
Crisis Response Team Alternate
Crisis Response Team Captain
Crisis Response Team Captain Alternate
Lead Industry Director
Chairman of the Board
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Brand Officer
Chief Information Security Officer
Op-Co (Operating Committee, Executive Leadership Team)
• Chief Financial Officer, EVP and Treasurer
• EVP, Chief Acquisitions Officer
• EVP, General Counsel and Secretary
• EVP, President of Retail
• EVP, President of Whole Sale and Brokerage
• EVP, President of National Programs Division
Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
• SVP, Technology, Innovation and Digital Strategy
• SVP, Internal Operations
• SVP, Chief People Officer (Human Resources)
• Vice Chairman
• SVP, Director of Acquisitions
• 7 SVPs, Regional Presidents of Retail
• 5 SVPs
Teammates (Employees)
Board of Directors
40
• Independent Public Accounting Firm and External Auditing Firm
Institutional Stakeholders/Analyst Community
Communications Lead
• External Public Relations Consulting Firm
Crisis Team Recommendations: In today’s world of social activism and the importance of
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, it may be worth considering incorporating more people of color
and different backgrounds onto the crisis communication team. Not only will these diverse
voices help to formulate any responses during crisis communication, but they play a key role in
preventing crises. Ensuring your company has seen any business or communication projects
through every lens possible will reduce the risk of backlash and entering a crisis in the first place.
Crisis Response Team Flow Chart
This CRT flow chart will be used in the event of the following crises:
1) Data breaches, or other issues involving Information Technology/client and associate data
2) Incidents of discrimination or harassment
3) High-profile lawsuits
4) Financial issues, including embezzlement, insider trading, or an SEC investigation
5) Rumors and Accusations
Crisis Response Team
Captain
Chief Financial Officer
Lead Ind. Director
Crisis Response Team
Alternate
Chairman of the Board
Institutional Shareholders
Analyst Community
Communications
Auditing Firm
Teammates
External
Constituencies
Board Of Directors
Chief Information
Security Officer
SLT
Chief Brand Officer
Crisis Response Team
Leader
Op Co
Communication Agency
41
Crisis Response Team Flow Chart
This CRT flow chart will be used in the event of the following crises:
1) Sudden personnel-related changes
2) Arrests for violent crimes
Chief Financial Officer
Lead Ind. Director
Crisis Response Team
Alternate
Institutional Shareholders
Analyst Community
Communications
Crisis Team - Alternate
Auditing Firm
Teammates
External
Constituencies
Board Of Directors
Op Co
SLT
Chief Brand Officer
Crisis Response Team
Leader
Communication Agency
42
43
Crisis Response Team Contact Sheet
Crisis Response Team Leader Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Crisis Response Team Alternate Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Crisis Response Team Captain Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Crisis Team - Alternate Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Lead Ind. Director Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Chairman of the Board Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Chief Financial Officer Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Chief Brand Officer Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Chief Information Security Officer Phone _________________ Email _____________
Auditing Company Phone ___________________ Email _____________
Communications Lead Phone ___________________ Email ______________
Communications Firm Phone ___________________ Email ______________
44
Media Spokesperson
Recommendation: In most crisis situations the Chief Executive Officer, should be the primary
face for the company If any high-profile statements or events take place, the CEO should speak
to the media and the public directly. Depending on the crisis, different members of the team may
act as the primary spokesperson. This should be a media trained individual that has the most
authority on the issue.
It is recommended that, while the General Counsel is the Crisis Team Leader, they are not the
primary spokesperson in most crises. Many publics don’t find lawyers as trustworthy, since they
first and foremost have the company’s legal position in mind.
The CEO should be trained by the Communications leader and the General Counsel, in order to
ensure statements and comments that will give enough information to help mitigate the crisis, but
not enough to bring on too much legal trouble.
Media training is exceedingly important and should be practiced and simulated through mock
interviews and press conferences frequently. It is important for the CEO to be involved in each
step of the crisis communication pan activation in order to ensure a consistent tone.
There are some situations where, while the CEO would still be the most senior spokesperson,
they may regularly defer to a subject matter expert including:
• A technical/software crisis where an IT professional may be better suited to answer
questions [Be sure to train this speaker as well and avoid completed jargon.]
• A small-scale crisis only occurring at one branch location where the Branch Leader may
be better suited to answer questions about the branch specifically, since Equal Insurance
is decentralized.
45
Key Media
Relevant DMA Based Media:
(Local Newspaper)
Business Writer – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Business Editor – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
(Local Paper)
All submissions: [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
(Regional Paper)
Digital Producer/Senior Staff Writer - [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
(Regional Paper)
Digital Content Producer (Breaking News) – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
(Regional Broadcast Network)
Web Editor – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
(Regional Broadcast Network)
Digital Editor – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
(Regional State Online Outline)
Writer - [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
National Media
Bloomberg Businessweek Online
Executive Editor – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Washington Post
National Business Reporter – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Wall Street Journal
Business Reporter - [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Business Insider
Business Reporter - [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Industry Media
Insurance Business America
Managing Editor – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Senior News Editor – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Business Insurance
Editor – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Insurance Journal Online
Editor in Chief – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
Insurance News Net Online
Editor in Chief – [NAME REDACTED]; [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
46
Teammate Media Policy
This media policy outlines the appropriate steps to take when you are faced with a media inquiry.
It is the company’s policy that only designated company spokespersons speak with the news
media. If you are not aware whether you are a designated company spokesperson, then you are
not. Please review the steps below to ensure you are appropriately prepared to handle any media
interactions.
WHEN YOU RECEIVE A CALL FROM MEDIA
• Respond courteously and professionally to all media calls or inquiries.
• When the media asks questions, write them down, ask for the reporter’s deadline, and
say that you will have the appropriate spokesperson contact them right away.
• Do not answer any questions, even very basic ones, and do not say, “I am not allowed
to speak with the media.”
• If the reporter asks for a specific individual, ask what the call is regarding, ask for the
reporter’s deadline, and say that they will call back as soon as possible. Immediately
alert the person.
• If the reporter does not ask for a specific individual but wants to speak with someone in
charge, alert your Profit Center Leader of the call and then transfer the call.
• If your Profit Center Leader is unavailable (vacation, sick, etc.), alert the individual
standing in for them or a person in a leadership position of the call and then transfer the
call.
• If no one is available to take the call, ask the reporter for their name, phone number,
media outlet, and deadline and let them know you’ll have someone return their call as
soon as possible.
• IMMEDIATELY share the message with your Profit Center Leader, confirm receipt of
the message, and confirm they are aware of the deadline.
• If no one is available to respond to the message, contact the media response team below
with the information. .
o Chief Brand Officer, Equal Insurance, Inc. – [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
o Communications Director, Equal Insurance, Inc. - [CONTACT INFO REDACTED]
47
Crisis Communication Control Center
When the crisis communication plan is activated, a crisis communication control center should
be activated on Microsoft Teams. Each member should receive a notification that the group has
been activated and each member should check in.
A copy of this crisis manual should be available on the Microsoft Teams group, and all
teammates should have their signed acknowledgement pages on file.
All communication between CRT members must be done through on company supplied laptops
or desktops over Microsoft Teams, while connected to Equal Insurance’s SharePoint based
Intranet.
Equal Insurance’s physical crisis center is Conference Room 22 on the 3
rd
floor of our
Headquarters.
Recommendation: A dark site may be helpful to the company’s crisis communication, that can
be activated whenever a crisis occurs. This website can be the place that stakeholders are
directed to, and that the crisis team can monitor throughout.
INSTRUCTIONS TO FIND AND JOIN TEAM:
Log in to your Microsoft Teams Account
Type in “Crisis Response Team” into your search box and press Enter
Find the Equal Insurance Crisis Response Team and Select “Request to Join Team”
Once access is given, type a chat to the team to check in and let the team know you are online
and available.
48
Key Message Template
1) Our culture is built on integrity, discipline and authenticity and we strive to make a
positive difference in the lives of our customers. (GENERAL)
2) An entrepreneurial spirit is valued and encouraged, but should always be based in
principled customer focus, to provide best-in-class customer service and solutions.
(Teammate Mistake-False accounts/Fraud)
3) Equal Insurance is an equal opportunity employer and we consider all people without
regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical
or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (Discrimination
Accusation - Rumored or Legitimate)
4) Equal Insurance sees providing a safe and inclusive workplace for all employees as
imperative. (Harassment-Rumored or Legitimate)
Note: These messages are stable, evergreen templates upon which to build more specific
messages. These crisis specific messages will be developed by a team led by the Chief Brand
Officer and Communications Director when crises arise.
49
Prevention
1) Social and Traditional Media mentions and sentiments should be monitored daily, and
any small issues that come up should be addressed immediately, as to prevent escalation
into a larger crisis. Any accusation or rumor should be looked into and corrected as
quickly as possible.
2) Corporate Social Responsibility/ “Culture of Caring” should be emphasized and
featured on social media frequently, in order to build reputation and relationships within
the Equal Insurance communities. This positive relationship with the public and
surrounding communities will help prevent and control crises when they strike.
Companies with a positive reputation are hurt less in crises than those without.
3) Create and maintain a positive internal company culture. Teammates should always
feel safe, heard and involved will be willing to stand up for your company during a crisis,
and less likely to start or engage in a crisis themselves.
50
Statement Templates
Holding Statement
We are aware of the situation involving [who/what the crisis involves] and we are taking every
action to understand and resolve the issue. We are still currently gathering information, and we
are working with [any related local officials or teams] on the investigation and will be regularly
updating you as soon as new information becomes available. [When the issue involved sensitive
issues such as discrimination and harassment, mention how Equal Insurance is taking the
accusations seriously and include messaging about being an equal opportunity employer and
striving to provide a safe work environment for all.]
External Statements
General
We owe our customers an apology. On [date], [describe incident that occurred]. As a result,
[impact on customers]. We take full responsibility for our actions and the impact this had on our
customers. After reviewing the situation, we found the cause to be [cause of mistake here]. We
are committed to ensuring our customers, employees, and stakeholders don’t have to deal with
this again by [preventative measures here]. [Account managers/customer service/the company]
have been communicating with our customers during this time and are still available to help
address any continuing issues that resulted from this incident. Include, if available yet, steps the
company is taking to fix the situation. This wouldn’t be in a holding statement, of course, but this
one felt a little later-stage.
Litigation—General
While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, Equal Insurance is committed to [statement that
does not divulge information or opinion about lawsuit].
Litigation—Employee or Hiring Discrimination
While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we want to emphasize that Equal Insurance is
an equal opportunity employer and we [consider all applicants/evaluate all employees] without
regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or
mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Litigation—Sexual Harassment
While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we wish to emphasize that Equal Insurance has
zero tolerate sexual harassment . We thank the [people/person] who displayed the courage to
speak out and will be working with [him/her/them] to offer support and provide assistance during
this time.
Employee or Hiring Discrimination
We take diversity and inclusion seriously at Equal Insurance. We are an equal opportunity
employer and [consider all applicants/respect all employees] without regards to race, color,
religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran
51
status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Our goal is to ensure that we are providing a safe
and inclusive workplace for all teammates. As such, we are actively and seriously reviewing [this
claim/these claims] to determine the appropriate next steps.
Sexual Harassment
Equal Insurance has no tolerance for sexual harassment. We stand with the individual(s) who has
the courage to speak out when. Our goal is to create a safe workplace for all, and we are actively
reviewing [this claim/these claims] to determine the appropriate next steps and are offering our
full support to the [person/people] who came forward.
Unexpected Loss of CEO/Executive (Death)
We are saddened to announce that [name] has passed away. Amidst this time of tragic loss, our
focus right now is on supporting the people closest to [him/her], our employees, and all of those
affected by [his/her] passing. [Insert name], who had the benefit of working closely with [name],
will be serving as interim [Title of deceased].
Unexpected Loss of CEO/Executive (Unexpectedly Quits/Resigns)
[Name of employee] has resigned from [his/her] former position at Equal Insurance as [title],
effective [date]. [name] will assume the position of [title] on an [interim/permanent] basis. We
believe this transition will aid us in achieving our mission as a company. We wish nothing but
the best for [resigned employee] and [his/her] successful and prosperous future, and we thank
[him/her] for [his/her] [months/years/decades] of dedicated service to [company].
Unexpected Loss of CEO/Executive (Removed from Role)
Equal Insurance can confirm [employee] is parting ways with the company, effective [date].
[Optional: If this termination is due to a public crisis, such as harassment or illegal activity,
mention that his/her behavior was unacceptable at the company, and to protect the integrity of
your company, he/she was removed from his/her position]. We have officially named [name] as
[interim/permanent] [title]. We believe this transition will aid us in achieving our mission as a
company. [Optional: If this termination is due to a public crisis, such as harassment or illegal
activity, mention that the company is actively reviewing the situation and what steps will be
taken to ensure this does not happen again].
When There is Evidence (Video, Image, or Audio)
The viewpoints expressed by this employee do not represent Equal Insurance’s values and we
empathize with those hurt, upset, and disturbed by the employee’s [words/actions]. We
emphatically denounce what [teammate] has [said/done], and as a result, [his/her] employment
has been [terminated/suspended/placed under review]. We are determined to provide a safe and
inclusive work environment at Equal Insurance and are working with our [people
operations/human resources/executive/legal] team(s) to determine the best course of action.
Again, we wholeheartedly apologize to [person/people] affected.
52
When There is Only an Accusation
Equal Insurance is committed to being a safe and inclusive workplace for all. We’re still
assessing the situation and these accusations. We want to understand what happened, and our
next step will be to work with our [people operations/human resources/executive/legal] team(s)
to determine the best course of action. In the meantime, we would like to offer our sincerest
apologies to all of those affected or upset by these accusations.
Boilerplate
Equal Insurance, Inc. is a leading insurance brokerage firm, providing risk management solutions
to individuals and businesses. With more than 80 years of proven success and thousands of
teammates, we offer knowledge you can trust and strive to deliver superior customer service. For
more information, please visit bbinsurance.com.
53
Checklist (General Mistake or Mishap)
Activate the Crisis Communications Manual
Launch the Microsoft Teams Control Center and Notify all members of the Crisis Response
Team
Gather any and all accurate information available at the moment and classify the crisis
Inform the CEO and Board members of the situation
Inform Teammates and customers of the situation
Identify your spokesperson
Place a holding statement on all social media channels
Keep track of media reporting and sentiment (on both traditional and social channels)
Create an email/phone line for questions and concerns regarding the situation
Distribute media guidelines to teammates
Once all relevant information is gathered, distribute the general mistake statement
Continue to answer questions from customers, publics and media, emphasizing apology
54
Checklist (Litigation)
Activate the Crisis Communications Manual
Launch the Microsoft Teams Control Center and Notify all members of the Crisis Response
Team
Gather any and all accurate information available at the moment and classify the crisis
Inform the CEO and Board members of the situation
Inform Teammates and customers of the situation
Identify your spokesperson
Place a holding statement on all social media channels
Keep track of media reporting and sentiment (on both traditional and social channels)
Create an email/phone line for questions and concerns regarding the situation
Distribute media guidelines to teammates
Once all relevant information is gathered, distribute the appropriate litigation statement
Continue to answer questions from customers, publics and media, without directly
commenting on ongoing litigation
55
Checklist (Employee Discrimination/Harassment)
Activate the Crisis Communications Manual
Launch the Microsoft Teams Control Center and Notify all members of the Crisis Response
Team
Gather any and all accurate information available at the moment and classify the crisis
Inform the CEO and Board members of the situation
Inform Teammates and customers of the situation
Identify your spokesperson
Place a holding statement with additional messaging provided on all social media channels
Keep track of media reporting and sentiment (on both traditional and social channels)
Create an email/phone line for questions and concerns regarding the situation
Distribute media guidelines to teammates
Once all relevant information is gathered, distribute the discrimination/harassment
statement/apology
If claims are true, consider punishment and/or termination of employee
Continue to answer questions from customers, publics and media, emphasizing apology and
commitment to being a safe workplace.
56
Checklist (Unexpected loss of CEO/Executive -Death or Resignation)
Activate the Crisis Communications Manual
Launch the Microsoft Teams Control Center and Notify all members of the Crisis Response
Team
Gather any and all accurate information available at the moment and classify the crisis
Inform the CEO and Board members of the situation
Inform Teammates and customers of the situation
Once all relevant information is gathered, distribute the appropriate Unexpected Loss
statement
If loss of CEO/executive is in relation to a crisis:
Activate the Crisis Communications Manual
Launch the Microsoft Teams Control Center and Notify all members of the Crisis Response
Team
Gather any and all accurate information available at the moment and classify the crisis
Inform the CEO and Board members of the situation
Inform Teammates and customers of the situation
Identify your spokesperson
Place a holding statement on all social media channels
Keep track of media reporting and sentiment (on both traditional and social channels)
Create an email/phone line for questions and concerns regarding the situation
Distribute media guidelines to teammates
Once all relevant information is gathered, distribute the appropriate loss of CEO/Executive
statement
Continue to answer questions from customers, publics and media
57
Checklist (Crisis with Evidence)
Activate the Crisis Communications Manual
Launch the Microsoft Teams Control Center and Notify all members of the Crisis Response
Team
Gather any and all accurate information available at the moment and classify the crisis
Inform the CEO and Board members of the situation
Inform Teammates and customers of the situation
Identify your spokesperson
Place a holding statement with emphasis on apology on all social media channels
Keep track of media reporting and sentiment (on both traditional and social channels)
Create an email/phone line for questions and concerns regarding the situation
Distribute media guidelines to teammates
Once all relevant information is gathered, distribute the discrimination/harassment
statement/apology
Consider punishment/termination of involved teammates.
Continue to answer questions from customers, publics and media, emphasizing apology
58
Checklist (Just an accusation)
Activate the Crisis Communications Manual
Launch the Microsoft Teams Control Center and Notify all members of the Crisis Response
Team
Gather any and all accurate information available at the moment and classify the crisis
Inform the CEO and Board members of the situation
Inform Teammates and customers of the situation
Identify your spokesperson
Place a holding statement on all social media channels
Keep track of media reporting and sentiment (on both traditional and social channels)
Create an email/phone line for questions and concerns regarding the situation
Distribute media guidelines to teammates
Once all relevant information is gathered, distribute the discrimination/harassment
statement/apology
If accusation turns out to be true, consider punishment/termination of involved teammates.
Continue to answer questions from customers, publics and media, emphasizing apology if
accusations are true. If accusations are false, Put out a statement correcting the accusation, and
reestablish commitment to being a safe an inclusive work environment.
59
References
""Crisis"." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crisis.
"Models and Theories to Improve Crisis
Management." https://www.smartsheet.com/content/crisis-management-model-theories.
Arenstein, Seth. "62% have Crisis Plans, but Few Update them Or Practice
Scenarios." https://www.prnewsonline.com/crisis-survey-CSA-
practice#:~:text=About%2062%20percent%20of%20companies,companies%20consistently
%20practice%20crisis%20scenarios.
Coombs, W. Timothy. Ongoing Crisis Communications: Planning, Managing and Responding
Sage Publications, 2019.
Fink, Steven. Crisis Communications: The Definitive Guide to Managing the Message McGraw
Hill Education, 2013.
Haggerty, James. Chief Crisis Officer 2017.
Hearit, Keith Michael. Crisis Management by Apology: Corporate Response to Allegations of
Wrongdoing Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006.
Jahng, Mi Rosie and Seoyeon Hong. "How should You Tweet?: The Effect of Crisis Response
Voices, Strategy, and Prior Brand Attitude in Social Media Crisis Communication." (21
June, 2017), https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41299-017-0022-7#citeas.
Meyers, Gerald and John Holusha. When it Hits the Fan: Managing the Nine Crises of
Business Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986.
Saleh, Yunus D. Crisis Management: The Art of Success and Failure Mill City Press, 2016.
Steffee, S. "TAKE STOCK OF REPUTATION: In the wake of a crisis, social media is
magnifying reputation damage." Internal Auditor, Oct. 2018, p. 10+. Academic OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A560015389/AONE?u=tamp73569&sid=AONE&xid
=e829fabc.
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
This thesis examines the topics of crisis communication, crisis management and crisis communication plan development in the context of creating an actionable, usable plan for a large, national public insurance company. Through an extensive literature review on these topics, each aspect of crisis communication is discussed theoretically and through real-world examples. Using the examples and theoretical foundation discussed, I created a full crisis communication plan for Equal Insurance. Each section of the crisis plan can be tied back to an aspect discussed in the literature review, in order to provide support as to why each aspect of the plan is vital to its effectiveness. This plan will be implemented into Equal Insurance’s business plan, and will be the basis for crisis planning and training within the corporation. All identifying information about Equal Insurance and its employees have been replaced or redacted for security purposes.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Lattman, Sara
(author)
Core Title
The making of a crisis communication plan for a large, public, national professional services company
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Strategic Public Relations
Publication Date
04/24/2021
Defense Date
04/22/2021
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
Crisis,crisis communication,crisis communication plan,crisis management,crisis planning,insurance industry,OAI-PMH Harvest
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Tenderich, Burghardt (
committee chair
), Cook, Fred (
committee member
), Quast, Dave (
committee member
)
Creator Email
lattman@usc.edu,saralattman@outlook.com
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-452066
Unique identifier
UC11669389
Identifier
etd-LattmanSar-9525.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-452066 (legacy record id)
Legacy Identifier
etd-LattmanSar-9525.pdf
Dmrecord
452066
Document Type
Thesis
Rights
Lattman, Sara
Type
texts
Source
University of Southern California
(contributing entity),
University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
(collection)
Access Conditions
The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...
Repository Name
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Repository Location
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Tags
crisis communication
crisis communication plan
crisis management
crisis planning
insurance industry