Using social media to address a PR crisis was the focus of the September Luncheon of the Georgia Chapter of the PRSA - which I attended last Thursday, courtesy of Steve Robinson of Business Wire.

Lynnette McIntire, manager, UPS Public Relations and Debbie Curtis-Magley, manager, UPS Public Relations discussed their response to a multimillion-dollar “Brown Bailout” campaign waged in traditional and new media.  It was launched by rival Fedex who claimed  UPS was taking a “government bailout.”  It’s all part of a dispute over the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009, which contains a provision that would change the labor law covering FedEx workers. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives but the Senate has not yet voted.

Starting in June when the Brown Bailout campaign began, UPS had a crisis on it hands.

Needless to say, since that time, UPS has been busy countering charges and communicating their position.  The work has all been done in house with a very small team.  Not surprisingly, social media has been at the heart of their strategy to protect their brand and reputation – using Twitter and blogs to address questions and accusations made on blogs, Twitter and of course YouTube.

So what lessons has the UPS PR team learned so far:

- When the issue is emotionally charged, don’t get emotional – stick to facts and correct misleading ones.

- Pick your battles.

- Be nimble.

- It is helpful to have a monitoring program in place before a crisis hits when you have the luxury of time.

- Start Twitter accounts now to build a credible voice and presence  in the channel before a crisis hits.

- Know when to intervene with an “official” vs a conversational response.

- Educate internally.

- Monitoring key words can be tough – UPS the company and ups the verb yield very different results.

- Words without credibility fade.  The truth does prevail.  Errors, misleading materials, misguided conversations eventually get sorted out.

- Being young doesn’t mean you are comfortable with social media and commenting or engaging with the public.  Training is critical for everyone in an organization.

Bottom line, it’s clear crisis communications begins before a crisis.  Tools will change, but given the speed of social media, preparation is critical in containing a crisis caused by  a customer, competitor or an employee.

Let me get back to you.

PETA went undercover to shoot what it charges is the mistreatment of circus elephants.  In the four-minute video, circus trainers are seen using bullhooks to strike elephants across the head, legs and body.  
 

It’s a very different image from those that appear on the Ringling Bros website.  

An AP story quotes circus spokeswoman Amy McWethy denying PETA’s abuse claims. “Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey loves its elephants,” she said.

In a statement, Feld Entertainment Inc., which owns Ringling, said:

“Ringling Bros. is proud of its efforts to care for and increase the population of the endangered Asian elephant and we encourage people to come see for themselves that the animals are thriving in our care,” the company said.

On its website, Ringling Bros. has a section devoted to animal care where it states:

“The physical and behavioral needs of our animals are a top priority at Ringling Bros.® and we are dedicated to helping to preserve the endangered Asian Elephant through the work at our Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation®.”  – Bruce Read, Vice President of Animal Stewardship. 

Based on the 14,000 views to date, the video has yet to go viral by YouTube standards, but it nevertheless poses an obvious challenge for Ringling Brothers.  And as my posting about United Airlines revealed, companies are failing to keep up with the latest communications tools.  As far as I can tell, Ringling Brothers does not have a YouTube channel, and its Twitter page is more or less inactive.

Needless to say, the video has generated a stream of negative tweets.

Now if I were advising Ringling Bros., I would tell them:

- to announce their intention to investigate the allegations

- to distance themselves from potential bad actors (including if necessary firing them and seeking all legal action against them)

- to highlight what they are doing to protect animals rights

- to enlist third parties to validate their commitment to animal safety

- to embrace 21st century communications to engage concerned customers and critics

I would also have them make videos that show how they treat and care for animals, their commitment to the prevention of animal abuse and their support of programs dedicated to animal stewardship.  

In the age of YouTube, saying you love animals can’t compete with the power of the Internet image and the social networks that distribute and comment on them.

Let me get back to you.

By now, many of you have seen or heard about the Dave Carroll YouTube video and how United Airlines’ baggage handlers mangled his guitar.  It once again demonstrates the power of authenticity, creativity and compelling content to grab attention and send PR executives reeling. 

Before I begin, I don’t want to beat up on United Airlines, but what happened last week is a case study on why companies need to take videos and their online response very seriously.  They did speak to reporters, but as this post will show, key social media channels were neglected.  And I am not privy to all the behind the scenes efforts that went on to work with Mr. Carroll and other upset passengers. I only see what the public sees.

The numbers of YouTube views and Twitter tweets are just staggering.  Like the infamous Comcast customer service rep video, Dave Carroll’s video undermines United Airlines’ reputation and hurts its brand.  

Numerous traditional media outlets covered the story (LA Times, USA Today, Chicago Tribune), but it was YouTube, Twitter and blogs that fueled the flame. In Carroll’s own words, here is what happened: 

In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didnt deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise.

It’s a great story of how a little guy took on the indifferent corporate giant, but the numbers behind the story are just as interesting.

By the Numbers

A comparison of the numbers demonstrates the viral effect of YouTube.  Consider the following. As of this Monday:

Sons of Maxwell YouTube video:

Number of views:  2,544,668 view

Number of comments: 13,288 comments

In contrast: 

United Airlines YouTube Channel

Channel Views: 84,791

Most viewed video:  86,415 views 

Most discussed video: 122 comments

Channel Comments: 115 comments (12 in the last few days; the rest, but one, over a month ago)

And look at the negative Channel comments with no response from United Airlines: 

And now look at Twitter:  9 tweets mentioning Dave Carroll on the United Airlines Twitter page compared to the flood of tweets about Dave Carroll elsewhere. 

Here is a random sampling of the thousands (can’t verify number) of tweets about Dave Carroll (note the number of video views from Friday: 1.325 million):

And let’s look at Facebook. 13 comments were about Dave Carroll, all were negative. Now, InsideFacebook lists the United Airlines fan page as “unofficial.” A lost opportunity to engage with the more than 9,000 fans. In comparison, check out Southwest Airlines Facebook page – more than 70,000 fans strong, and it’s official.

And note, no news from the UA pressroom (though they did speak with reporters).

Beyond the Numbers

So what should we make of the numbers?  Clearly, it demonstrates the power of YouTube, turning an obscure musician into a video star and corporate headache in less than a week.

The Internet became for United Airlines an open platform for critics, and United Airlines could not or did not want to keep up with public reaction. Their traditional news channel remains silent.  Their YouTube Channel has become a platform for snarky, negative comments with no reaction from United Airlines. And the 9 posts on Twitter don’t communicate, in my opinion, an authentic, heart felt apology. Making a charitable donation is nice, but it doesn’t address the the problem that prompted Dave Carroll to make a video in the first place. And Facebook is a non factor.  

And look at the content on YouTube’s corporate channel: repurposed commercials and promotional videos.  It’s no wonder the number of views for their most popular video pales in comparison to the number of views of the Dave Carroll video.  Yes Dave Carroll’s video went viral, but United needs to do a better job serving up connect.  Consider Delta’s inflight safety video:  1,313,428 views!

And I should also add.  I have overseen crisis communications.  Sometimes legal and HR issues require a low profile.  I am not sure this is one of those instances.

Recommendations

Again, I don’t want to pick on United. I am a PR guy after all.  Social media is forcing all companies to reevaluate their PR strategies.  To be fair, companies can’t compete with satire and entertainment in the battle for public opinion. But Carroll resorted to something that works: authenticity. And he did so in a way that was meaningful and entertaining.   It recounted an experience that we all can appreciate.  And so with all the resources that it has, United Airlines was crushed by creative storytelling. (Forget news releases and investigative reporting when you have music videos.)

First of all, United Airlines followed the first rule of crisis communications by apologizing for the instance and for trying to make amends.  It’s their failure leverage and integrate their online channels that is at issue.  I would advise them to examine its YouTube Channel for content and its response policy for comments. Customer service is an issue. Therefore have more videos on what you are doing to improve service and instructional videos on what to do if your baggage is damaged or lost. Like what Comcastcares has effectively done with Twitter, use this experience as way to monitor and respond to customer service complaints and reach out to the people who tweeted.

This crisis will pass.  One entertaining video will not bring down an airline.  And the good news is that the next video will have to be amazing to get this kind of reaction.

But here is my final point. Customers need to be careful what they wish for.  YouTube gives power to the people, but this video certainly raises the stakes of what is needed to get attention and make news.  Less talented people will still need to write letters and reach out to local news action reporters.

Let me get back to you.

A new video that Nadia Bilchik and I put together focuses on helping manage brands and corporate reputations in the age of YouTube. It is also the focus of a Linkedin group we created called Media Training in the YouTube Age.

We live in a world where everything we do can appear on YouTube even when that is not our intention. Where the goal is maximizing exposure, Nadia and I have found that stretching corporate boundaries and being authentic increase your chances of going viral.  Being over-scripted and staying too on-message can alienate your audience.  But stretching boundaries is no guarantee of success. Sometimes, these performances can produce negative reactions and turn you and your company into a joke.

The same is true for performances that were  never intended for public consumption. How do you effectively connect with your audience and guard against any damage should a videotape of your performance wind up plastered all over YouTube?

Enter Stage Left: Steve Ballmer

Consider a YouTube  video of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer jumping around the stage at a Microsoft event.  It has generated more than 1.8 million hits, over 5,200 comments and is the second most popular search result under the key words: Steve Ballmer. Most of us would die for numbers like that. Or die of embarrassment. It reminds me of Tom Cruise’s acrobatics on Oprah’s couch.

Or take for example the Bank of America manager whose rendition of a U2 song set to Bank of America lyrics at a corporate event generated a half million hits and nearly 800 comments – many like these:

He never dreamed his performance would make it to YouTube and generate the response it did.  He probably wished he had stayed home that day.

Being Mindful

Since you don’t know who is recording, who is posting and how you will be received, you need to be mindful – mindful of your immediate audience and the world beyond as well as your message, your performance, your objectives, and your customers’ perceptions of you.

Nadia and I disagree about the Steve Ballmer video.  I think it is embarrassing.  She believes it shows a different, less stodgy side of the company. One thing seems clear. It was meant to rally troops, not set off a viral storm.  But the impact on the Microsoft brand was negligible. People know Microsoft and know Steve Ballmer.  Few companies and even fewer CEOs can withstand this kind of authenticity. Remember the Howard Dean scream? It derailed his presidential bid. Microsoft is more the exception than the rule.

Audiences want authenticity.  But before embarking on a Steve Ballmer like performance, you need to ask what your customers would find acceptable, funny or disturbing if your performance went viral on YouTube? What risks are you willing to take?   How much exposure can you withstand?  Is your brand strong enough to absorb a negative reaction?

Maybe you should avoid jumping on stage or singing a cover song.  But don’t play it too safe. Hiding behind scripts and message points doesn’t work either.  Audiences want more from presenters, and an unintended audience on YouTube is not afraid to mock or criticize a wooden performance.

And so we must enter any corporate or public setting with the knowledge that our actions may appear for the world to see. Mindfulness allows us to anticipate negative feedback.  Mindfulness helps us to tailor corporate messages to fit the individual who is delivering them. When a rogue video makes its way to YouTube, mindfulness will help protect your brand and in the best case scenario can even enhance it.

Let me get back to you.

One of the latest victims of a YouTube attack

It’s a debut of sorts for me.  I posted my first video on YouTube.  It’s for a workshop that Nadia Bilchik and I are doing in June called “Media Training in the YouTube Age.”   

We think the timing is right.  Online video is exploding.  Last week, I read on Mashable that  every second  about 33 minutes of video make it to YouTube and that users upload a total of 28,800 hours of video on any given day.  And consider the response of the president of Domino’s Pizza to a disgusting video posted on YouTube by now former employees.  It generated a tremendous amount of discussion about the pizza chain’s online strategy and the impact on its brand.    

In the age of YouTube and citizen journalism, every situation is now a media opportunity.

Call it the YouTube effect, and it’s challenging even well trained, seasoned executives and PR professionals to rethink their approach to media.  The world of network news and newspaper coverage coexists with every person with a video camera, access to the Internet and a point of view or misguided sense of humor. 

YouTube is a double edged sword.  Anyone can use it for promotional purposes or to manage a crisis.  The cost of production, distribution and marketing has dropped dramatically from the time that I started using video way back when.  On the other hand, anyone can post a damaging video attacking your company  as Domino’s experienced.   And anyone can be recorded at any time and later find his or her words and actions all over YouTube with little or no control over the content as political candidate George Allen discovered in 2006.

We are not minimizing the impact of broadcast television.  It’s a powerful medium that can reach millions of people in a single telecast.  And that’s why plenty of media trainers focus on broadcast news.  Rather we believe it’s critical to focus on teaching the basics of YouTube – when to use it (and not to use it), how to use it, and why.  

Understanding YouTube

Both Nadia and I believe many executives and corporate communications departments share some misconceptions about YouTube. Sometimes, the first experience that executives have with YouTube is during a crisis – the break glass in case of emergency approach. That is the worst time to get acquainted with online video.  Other times, companies throw company videos up on YouTube with little regard to the brand.

With little or no experience with the medium, others repurpose broadcast video or try to replicate the “authentic” look of user generated  videos with low production values.  Don’t be mistaken.  Don’t confuse unpolished with authenticity.  

Here are some considerations:

Production values:  While amateur videos gain credibility by looking amateurish, corporate videos do not.   Bad audio and video can undermine your message. You need to consider lighting, microphones, camera work, wardrobe, and location. At the same time, videos shouldn’t appear overproduced or slick and include needless graphics or special effects.  

Platform:  Then there is the computer  itself.  The screen is smaller than most TVs. People can pause and dwell. They have a very intimate relationship with it and the content. And most importantly they can share videos with others.  It’s important to understand what makes something viral or worth searching for.

Presentation:  Finally there is your presentation.  In many ways you are performing, and it’s important to be mindful of body language, eye contact, cadence and tone.

And those are just considerations for video.  Designing your YouTube Channel to reflect your brand is a whole other discussion.

Ultimately, the secret of a good YouTube video, like all social media, is authenticity.  Effective YouTube videos capture the genuine and the personal. A spokesperson can be serious, funny, compassionate or irreverent – but he or she must be real and strike a tone that is appropriate to the situation and the audience.  This is doubly difficult when you need to also communicate a corporate message.

Clearly, it’s complex.  A virtual persona combines the corporate and the personal.  And there is little room for error.  Performances become part of the permanent record.  Done right, a YouTube video can do wonders for a brand as the wildly popular BlendTec videos prove.  But they are also a lost opportunity if you don’t respect the medium and the expectations of your audience.

Ultimately, the key takeaway is don’t let a misunderstanding of the medium get in the way of effective communication.

Let me get back to you.

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