graphic courtesy of CommunItelligence

Last night I had a dream of consulting a prominent Utah CEO regarding a current crisis situation. Hence, it’s on my mind this morning. As we launch into a new year, we hear “year-in-review” reports of crisis after crisis endured during the past year.

Mayan Calendar

During the coming year, mark my word, we will be snowed under with doomsday speculation about the 2012 December deadline for the Mayan Calendar. Regardless of apocalyptic hyperventilation, crisis hits companies and the news daily. As a CEO, you are wise to consider the crisis ahead before it happens. The best way to mitigate bad company news is to prepare in advance. It’s the old “pay me now, or pay me later ” message or “an ounce of prevention…”

A few years ago, the Crandall Canyon Mine crisis and the company’s CEO, Robert “Bob” Murray, have riveted media viewers/readers across the country on the plight of six miners trapped underground. FlackLife, Rockford Gray, USCHO and the Moderate Voice are examples of bloggers chiming in. We all are hoping for the best and bracing for potentially tragic news for the families of the six missing miners. Much has been said regarding Mr. Murray’s handling of press relations during this crisis and perhaps when our hearts heal from this tragedy Crandall Canyon will become a case study for PR students to learn how to better plan for and handle crisis communications.

For corporate leaders in the boardroom seeking to better prepare for crisis communications, perhaps some tips would be helpful.

Create a Plan – it’s usually better to be proactive, than reactive. Before the crisis hits have a written communications plan that clearly assigns responsibility, accounts for media deadlines, and has total agreement among key management. Running a simulated crisis scenario can help work out kinks in the plan. This is especially important for companies that offer services impacting large numbers of people or that perform work that is potentially dangerous.

Appoint One Spokesperson – usually a top executive, this should be an individual who engenders trust and who has authority to speak for the company.

Communicate Quickly, Thoroughly and Frequently – from a pre-arranged location provide access to vital crisis information. Who, What, Why, How, and When should be answered as quickly as facts become available. A constant flow of information to the media will mitigate the reporters’ tendency to fill in story gaps with inaccurate information or questionable sources. Provide the chain of events, graphics, data, and independent third party experts as quickly as they become available.

Focus on People – every media interview or press conference should begin with a focus on the human component of any tragedy. Location of those impacted, services for family members, and efforts to find survivors should be covered before other subjects are discussed.

Be Accessible – Be Transparent – Stick to the Facts – members of the media have a job to do. The vast majority of reporters and editors seek to get the story right. Work with them around their deadlines and communicate often regarding the crisis. When tough questions are asked, stay cool. Be as open as possible to avoid looking guilty. Provide the facts and encourage continued dialogue to fill in gaps in the story. Focus on what is being done to help people impacted by the crisis. Avoid speculation or assigning blame, especially in the early days after a crisis. This keeps the focus on the human component and away from rushing to judgment. Credibility during crisis is a fragile thing. Avoid rejection of alternative opinions or experts which can easily backfire.

MORE Crisis Planning Resources & DOWNLOAD 5 Crisis Tips for CEOs.

In 2010 I must admit to being “Jimmered” by the amazing team on which Jimmer Fredette was a key player. The BYU run to the Sweet 16 was, well, SWEET! So much so that I had a FREE web app created to follow Jimmer news (www.FollowMyPlayer.com ).

Now, Jimmer is making his mark as a Sacramento King and the media likes what they see (story). Jimmer’s public relations charm is not just his explosive play and long shots from the parking lot, but also who he is and how he comes across to fans and media. In direct contrast to many pro athletes, here are some character traits others could learn from:

Humility - Jimmer’s self- effacing “it was a team effort” is key to his past and future success.

Dedication - Jimmer’s commitment to family, faith, community go far beyond just dedication to sport.

Friendliness - Have you ever seen Jimmer complain in a press interview? Nope. Always a friend to all.

Happiness - Alot of folks smile, yet, I see a deep inner happy streak a mile long, and it’s infectious.

Honesty - You have not, nor will you likely every hear of Jimmer breaking the law, beating or stepping out on his wife

Substance Abuse Free – Jimmer doesn’t drink, smoke, abuse or sell drugs.

Role Model – My niece recently named her new baby boy. The name she chose was Jimmer. Corny, yes? Unlike a bad tattoo, that little boy will always be proud of his name.

What other traits do you see in Jimmer that you admire?

OK. OK. I’ll share my secret for a super juicy Turkey.

• Rub turkey w oil of choice. (No, not a deep tissue massage)
• Sprinkle 2 envelopes of dry Italian dressing inside and outside bird. (Do this in the sink unless you have big biceps or your dog won’t jump on it when you drop the now slippery bird)
• Put bird on its breast side down on baking pan in plastic baking bag. (yes, this means you won’t be able to see that little red pop-out plastic thermometer thingy. you still know how to read a clock, right?)
• Pour 1/2 c vinegar of choice inside bird. (if you forgot to put turkey in bag before this step, your cat may help you clean up)
• Put chopped vegetables or stuffing in bird if desired.
• Follow bag instructions. (like tbsp Flour. Holes. Bake time) (guys, you did keep the instructions, right?)

It will cook faster than traditional cooking.

Drippings minus fat make great gravy n soup. (if you hate it, remember the dog & cat like Thanksgiving, too. Plus, you only paid $7 for the darn turkey at Smiths w purchase of $35 in groceries and a 6-pack of Coke products) :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I’m thankful for my family & my new daughter-in-law! & my company staff…& my talents…& my warm house…& my church calling…& great movies…

Turn Facebook Fans Into Customers-click graphic

Here are a couple of tips for new college PR students that you may not hear from the professor:

1) Think like an entrepreneur: How to leverage public relations to drive traffic to the sales funnel
2) Think ROI. Measure everything & be accountable
3) Learn quickly how to pitch media & you increase your paycheck. They don’t teach this well in college.
4) Get an internship fast; work for free if you must to build the resume
5) Find new ways to make Social Media drive measurable online brand management & referrals. We have discovered such technology & it opens doors for us because companies are scrambling to monetize social media and make it more than and “energy leak” for their organization.

What do you think?

Sadly, it is not science fiction that NASA is struggling for direction and budget as the space shuttle Atlantis counts down to the final chapter of the shuttle program. Why? I don’t know all of the reasons, but I have some opinions.

NASA has missed the mark in its quest to maintain public and congressional budget support–public relations. What, you say? Don’t they have cool Tweetups, Facebook fans, kids education programs, and more press releases than you can count? Yep. In fact, NASA flew 150 NASA twitterers to view this week’s launch.

However, I really had to search online for information about the HUGE societal and economic returns generated by the space program. ENORMOUS may be a better word. Thousands of spinoff companies selling everything from Teflon to heart pumps, to mylar balloons can credit NASA for the technology. The GPS in your smart phone and the miniaturization of computer chips trace their roots to the space program. Baby food and LED lighting advanced at the feet of space research.

So, what has been the payback in dollars and what is the cost. I’ve seen estimated of several dollars returned for every dollar spent in space. The lowest estimate I found for return on investment (ROI) on Wikipedia was 33%. I’m OK as a taxpayer getting that return on my tax dollar. Name another government program with that kind of return. Wikipedia reports 350,000 jobs spawned by the space program. USA Today reported at one point that nine of the Top 25 Scientific Breakthroughs came from space. However, there is precious little easily consumable metrics reporting for the general public.

Yes, NASA Spinoff Magazine provides a mountain of information to in intrepid congressman or committed reader. But, among all of the astronaut tweets this week about technology and waving to the public from space, I see none sporting a thousand different things we enjoy every day coming from NASA programs. Those astronauts should have been briefed, “Guys (and Gals), our back’s against the budget wall. When you speak, when you Tweet, when you Facebook talk about the awesome ROI of NASA.”

There should be a section on NASA’s home page and its virtual pressroom dedicated to the ROI of space—in brief snippets the Twitter age can consume. “Enjoy that smart phone and your car with miniature computers inside, thank an astronaut.” That’s under 140 characters, right? Yes, I heard the iPhone is going into orbit, but did they mention that space research made it possible?

Every NASA press release should feature something we enjoy from the space program. Their website should feature a counter that shows the growing NASA ROI (opposite the Federal deficit counter for all of its other programs)

Oh, and what about that nasty NASA budget? A 1997 poll reported that Americans had an average estimate of 20% for NASA’s share of the federal budget. The truth, it’s around .5%, one-fortieth of the perceived budget. And, at the height of the space race (1966), it was less than 5%. Sounds like poor Public Relations education to me.

It’s sad to think of that NASA treasure trove of smart folks going to work in China or Russia because of downsizing of the most profitable Fed program I know of. Is the U.S. really built to be a follower or a leader in the space industry? The future of technology and our quality of life can only benefit from a robust space program. But, NASA is going to have to do more to sell the public benefits. That starts with great Public Relations.

Maybe I should move to Houston to give them a hand.

Sources:

http://www.nasa.gov/50th/50th_magazine/benefits.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Budget

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/20/public-reaps-benefits-of-nasa-research/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Budget

http://www.bu.edu/sjmag/scimag2005/features/NASA.htm

http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/

We love cleantech and green energy, and the ElectraTherm Green Machine is as green as it gets. Translating industrial waste heat above 170 degrees into fuel free, emissions free electricity, ElectraTherm’s patented technology is rapidly catching on with expansion both domestically and internationally. When I was first introduced to the company, few knew who ElectraTherm was. We changed that from the ground up. A new communications plan, website, launch event, partner development, and press releases yielded astounding results:

• More than 25 to 1 payback on ElectraTherm’s investment in PilmerPR
• Approaching $2M in advertizing equivalency
• Total media audience exceeding 400M
• Green Machine awards from the Wall Street Journal and Popular Science Magazine
• More than 100 press articles & coverage by Dow Jones, Fox Business News, Red Herring, etc.
• And on and on…

Well, now they have garnered some Presidential love, based on their early success with investors and a market crying for energy efficiency solutions. Using Obama’s Jan 2010 Time Magazine commitment to “energy efficiency,” we discussed alignment with the President’s strategy even at that early point. Now, it feels like the company, now graduated from PilmerPR, is “all grown up.” Way to go ElectraTherm! Great technology and visionary leadership.

Our work for ElectraTherm and other energy clients was noticed internationally. I (John Pilmer) was asked to meet some months back with a Ukrainian Energy Delegation to discuss communications issues around that countries enormous energy issues and their transition to more sustainable solutions. That was an honor. I also presented on Green PR at the recent MiaGreen cleantech conference in Miami to an international group of green business and government leaders. We’ve also provided feedback to Ted Wilson and the Governor’s Energy Task Force working on the state’s 10 year energy report.

Much communications work remains to be done to implement the vision of this Utah effort, and state leadership must get on top of pressing environmental and energy issues if it is to maintain its leadership in tourism and quality of life.

I have been tagged this week to present in Salt Lake City on effective promotion of clean technology to investors, partners, prospective customers, and the public. More to come on how to get into that event.

Gotta love Green, Clean Technology, and the Corporate Social Responsibility they represent. Now that we celebrate Earth Day, perhaps we can get holidays for the other two legs of the 3-legged stool or Triple Bottom line of Green & CR (People, Planet, Profits). How do you think a People Day or a Profits Day would go over?

Get help with Corporate Responsibility or Green PR

Lean Startup PR and Marketing combines the following services with a single point-of-contact:

• Fortune 100 Senior Level PR/Marketing Coaching
• Messaging Foundation
• Press Coverage [online, print, broadcast]
• Social Media & Blog Strategy that works
• Video Strategy that drive web traffic—on a budget!
• SEO Press Releases that get noticed
• Conversion Rate Optimized (CRO) web strategy
• Website Design
• Online Ad Strategies

We cut out the “fat” of multiple overhead costs, and put them all on one bill that meets your long-term budget.

Why choose PilmerPR?

PilmerPR is in the entrepreneurship business. We have helped launch multiple companies, from Mozy to ElectraTherm, and taken four companies to the Inc 500 Fastest Growing Companies in America. We also work closely with local entrepreneurial organizations and economic development centers to find profitable solutions. We look forward to helping your business do the same.

Contact us today for a free Lean Startup PR and Marketing consultation and start your “90-days to success.”

Get help launching your business!

[Video of 5 minute presentation in production - posted soon]

SALT LAKE CITY—September 9, 2010—PilmerPR today announced founder John Pilmer will speak today at the UVEF Crunch Lunch event on the subject of “Corporate Responsibility – From the Ground Up,” starting at noon at the Provo Novell campus. The event is open to the public.

“80% of the world’s large companies now produce Corporate Responsibility (CR) reports*,” said John Pilmer of PilmerPR. “There is an effect happening now as partners and vendors to these companies are called to account for their track record of citizenship.”

65% of European companies have a full-time CR officer (also known as Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR])**. The U.S. lags behind at 35%, but that is changing according to Pilmer.

“Corporate social responsibility is not new to international companies, but some U.S. companies are just catching on,” Pilmer said. “The big challenge is that developing a track record of improving citizenship takes time. U.S. companies need to get started now, or be left behind in competitive situations.”

Walmart exemplifies a huge company demanding compliance from suppliers in areas of sustainability. Other large companies now make similar demands of business partners. Although CSR plans and reports are a voluntary corporate choice, BusinessWeek reports that two-thirds of consumers would now rather purchase from a company addressing Corporate Responsibility.

ISO 26000 out this year names seven core subjects for reporting. Pilmer will share these and discuss the triple-bottom-line of CR: Planet, People, and Profits. His remarks will be posted on the company blog at http://www.pilmerpr.com/blog .

PR News has praised PilmerPR’s work in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility. Additional resources on CR may be found at http://www.pilmerpr.com/csr_pr.html .

PilmerPR tips for emerging companies seeking to dominate their sector may be found on the company’s blog: http://www.pilmerpr.com/blog; YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/johnpilmer; and at Twitter: @jpilmer. John Pilmer’s new novel, Green Spin, a near future fictional account of the dangers of the 24-second news cycle and environmental extremism, is available on Amazon.

About PilmerPR, LLC
The PilmerPR team has decades of collective experience in marketing and public relations with specific backgrounds in social media, high-tech, cleantech, print journalism, search engine optimization (SEO), and the rapidly rising area of social responsibility. The team includes active PR professionals Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Universal Accreditation Board.

PilmerPR
801-369-7535
info@pilmerpr.com
www.pilmerpr.com

(Sources: *Moscow Times & **Corporate Responsibility Magazine)

1) “Listen Up” To The Conversation

2) “Join In” The Conversation

3) “Power” The Conversation

4) “Orchestrate” The Road Signs

In this video,  I discuss why focus on Social Media is imperative to avoid energy leaks from your company.

Ask the Expert