The bottom line is Carnival had the opportunity to do a lot more during the initial investigation.  They missed opportunities to try and rebuild their credibility, which quickly eroded when the poor decisions of the ship’s captain came to light.  As divers continue to search for bodies, Carnival is trying to move on and sell more cruises.  They have an opportunity to talk about policies and procedures on board all their vessels to reassure the general public that their ships are safe and secure.  Expect Carnival and the cruise ship industry as a whole to take a financial hit as potential passengers look elsewhere for vacations.  The long-term effect is up to Carnival.  How they handle these difficult weeks and months ahead will determine the future of the company and quite possibly the industry.

Think about it, if you were a passenger or you had a friend or family member on board, what would you want Carnival to do? What would you expect them to say? If you haven’t discussed your own corporate messaging strategy lately for everyday news or crisis communications, call TVG at 314-991-4641 or click here to send us an email.  We can help.

Did Keith need to go that far in his apology? I would say no, but the fact that he did speaks volumes about Keith as a leader and about the entire MoDOT organization. When it comes down to it, MoDOT guessed wrong based on the forecast, and they accepted full responsibility for that guess. When is the last time you saw someone accept full responsibility for something that was out of their control? If Keith and his team had guessed the other way, treated the roads with solution and salt, and the forecast had been wrong, they could have been criticized for wasting taxpayer dollars. From a media and crisis communications perspective, Keith did everything right. He accepted responsibility and vowed to do better in the future. Now, let’s cut MoDOT some slack and see how they do with the next snow storm this winter.

When was the last time you or your spokesperson had media and crisis communications training? If you can’t remember, give us a call. We can help! You can also take our crisis communications threat matrix quiz.

Chrysler recently had a big “oops” when someone at a firm hired to manage their Twitter account accidentally tweeted from the @ChryslerAutos account instead of a personal account. The tweet dropped the F-bomb, reading: “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f****** drive.” Needless to say, their recent branding efforts (Imported from Detroit) and the company as a whole took a big hit. Oops.

Even though things like not attaching a document to an email or posting to Facebook instead of Twitter may seem like harmless mistakes, we can still set parameters to help us avoid these situations. Here at TVG, we encourage clients to develop cohesive communications strategies that involve consistent messaging across all outlets. This helps ensure that all communications by a company—both online and off—support the bigger picture (i.e. business objectives). It also helps to have a system of checks and balances that focuses on the security and accuracy of all company communications. This can prevent avoidable mistakes from affecting your reputation.

But even with systems and securities in place, “oops” moments happen, especially with the rapid pace of social media. One wrong response on Facebook or one misconstrued tweet can flip the panic switch and send your team into crisis mode. A crisis communications plan is a necessity for any company, but the best way to avoid a social media crisis is to set up a social media policy and teach your team how to use social media correctly. Just as with every medium, make sure you align your social media communications with your overall strategy.

TVG offers social media training and refresher courses that can help you take proactive steps to avoid those “oops” moments. We also can work with your company to develop an effective social media policy to prevent a Chrysler tweet disaster from happening to your company. To learn more about TVG’s services, check out the Services page of our website.

What I found particularly interesting about this story wasn’t the fact that mom’s were using Facebook to voice their concerns (the term ‘mommy bloggers’ was born due to their large influence in the social media world), but rather P&G’s response which is highlighted in a Social Media Influence article. They acted fast, distributed SEO friendly content, used an integrated media approach (local TV news and YouTube) and they were clear on the product changes.

Too often in a crisis situation, organizations tend to remain quiet and address the issue with more of an internal focus versus responding immediately to public outcry. P&G did the exact opposite and set up an immediate, integrated media effort to respond to the comments being made on social media. From interviews with local TV stations to posting videos from experts on its YouTube channel to address concerns, it was obvious that P&G was monitoring the conversation taking place on multiple channels and responding when appropriate. It is clear they have previously discussed possible online crises and developed a plan that allowed for quick response within the correct channels.

To me the most impressive part of their response was the way that they acknowledged and validated the parents’ concerns. P&G even added additional customer-service representatives in order to provide additional time to speak with consumers with questions about the Pampers product. They have admitted that their initial launch of the product lacked detail and may have caused some confusion with parents. I find some comfort in the fact they are listening to their audiences and taking action to rectify the issue.

It will be very interesting to watch the debate continue between consumers and P&G. Will the social media storm continue to grow? Or will P&G’s efforts successfully satisfy shoppers and the media. We can praise the transparency and speed in which P&G responded to the complaints – a practice we should all learn from.

Happy Friday everyone and have a safe and fun-filled weekend.

Then there is the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which by all accounts is a crisis on many levels. Many families lost loved ones and the environmental impact could well be worse than the Exxon Valdez oil spill decades ago. There is also the impact on businesses—such as the fishermen and shrimpers who depend on the Gulf for their livelihoods. It is a crisis; it just doesn’t seem like one for BP. At least that is the perception.

Click here to continue reading about BP’s handling of the recent oil spill in TVG’s recent Insight article.

1. Is BP doing the right thing? Check out our crisis team’s take on the Gulf oil spill in our most recent Insight publication.  What is your take on how BP has handled communications in the crisis?  Share your thoughts in the blog comment section.
2. Last Friday the St. Louis Business-Journal published a business guide to social media along with their normal weekly print edition.  Be sure to check out TVG’s ad on our social media program and software, Pulse.
3. I go through phases of social media and communication blogs I visit on a regular basis. Lately, I’ve been enjoying Jay Baer’s Convince & Convert.  A recent post highlights some great stats about Twitter.  If you aren’t on Twitter yet, these stats may convince and convert you into a believer.  (Sorry for the pun, I couldn’t resist).
4. You can probably find a new example everyday on how the Internet and social media have changed the way we consume news and communicate.  This week the flooding in Nashville is a shining example.  Hundreds of home videos and first hand accounts of the devastation have been filling the news and social media. Luckily these tools are also helping to drive support and fundraising for recovery efforts.
5. Lastly, happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there.  Need a last minute card for your mom?  Check out one of JibJab’s fun e-cards.

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?  This week we have a last minute bonus item!  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (one of my favorite movies of all time) is being played out on Twitter and Foursquare today. You can follow Ferris, his sister Jeanie, girlfriend Sloane and even Mr. Rooney!  Enjoy all.

What I find most interesting about this event isn’t so much Biden’s choice of words, but rather what happened after he made the statement and the response from the White House. Sure, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs could have issued an official statement or addressed the press corps directly, but instead he turned to social media, more specially, Twitter, with the following tweet: “And yes Mr. Vice President, you’re right…”

This brief, 41-character tweet is just one of many recent examples of the power of social media as a communication tool. From world events such as the earthquake in Haiti or the protests of the presidential election in Iran last June, Twitter has provided – and will continue to provide – a new way to report on the stories of the day.

Whether you’re a fan or Twitter, or not, the social media tool is here to stay and will most likely continue to explode…and continue to report on explosions (verbal and otherwise) that happen in this world we share.

The unexpected happens most every day and can easily turn into a crisis. Mark McGwire’s interview with Bob Costas certainly qualifies and can absolutely be used as a case study; one that is certainly going to unfold for months to come. In one painful, hour-long interview with the MLB Network, which has since been played by every media outlet in the western hemisphere, McGwire took a giant leap and admitted he used steroids and “health-enhancing drugs” over a ten-year period. Many in the sports and business world had suspected McGwire’s indiscretion, especially given his lack of testimony during the 2005 congressional hearings. This was the first proof.

What can we all learn from this crisis?

Check out my complete TVG Vision article to find out.