Social Media: Creating New Challenges and Opportunities

Social Media are redefining Crisis Communication protocols whether we like it or not. It is therefore essential that usage, monitoring and analysis of social media become an integral part of companies risk and crisis management, planning and operations.

Let me start with an example from Norway where we, as in most other countries, have strict protocols and routines for handling information about missing persons or people killed in an accident. The person in question has to be identified; the police locate next of kin and the local police, or a representative for the church or religious group, then pass on the terrible news to the family. In the last couple of years we have unfortunately seen cases where affected families have received the news via Facebook and other social media. People at the site and even those involved in the rescue operations spread the news of what has happened and who the victim is. The pain of the families who receive the news is unimaginable and receiving the news via Facebook cannot make things any better.

These examples are not just terrible, but they also show us a new landscape which needs a new map.

My second example: A company came under massive pressure from the media and the relevant authorities due to potential malpractice and bad management. It seemed as if the company had broken several laws and regulations in order to gain profit. As the situation unfolded, journalists used Facebook and Twitter to be listed as friends and followers of staff members and other employees. From the ‘semi-inside’ position journalists could access crucial information – right from the horse’s mouth! It didn’t help that some of the management team tweeted aggressively, not aware that their tweets ranked high when ‘googling’ their names.

Journalists are changing their ways of identifying, defining, and using sources. Social media can be like a candy store for journalists.

In other crises, we have seen examples of how support via social media from employees has helped crisis response teams in their efforts to defend the reputation of a company or a brand. Likewise, when the volcanic ashes interrupted flight traffic, the main airline companies in Norway used Facebook to reach out to those affected. In this instance, Facebook was a better tool for dialogue than any of the other web applications the companies had invested in.  From other countries and crises we have also witnessed how social media can be used to mobilise the masses, create dialogue and possibly even stir-up revolution.

During the earthquake in Japan, Google.org initiated a platform for Crisis Management as well as Crisis Communication (http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html).

Thus, my message to board members, management groups and others with key positions in companies is: Please include social media both as part of the risk assessment but also as a tool in your company’s crisis management response. Find a professional to help you in your national market.

Bear in mind though that you cannot control what employees are writing in social media. The only thing you can influence – in the long term – is the motivation of employees and customers, and their loyalty to the company. This is why the human factor is becoming more and more essential in all crisis management and communication.

And the key to the human factor is quality and open communication at all levels.

Note: Facebook in Norway

In Norway, with a population of 4,920,300, we have 2,554,600 Facebook users – more than 54 percent of the population with users equally split between men and women.

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In case of emergency: The new challenges of Web 2.0

Web 2.0 has its own set of rules. Facebook, Twitter & Co have changed the way that humans communicate. Business and media are no longer able to take sovereign decisions on what information should make it into the public domain. Internet users decide this for themselves. In crisis situations, the internet can act as a catalyst, upping the pace considerably.

Waves of redundancies, environmental scandals, damage to corporate image and criminal offences are among the classic scenarios of crisis communication. Today, these crises take on a new dimension in the form of Web 2.0. Whether they want to or not, today every company can become a hot topic for discussion in the virtual world.
Stories spread like wildfire on microblogging services like Twitter, on social networking sites, and on platforms such as Youtube or Flickr. The likelihood of crisis-relevant news and messages emanating from virtual communication platforms is growing. Unfiltered messages are disseminated on a global scale.

Credible Communication

Nowadays, an increasing number of companies are taking seriously the idea of dialogue with the movers, shakers and opinion formers of the online community, social media networks and the blogosphere. What goes without saying: The more actively social media is used, the more strongly it resonates with internet users. Through Web 2.0, employees become communicators, who can have direct and unfiltered exchanges with customers, journalists, and all other interested parties. This can have far-reaching consequences for corporate communication. To ensure credible communication, the nuances and rules of the social media world must not only be considered, they must then also be embraced in practice when interacting at this level. Continuous web monitoring is a must. Why?: new crises can emerge through the internet simply because companies didn’t know or failed to consider the “rules of the game”.
Take, for instance, Vodafone, who in July of last year began their new promotional campaign “Generation Upload”. It was supposed to attract network users who upload their own content to the internet. The new strategy turned out to be a fiasco. Users strongly condemned the campaign: “hollow slogans, bad rates”. Advertising placards and videos were manipulated and then re-uploaded to the internet.

Greater time pressure and global presence

In times of crisis, maintaining public trust in the management and products of a company is of fundamental importance. Conveying precisely that message is the principal task of communication. Whoever is acting in a time of crisis must be in a position to speak on the subject. Web 2.0, however, with its direct network of different stakeholders, has reduced the reaction time available. Many more channels of communication must be simultaneously observed and integrated into the communication strategy. News stories quickly slosh around from blogs to newsgroups or social networking sites, and are then spread via twitter to a broader public. And nothing is ever forgotten on the internet: Everything is always just a click away on Google or Wikipedia. Pictures from cell phones or videos are accessible to everyone at all times and in all places via Flickr and Youtube. 

Maintain room for manoeuvre

Don’t lose room for maneuver, or regain it as quickly as you can – the rules that apply in classic crisis communication also apply to Web 2.0:
The following points should be kept in mind in times of crisis:

• Permanent web monitoring: Observe the situation and the communication developments; comment on and discuss this (with primary sources if available) before an individual opinion becomes the group opinion, which could then be widely disseminated.
• Staff Briefing: Staff must be informed immediately about the crisis situation and the next steps. This must be done openly and promptly. Prescribed terminology must be established and always kept up to date. This should be based on Social Media Guidelines – Company guidelines for dealing with Web 2.0. If the employees themselves are active in the social web, then they too will be considered as a point of contact and source in times of crisis!
• Immediate information about the other stakeholder groups: The communication channels of Web 2.0 are the fastest and most direct way to keep the public informed. The most important of these is Twitter because it is the fastest tool for spreading information.
• Activating dark site: The dark site contains the most important information for all stakeholder groups in the event of a crisis. Depending on the scale of the crisis, this site will become the “Online Crisis Management Center”. It forms the nerve center for dialogue with stakeholders, the online community and the media. All information is focused here (press releases, hotlines, RSS feeds, corporate blogs where applicable).
• Background information: Information that is already available, as well as FAQ sections, must be amended and supplemented in the event of an acute crisis.
• Search Engine Optimization during the crisis: Check your Google ranking. Which search terms lead to which positions? Measures must be taken, where necessary, to counter this.

Crisis prevention

Many risks can be identified in the early stages. Whilst action in this phase cannot always prevent a crisis, it can help contain it. For this reason, professional crisis prevention is a prerequisite for responsible crisis management.

Besides traditional media monitoring, another important element of the early warning system is the monitoring of social media. Early signals, patterns and trends can be identified in the digital sphere through network analyses and topical analyses. One way to get a quick impression about upcoming topics and trends is by using Twitter. However, all relevant forums, blogs, and wikis should be professionally analyzed and evaluated.

The planning of procedural guidelines and codes of conduct during calmer times also provides helpful support in the event of a real emergency. The risks have to be carefully analyzed for all business processes, specific crisis and alarm procedures put in place, and the roles and functions of staff members must be determined.

Nobody is in the position to manage a crisis perfectly. However, advanced preparation does provide room for maneuver, so that the crisis can be managed in a professional manner that will limit the damage. In the end, it is the sum of errors that were detected early and the mistakes that were averted that separates good crisis management from bad.

The five most important rules for social media communication:

• Listen: Before plunging headlong into the world of social media, listen carefully to who is saying what and how in the various communities.
• Be open and honest: Honesty and transparency are of utmost importance in social media. Disclose who you are and the interests you represent. Hushing things up is self-deception and is sure to backfire.
• Be concise: Long-winded and meandering explanations are a social media taboo. Additionally, you run the risk of your message being taken apart and then quoted out of context.
• Respond promptly and politely to comments: Social media are dialogue-oriented; so respond to comments quickly, politely and in a constructive manner.
• Only publish what you would also personally be willing to say at any time and what you would also be happy to see “in print” next to your name: Social networks provide us with a voice to convey our emotions and allow us to vent our frustrations. The effects, however, can be fatal.

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