Page 174 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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Judgement Days 155
accepting responsibility on behalf of the company for the mis-
takes made, and for the tragic consequences for employees. The
managers expressed deep regret for the failure of the company
to meet its own standards.
Editorial backgrounders were prepared and distributed to
explicitly lay out the various elements of the settlement – in lan-
guage that consumers could understand. Editorial back-
grounders were also prepared to explain the significant change
in the company’s overall approach to safety in the years since
the incident, including its decision to serve as a national model
for acceptance of an entirely new level of industry guidelines,
built on a worldwide compliance network.
An advertisement was prepared and placed, to be published
on the day after the settlement was accepted by the US district
judge. It apologized to the community in general for the incident
and its tragic consequences – and again, outlined the changed
commitments of the company in the years since the incident.
Spokesperson training was conducted for the managers
tasked with representing the company, both in the courtroom
(which would be filled with media), and in the subsequent media
conference. Other managers were prepared to handle all
employee communications onsite at the refinery. A speaking
packet was prepared for use by company managers in the sub-
sequent weeks, to share the story effectively with community,
business and public safety groups, as the company began the
long process of rebuilding its trust relationship with employees
and neighbours.
Results and lessons learnt
Media coverage of the settlement was almost as extensive as the
dramatic coverage of the fire itself years earlier. Coverage
included effective representation of the company by its man-
agers: they were articulate, empathetic and sincere.
Government lawyers were measured in their comments, and
coverage overall was balanced and unemotional.
Employee meetings went well: more important than the mes-
sages delivered were the messengers themselves. It mattered a
lot to employees that the company management took responsi-
bility and committed to a higher standard of safety moving
forward.
The strategy to coordinate communication, but to provide
completely customized materials to the two ‘courts’ worked well.