Crisis, Social Media& Zombies
Dr. W. Timothy CoombsNEMO Visiting Professor
Lund University, Helsingbog Campus
Crisis preparedness?
Social Media Aspects
Zombie value
• CDC web visits from 3,000 in a week to 30,000 • Twitter followers from 12,000 to over 1.2
million
Past Failure
Lessons
SocialMedia
=
≠
TacticStrategy
Message Design
Objectives
Accountability
Crisis Lifecycle
Pre-crisis
CrisisPost-crisis
Key Points
Prevention & MitigationPreparationConclusion
Social Media Crises
• Concerns that arises in or is amplified by social media and can harm the organization
Parallels
Zombies• Spread by virus• Eat brains
Social Media Crises• Spread like virus• Eat reputations
Movie Quotation
• “This is the part in the movie where the guy says ‘Zombies? What zombies?’ just before they eat his brains. I don’t want to be that guy”
Prevention Mitigation
First Concern with Zombies
• Where are they?
Scanning
• New Channels (information sources)– Blogs– Micro-blogs– Social networks– Content creation
• New Tools (analysis)• New Risks• New Challenges for Preventative Action
Social Media as Risk
• Actions of others• Your mistakes
Paracrisis
• Crisis threat that is “managed” in public view, looks like a crisis– Respond or not– How you respond
Intended Effects
• Reduce– Reputational damage– Anger & Anxiety
• Preserve purchase intention• Minimize media coverage– Amount & Duration
• Promote acceptance of crisis message• Protect public safety (minority)
Why the concern?
• Negative comments can damage reputation• Reputation is a valuable asset• Threat– Further negative messages (legacy and social
media)– Financial loss
Sources of social media crises
SocialMedia Crisis
Challengers
Organizational Misuse
DissatisfiedCustomers
Bigger Picture
Social MediaCrisis
StakeholderActions
ChallengesCustomer Complaints
OrganizationalActions
Misuse of Social Media
When is term “crisis” warranted?
Do not overreactThere are incidents
Organizational misuse
• Inappropriate use (competence)– Apologize and correct
Crisis Connection• Purposeful misuse (moral)
Dissatisfied Customers
• Customer relations, not a crisis– Resolve the concern (opportunity & transparency)
Crisis Connection• Warning of a product harm
Challenges
• Stakeholder claims organization is acting in irresponsible manner– Threat to CSR claims– Threat to reputations
• Crisis Connection– Sustained and spreading
Second Concern with Zombies
• How to kill them
SM Type Response ObjectivesCustomer Service Recognize problem
ApologizeCorrective action
End coverageRetain customersAcceptance of message
Misuse SM Recognize problemApologizeCorrective action
Repair reputationEnd coverageAcceptance of message
Challenge Make changesRefute changes
Repair reputationAcceptance of messageEnd coverage (not all the time)
Review
• Monitor social media• Consider value in responding– Act on customer complaints– Do not respond to trolls
• Correct factual errors• Review social media efforts
Preparation
• Crisis management plan (CMP) linked to social media policies
• Crisis team includes social media manager• Templates for social media• Establish presence• Spokesperson video
Conclusion
• Social media– Challenges– Resources
Like Zombies
• New view– Magic to Virus– Operational to Reputational
• Do not manage like a zombie– Lack strategy– Ignore social media
• Key to both is quick, offensive attack
Final advice for both
• Have weapons and know how to use them
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