Universal Broadband “While the US talks, other countries are acting. Both Finland and Spain have now decided to add ‘broadband’ to their universal [telephone] service requirements.
"By 2011, any Finn or Spaniard, no matter where they live, should be able to get a reliable 1Mbps connection at a reasonable price,” ars technical.com reports.
Social Media Series Posts "Social Media: Promise & Peril" is a continuing series intended to help business communicators find value in social media for their companies and their stakeholders.
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It’s news to me: Who to trust? “For the first time in recent years, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. The GOP holds double-digit advantages on five of them,” Rasmussen reported today, 10-24-09.
The polling organization asked this question: “I’m going to read you a short list of issues in the news. For each, please let me know which political party you trust more to handle that issue.” Responses were:
Healthcare
...D-40%; R-46%
Education
...D-38%; R-43%
Social Security
...D-37%; R-45%
Taxes
...D-35%; R-50%
Economy
...D-35%; R-49%
Abortion
...D-35%; R-47%
Immigration
...D-33%; R-40%
National Security
...D-31%; R-54%
Iraq
...D-31%; R-50%
Government Ethics
...D-29%; R-33%
Edit30 authority Edit30 brings more than three decades of corporate, marketing and investor communications expertise to the blog arena. We provide the insight executives need, but may not get from insiders or retainers. Find out more on our "About" page.
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Crisis Comms
Relearning what we may have forgotten
The current economic/financial situation reminds us that when businesses are engulfed in crises, they often fail to reflect on — and may not be aware of — the fundamentals of Crisis Communications. Since crises seem to be the order of the day in 2009, we thought it worthwhile to post our six basics of Crisis Communications. Call it a brief refresher course for executives.
CLARITY — All crisis communications should be clear, concise and simply stated so that they can be easily understood by all stakeholders.
TIMELINESS — When a crisis occurs, full and timely disclosure is essential. The drip method only prolongs the agony and undermines your credibility.
CONSISTENCY — All stakeholders should be informed simultaneously. Bad, and usually inaccurate, news moves much faster than you can. Either an audio or video conference call is a good choice.
DISCLOSURE — Don’t be lulled into the false sense of security that the media, your competitors or local gossip hounds won’t get the story. They will, and they’ll surely get it wrong. The cliché is accurate: the best defense is a good offense [see one through three above].
THE MESSAGE — Draft a clear written statement that says what has happened, what your company’s role in it was, what you plan to do about it, and what you believe it means for your various stakeholders. Make this statement clear, concise and simple [see rule one], and short. Memorize it and use it consistently. When the press calls, talk them through it and email them a copy. [Even though you've memorized it, don't sound like you have!]
THE PRESS — The press is not your friend, regardless of how chummy they may present themselves. Their job is to get a story; their ego is fulfilled by having the lead story. The operative definition is: Reporters, puppy dogs and little boys must be watched very closely.
Don’t let these six seemingly simple fundamentals give you a sense of false security. Effective crisis communications management is difficult, serious and essential; it can mean the survival of your business. While the process is much more detailed than these six fundamentals, they will steer you the right direction.
Planning Principles for Crisis Communications
Crisis communications planning principles also apply to preparation of your strategic business plan.
- Begin planning early.
- Include all senior management functions.
- Assess implications for all stakeholders.
- Devise multiple — especially worst case — scenarios.
- Develop multiple actions plans for each scenario.
- Regularly test for changes in the environment, and adjust your plan accordingly.
- Believe that you’re going to make it through this disaster so that you don’t lose track of your long-term goals.
If you want to discuss in-depth Crisis Communications planning and execution visit AcumenStrategies.com.
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