Tweet Me Up: Social Media Tools and Crisis Management€¦ · Tweet Me Up: Social Media Tools and...

Tweet Me Up: Social Media Tools and Crisis Management

Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference 2011

Annie Searle & Emily OxenfordPrincipal Research Associate

Annie Searle & Associates LLC

Risk Consultants

©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

Annie’s Background◘ 10 years at Washington Mutual, including seven as chair

of the company‐wide Crisis Management Team.◘ Ongoing international work in coalitions around

pandemic, supply chain, cyber, global threats.◘ Co‐founder of Coalition for Organizational Resilience,

hi h l h d i f hiwhich launched in Q1 of this year. ◘ Relevant special interests: streamlined crisis

management, virtualized environments, social media t l d l d DR t ttools and cloud as a DR strategy.

◘ ASA Institute for Risk & Innovation focuses on six critical infrastructure sectors: banking, energy, IT, communications public health and emergency servicescommunications, public health and emergency services.


EmilyEmily’’s Backgrounds Background◘ Currently finishing graduate degree in Information

Management at UW.

G d d i h hi h h f A i U i i i h◘ Graduated with high honors from American University, with a concentration in Peace & Conflict Resolution.

◘ Author of eight ASA research notes, whose topics include◘ Author of eight ASA research notes, whose topics include social media and communicating crisis management value.

◘ Interested in solving local and global problems through i i i f iimproving information.

◘ Will walk us through several social media tools today.


This presentationThis presentation◘ Examines use of social media, trends & risks

◘ Looks at benefits and challenges for crisis management, especially in communications

◘ Provides information on what tools are available and how to set up

◘ Looks at leverage power of technology volunteers via organizations like Crisis Commons

◘ Recommends a path forward on use of tools


Disasters are newsworthy eventsDisasters are newsworthy events

◘ Haiti earthquake

◘ Iceland’s volcanic ash

◘ Times Square bomb

◘ BP Gulf oil spill◘ Iceland s volcanic ash

◘ Impacts from an East Coast power grid

◘ BP Gulf oil spill

◘ Hurricane Katrina

◘ Yemen cargo bombsp gfailure

◘ Chilean mine

◘ Yemen cargo bombs

◘ Honshu earthquake, tsunami, and radiation

explosion & rescuetsunami, and radiation leaks


Historic Model for Crisis ManagementHistoric Model for Crisis Management

◘ Command center = central decision making on all aspects of crisis

◘ Priority is overall response and recovery Authorization of extraordinary resource & financial

requests

All formal communications via legal lens

◘ Generally all decisions moved to a command center◘ Generally, all decisions moved to a command center with structure and protocols that both public and private sector entities use for briefings, updates.private sector entities use for briefings, updates.


The world has changedThe world has changed◘ News is now 7x24, and aggregated from blogs and

tweets as well as traditional news media.

◘ Photos and tweets tell the story from people of on the ground, without any corporate filter.

◘ Technology volunteers are mapping open issues from crisis, which could include data about your company.

◘ Command center is making decisions that could affect your companyaffect your company.


But most companies still run the same.But most companies still run the same.◘ 8% of companies have terminated employees on

social media issues. Wrong tweet or Facebook status can get you fired.

◘ HR and Legal still run the show, especially where f h hreview of any corporate communications are high.

This slows things down.

C i i t t i ft d t ki◘ Crisis management team is often unused to working over extended period of time, and gets flummoxed by Legal’s “why we can’t” approachby Legal s why we can t approach.


When the stakes are highWhen the stakes are high◘ CEOs are used to being treated with respect, not

tweeted about if they drop the ball (Tony Hayward).

◘ Traditional corporate communications and situation reports are not real time in a crisis.

◘ Brand is part of crisis management. Using social media tools on regular basis, not just in crisis, builds

i t B t it i i t l ll b ti !consistency. But it requires internal collaboration!

◘ Rewards higher than risks if approached proactively.


The power of the toolsThe power of the tools◘ Twitter = 140 million messages per day

◘ Facebook=500 million active users, 50% on each day

◘ From FEMA’s Craig Fugate = tools allow a “two way conversation in the impact zone, so that we can link people with information, resources and ideas”

◘ Google’s “Person Finder” application◘ Ushahidi crowdsourcing website (Japan, Haiti, Chile)

◘ Crisis Commons wikis (Japan, Haiti in particular) with efficient reports on lessons learned.


Recent American Red Cross SurveyRecent American Red Cross Survey◘ 20% who could not reach 9‐1‐1 would use SM tools

◘ 44% would ask others in social networks to contact authorities on their behalf

◘ 35% would post directly on FB page for EM

◘ 28% would send message to responders on Twitter

◘ 69% felt agencies should monitor social media as gpart of response plan; 74% expected emergency help to come in less than one hour after Twitter or

b kFacebook posts©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

Use it or get run over by itUse it or get run over by it◘ Too many people now get their information here.

◘ Speed and accuracy on sites like Ushahidi is impossible by government agencies or first responders using current systems.

◘ Your employees may be already volunteering their expertise, but reluctant to let you know.

◘ How to streamline review & approval process for communications? How to take social media into account in the EOC?account in the EOC?


Consider these toolsConsider these tools◘ By using them routinely to provide information, it

becomes easier to use them in a crisis.

◘ Setting up accounts will require permission from Legal as well as a social media policy to guide your

d lcompany and its employees

◘ Tools allow you to respond quickly to other types of t ti l i k th t i l d t h threputational risk that is already present whether

you use the tools or not.

◘ Next a small demo on deploying such tools Emily?◘ Next, a small demo on deploying such tools…Emily?©2011 Annie Searle & Associates LLC

Wiki SitesWiki Sites◘ Content Distribution,

Collaboration and Organization

◘ What Kinds? MediaWiki (free,

large, server based)

Google sites (free Google sites (free, simple, cloud‐based)


Wiki SitesWiki Sites◘ Do not have to have

developer knowledge

◘ Can have very basic or very detailed

◘ MediaWiki Requirements Web Server

PHP

Database Server

All are open source All are open source


Twitter Twitter ◘ Free and quick to create profile

◘ Search for relevant profiles to follow and gather information

◘ Can create public/private lists (following specific profiles)

◘ Can restrict who can following you (public/private)

◘ Already being used – harness the potential


FacebookFacebook◘ Pages can be created (useful as a public face for an

organization or cause) and administered as public/private/restricted/open.

◘ Groups can be made (hidden from public / d f l d/view/restricted to specific people invited/open to

the public).

E t b h d l d/ i d◘ Events can be scheduled/organized.

◘ Important information can be shared (messages, posting on wall) and gatheredposting on wall) and gathered.


Other Social ToolsOther Social Tools◘ Email list‐servs can be generated and administered

through GNU Mailman.

◘ Google Groups, Sites, and Documents (group collaboration).

◘ Blogs can be set‐up via Wordpress or Blogger.

◘ Skype or Google Talk services for conference calls.

◘ Doodle for scheduling/availability.


Take Away ItemsTake Away Items◘ Figure out how your company fits in this new world.

◘ Work out acceptable social media protocols with with Legal & HR. Engage your digital natives!

◘ Position crisis communications as key stakeholder of the tool, especially in its alignment with brand responsiveness.

◘ Baby steps: participate in collaborative efforts that utilize social media tools – an example would be the Coalition for Organizational Resilience via its wikiCoalition for Organizational Resilience via its wiki.


Useful referencesUseful references◘ www.crisiscommons.org Crisis Commons

◘ http://idisaster.wordpress.com/about/ iDisaster2.0

◘ http://m.fema.gov FEMA Mobile multipurpose sitep g p p

◘ http://inws.wrh.noaa.gov/ National Weather Servc.p // g /


Questions?

◘ [email protected] is the best way to contact me

◘ Learn more about the ASA Institute for Risk and Innovation at www.anniesearle.com

◘ Sign up for our monthly newsletter at [email protected]


Tweet Me Up: Social Media Tools and Crisis Management€¦ · Tweet Me Up: Social Media Tools and...

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