Crisis Communications for Chambers…

1. Crisis Communications for Chambers… Elizabeth Kerns, MA, IOM, ACE Assistant Professor in Public Relations and Non-Profit Administration Central Washington University

2. Crisis Communications

3. Crisis Communications • Crisis Communication Planning and Theoretical Underpinning for the Chamber of Commerce Industry: • How to communicate effectively with your community, media, and stakeholders in a time of crisis. • How to start and lead the conversation within a community with various stakeholders throughout the community

4. Crisis Communications

5. Chamber Role in a Crisis • The role a chamber plays during a crisis varies from community to community. A chamber can vary in size from 30 members up to thousands, may have paid staff or non-paid volunteer leaders, the board’s commitment to volunteer varies from each chamber, as well as the staff size. Every chamber is very unique and has differing relationships with all of their stakeholders. This template is not the final answer but again serves as a beginning point to start a discussion within the organization and a community as a whole.

6. Crisis Communications Case Study: Chamber of Commerce Stakeholders • State Chamber of Commerce • U.S. Chamber of Commerce • State Executive Association • National Executive Association • Sister organizations (i.e., Tourism Bureau, Main Street Organization, Economic Development Council, Ethnic Chamber, Young Professionals Network) • Partnering organizations (i.e., American Red Cross, United Way, etc) • Universities and colleges • Suppliers • Vendors • Neighbors (to your building) • Others!!! • Employees • Board members • Committee/division leaders • Ambassadors • Members • Media (Television, Radio, Newspaper, other city wide media including web sites) • General council/legal representation • Accounting • Public Relations/Advertising firm representing your chamber • Community leaders (non-government) • City government officials • County government officials • State government officials • Federal government officials

7. Contacts?? • While all stakeholders in your chamber will not be contacted for every crisis, it is important to have a list of each, so that in a time of crisis, you are not scrambling to locate their contact information. You also need to consider multiple ways to contact any given group. During a crisis main lines of communication may not be available and alternative forms many need to be utilized. These contacts should be updated at a minimum once a year. Dedicate one staff member to collecting and updating this information annually. Use the worksheet below in the samples for each specific audience (contact worksheet). For employees, also include a copy of your organizational chart

8. Crisis Communication Directory • In the time of a crisis, having a full and accurate directory is crucial. Identify one staff person or board member to maintain the crisis communication directory with updated phone numbers, cell phones, home phone numbers, titles, company names, point person, addresses, web sites, e-mail addresses, fax numbers, etc. For employees and board members, it is important to have emergency contacts for each person. Asking any staff member or board member to fill out an emergency contact form when they are hired or are seated on the board is easy. Ask them to update it annually.

9. Crisis Control Center • Should a crisis paralyze your chamber and/or your main offices are unavailable, identify two locations as secondary crisis control centers. During Hurricane Katrina, many chamber offices were destroyed and some chambers could relocate to another location in their community while others had to move miles away. Sample worksheet below.

10. Dealing with the Media • Media Inquiries: In the event that your chamber is in the middle of a media frenzy, it is important to remain calm, keep control of your message, and always follow up on questions that are asked. When writing messages during a crisis, there are several key tactics to follow. • Focus on the people. Make it clear that people, both internally and externally, who have been or might be affected are the first and foremost of concern to your chamber. Be human and sympathetic with death, injury or other loss. Put public safety first. Any living creatures and the environment are the second most important matter for communication. Minimizing losses of any kind must be a major message, as well as the how and why become key as the who, what, when, and where. • Tell how the crisis situation is being remedied. • Ensure that the messages show the chamber is doing everything possible with minimal delay. Be open and take criticism early if the organization is at fault. Never lie, speculate or withhold information unnecessarily. Respond to media queries in a timely way and provide complete answers.. Maintain accurate records of all that happens in the PR area of responsibility. • Media Log: When the media does call, it is important to log their calls. A sample call log worksheet is provided below in sample documents

11. Social Media Usage in a Crisis • Consider – When might you not be able to use 2 way communication?