[MUSIC] This is our second video on storytelling and crisis. The topic is audiences. How to reach them, engage their opinions. Over the years, as we have studied crisis communications management here at Northwestern, we've learned that not all audiences are created equal, especially in times of crisis. There are certain audiences that have a much greater impact on the decision making process. There are certain others that have a much greater impact on public perception. In order to effectively and persuasively communicate with these audiences, it's important to identify which ones are which and why they have more influence internally and externally. To put it in its simplest terms, we need to know three things, as we are preparing to tell our crisis story. The first seems rather obvious, I suppose, but it tends to be overlooked. We need to know precisely who we are talking to. Crisis comes on quickly. Often there is no time to dissect the audience groups that are most likely to influence or be influenced by near term decisions. That's why it's important that this work be accomplished as part of the planning process and not as part of a crisis response process. Second, and definitely the most overlarge, is to know who is talking about you. Why is that important? Because the nature of your opposition can determine the intensity of your response. Back in 2012, a lawyer from a small Alabama firm filed a suit against Taco Bell, alleging that the company served meat that was only 35% beef. Or half of the USDA's requirement from mixtures that can claim to be beef. CEO Greg Creed objected strenuously. And he did so using irrefutable facts. What his adversaries called photo meat was actually 88% beef, and he had the proof. He also knew that D Miles, the lawyer, was without the resources to launch a major media campaign to support his claims. So when Taco Bell ran ads in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times refuting the claim, they effectively put a muzzle on Miles and his class. You may remember the ad headline, it said Thank you for suing us. Here's the truth about our seasoned beef. So powerful was the Taco Bell response that it actually launched a repositioning program around real beef. As an asset the customers truly appreciated and would buy plenty of. In addition to knowing who you're talking to and who's talking about you, you really need to have an understanding of your message delivery options. The good news is that there are almost as many media as there are audiences. Of course the bad news is that there are almost as many media as there are audiences. This list of channels range from the network news, to the local radio, to the array of social media outlets you see here and thousands more. Most important of all, with mass media credibility at all time lows, companies in crisis have opportunities to self publish and actually win supporters on their own. During the deep water horizon oil spill, BP gave the world a look at how self publishing works. They monitor the camera near the broken, spewing well head and posted the video on their website. A company by commentary and fact reports each day. Those reports became the primary source of news on the accident. The BP response was visual and effective. Indeed it was the story, brilliantly but ever so simply told. The video was saying the breach is serious and powerful. The fix is complex and very difficult and we, BP, are doing everything we can to seal the fissure. That was the BP story. Of course it contrasted with another story, environmental one being told by visuals like this. These photos were evidence of an audience that BP could simply not ignore. Media channels make audiences more accessible than ever. But reach alone will not translate into persuasion. For that, good crisis managers need to learn more about what audiences are actually thinking, whether the crisis spans several months as it did for BP, GM, Penn State, or the NFL, or goes only for a few days. Knowing the opinions of your audience is key. It will help prioritize your story in line with what stakeholders need to hear rather than with what the company thinks it needs to say. This isn't code for spinning the story, it simply means telling it the most effective way. Next up, more media. Only this time, we're going to talk about the rules of engagement. Knowing the channels to choose is step one. Step two is developing the skills needed to use the media as a carrier. [MUSIC]
