If you missed our Nov. 20th Event, “Five Critical Communications Tips To Tame A “Black Swan”, the IABC-LI wanted to bring some highlights to you.

Art Samansky, principal of The Samansky Group, offered these five “swan-stoppers” during his discussion:
- Develop a “living” crisis communications plan, built on a foundation of truth, and aligned with the acronym T.R.U.E—Tested, Reviewed, Updated and Expanded, regularly.
- Conduct quarterly dedicated “black swan” brainstorming sessions to ensure even the most extraordinary potential events are given serious consideration.
- Determine well in advance of a potential crisis the answers to several basic questions, especially, whom do you have to reach, and how will you reach them.
- Stay with the facts, never engage in speculation, and stay on-the-record.
- Designate spokespersons with specific responsibilities, and be sure they are trained to be comfortable speaking with media and can discuss issues in non-technical, easily understood language.
For more information on Art’s thoughts about crisis communications planning, please visit the “about/news” button at: www.samanskygroup.com.

Katherine Heaviside, President of Epoch 5 Public Relations, commented, “Years of working to build respect and loyalty in your marketplace can be lost in a blinding flash when your company, your products or your services are attacked online. Social media has become the Wild West of communications, an undisciplined and even dangerous frontier. Competitors, ex-employees and disgruntled clients or customers can trash your reputation with user-generated content.”
Here are some basics to remember when a black swan threatens your organization:
- Have a short and simple social media policy.
- Use social media tools to track what is being said on the Internet.
- Tailor the social media portion of your crisis plans to your organization.
- Establish guidelines for who will respond to specific types of crises.
- Develop a stakeholder map to both identify your stakeholders and define their critical interests and concerns.
For information about crisis communications management, contact Katherine at Epoch 5 Public relations www.epoch5.com.
Special thanks to our generous sponsor Sterling National Bank.
