Author: Jonathan & Erik Bernstein

Scary number of hospital workers not taking basic precautions against spread of infection

How would you feel if you knew your doctor hadn’t washed their hands after seeing the patient before you? Well, according a recent Yahoo News article, if you’ve had a hospital stay in the United States, there’s a good chance it’s happened.

Although washing hands is one of the single-most effective ways to prevent the spread of dangerous infections—ranging from pneumonia to MRSA, a life-threatening staph infection—in U.S. hospitals, hospital workers wash their hands only about 40 to 50 percent of the time, often because it’s inconvenient or they are overwhelmed by other tasks.

With approximately 75,000 patients dying every year due to infections actually picked up in the hospital this is a clear crisis, so why isn’t it being addressed adequately?

Every field has its own predictable, preventable crises, but they won’t be stopped without effort. Look around yourself, do the research, and really think, “what problems are we facing, and what are we likely to encounter?” Find your answers now, or find yourself on the back foot when it comes to managing a damaging crisis.

Series of potentially deadly failures raises major questions

Over the past couple of years we’ve frequently mentioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as paving the way for government agencies when it comes to effective crisis communications. The agency has set a fantastic example, making use of information sharing and the latest technologies to keep the public informed regarding dangerous situations.

Unfortunately, the CDC dropped the ball big time in late June when internal failures led to more than 80 lab workers being exposed to live anthrax. Yes, you read that right – live anthrax. That’s not all, though. Investigators also discovered an unreported incident that saw a high-security CDC lab accidentally send samples containing a dangerous strain of bird flu to researchers as the U.S. Department of Agriculture in March. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, this month saw the discovery of six vials of smallpox in an unsecured room at the National Institute of Health, including two containing live strains of the deadly virus.

The CDC has stated that “multiple failures by individual scientists and a lack of agency-wide safety policies” led to the worrisome slip-ups, but there are signs of a deeper issue as well. According to CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden, the bird flu incident was not reported to agency leadership at all. With questions being raised by the legislators and the public alike about the CDC’s ability to ensure the safety of its operations, Frieden is on the hot seat. He did show some serious crisis communications chops with his statement on the situation, which opened with one of the best mea culpas we’ve ever seen:

“We need to look at our culture of safety throughout all of our laboratories, I’m upset, I’m angry. I’ve lost sleep over it and I’m doing everything I can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

That is how you show people you care. Reading that one sentence, you know that Frieden sees how big of a problem these mistakes are, and that he means business when it comes to setting his organization straight. He’ll have to back it up with action, and soon, in order to avoid taking more damage, but it’s an excellent start.

Every organization will encounter crises, whether avoidable or not. The important thing is to step up, admit there’s an issue, and then take care of it, communicating like a human being the whole way through.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Some simple daily steps to protect this valuable asset

Establishing and maintaining a positive online reputation is not only beneficial to your bottom line, but also an incredible aid to crisis management when the need arises. While sticky situations or special circumstances certainly call for professional assistance, there’s no reason you can’t be doing some basic, day-to-day online reputation management of your own right now.

We like to share primers on just how to do this when we come across them, and recently spotted a nice infographic from the blog of social media expert Andy Jenkins:

Chris Christie caught in another bridge-related tangle

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

That’s precisely the attitude held by many after revelations that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was (allegedly) part of not only the now-infamous “Bridgegate” closures, but also some less-than-honest dealings regarding the Pulaski Skyway, a bridge connecting Newark and Jersey City.

Late last month, just as a nationwide PR blitz was beginning to stabilize Christie’s reputation, The New York Times’ Matt Flegenheimer, William Rashbaum and Kate Zerninke broke the story on the new allegations:

The inquiries into securities law violations focus on a period of 2010 and 2011 when Gov. Chris Christie’s administration pressed the Port Authority to pay for extensive repairs to the Skyway and related road projects, diverting money that was to be used on a new Hudson River rail tunnel that Mr. Christie canceled in October 2010.

Again and again, Port Authority lawyers warned against the move: The Pulaski Skyway, they noted, is owned and operated by the state, putting it outside the agency’s purview, according to dozens of memos and emails reviewed by investigators and obtained by The New York Times.

But the Christie administration relentlessly lobbied to use the money for the Skyway, with Mr. Christie announcing publicly that the state planned to rely on Port Authority funds even before an agreement was reached. Eventually, the authority justified the Skyway repairs by casting the bridge as an access road to the Lincoln Tunnel, even though they are not directly connected.

While a close look at the facts will tell you this scenario is completely different from the George Washington Bridge closures Christie stands accused of orchestrating, to the average news consumer it appears as if Christie is smack dab in the middle of Bridgegate Part Deux with the Skyway revelations. In fact, a poll on New Jersey news site NJ.com shows 84% of the nearly 2,000 readers polled believe the second bridge-related investigation will hurt Christie’s chances should he make a bid for the presidency in 2016 as expected.

A key aspect of crisis management is dragging all of the skeletons out of your closet before someone else does it for you. After the furor surrounding Bridgegate left supporters and donors shaken, Christie made the rounds telling everyone they had nothing to worry about, but now that new accusations have emerged how do you think those stakeholders are feeling?

We’ve certainly had presidents involved with more scandalous incidents than this, but if Christie’s reputation continues to slide downhill he may never get the chance to make a run at the Oval Office at all.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

If you’re not using social media for customer service, you’re asking for crises

Without a doubt, upset customers are one of the leading, and most preventable, causes of crisis. While social media should be enabling organizations large and small to communicate on a personal level with the people who hand them their hard-earned money, too often it’s used purely as a marketing vehicle, if at all. Today, a customer tweet that gets no response is as bad as someone calling your office number and getting no response. Oh, except there are no “office hours” for social media.

The most successful businesses in the world have dedicated people working their social media customer service departments, and this infographic by Bluewolf will help you understand why:

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Dr. Oz finds reputation risk at the end of yellow brick road paved by bogus claims

“Dr.Oz”, the celebrity doctor frequently seen on TV shouting about how this or that is a “miracle” treatment for what ails you, is learning the hard way that endorsing bad products is likely to land you in the hot seat. Oz took a verbal beating as he sat in a Senate hearing about bogus diet product, being accused of powering scammer’s efforts with his overly enthusiastic support of unproven products.

NBC News’ Maggie Fox reported on the hearing, captured its tone perfectly with this quote

Oz was held up as the power driving many of the fraudulent ads, even as he argued he was himself the victim of the scammers. The hearing is a follow-up to the Federal Trade Commission’s crackdown last January against fake diet products.

“I don’t get why you need to say this stuff because you know it’s not true,” Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who chairs a Senate subcommittee on consumer protection, said at the hearing. “So why, when you have this amazing megaphone…why would you cheapen your show by saying things like that?”

The driving force behind Dr. Oz’s power is his credibility. However inaccurate it may be, he is seen by a huge segment of TV viewers as a credible person. By giving his endorsement to products that don’t do what they claim, or could even be dangerous, Oz is putting his showbiz career on the line. And, considering he dropped several quotes, for example, “When we write a script, we need to generate enthusiasm and engage the viewer”, that completely dismissed the points made by the Senate committee, we don’t think the doc understands the slippery slope he’s sitting on.

With power comes responsibility. If you’re in a position to influence others and you send them down the wrong path, whether on purpose or accidentally, it’s your reputation that will take the hit.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Not taking yourself too seriously is a boon to reputation

The Onion is well known for being utterly satirical, yet many organizations who find themselves the focus of a joke are unable to see it as anything but a threat. Earlier this month the American Red Cross was the target of an Onion article titled, “Nation’s Blakes Cruise Easily Through Lifeguard Training”, which took a shot at “typical” lifeguard names. Here’s a quote:

According to incoming reports from beaches and pools across the country this week, lifeguard tryouts were once again a breeze for the nation’s Blakes. “According to our figures, Blakes from coast to coast have secured more than half of all available lifeguarding jobs, cruising through fitness, CPR, and swimming trials with ease,” American Red Cross president Gail McGovern said, adding that the lifeguard staffs at over 200 municipal pools, seashores, and water parks would be composed entirely of Blakes this summer. “And in addition to Blakes, the country’s Bryces, Gavins, and Rykers also had no trouble passing the various tests. Although, as usual, not a single Saul was offered a position.”

Instead of huffing and puffing with indignation, the Red Cross made the absolute best move possible, embracing the attention drawn by the silly article and inserting a call to action that helps them to reach their goals as an organization, all with a simple Facebook post:

While this situation was never a crisis, the wrong response could absolutely have turned it into one.

Next time someone takes a jab at you, do what the Red Cross did and consider not only whether it really matters, but also how you can turn it to your advantage. You may be surprised just how much mileage you can get out of showing your human side and giving your stakeholders a bit of a laugh.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Could bots sway popular opinion via social media?

Chatbots meant to scam users into visiting phishing sites or those featuring paid services have been employed in online chat rooms and instant messaging services for many years, and now we’re seeing their advanced offspring pop up across social media platforms.

After all, social media presents massive opportunites for not only profit, but also control of public opinion, something that is of ever-increasing importance in today’s world.

In fact, our colleague Andy Russell recently linked us to a BBC article by Chris Baraniuk that examined the experiments of researcher Fabricio Benevenuto and his team, who sought to test just how easy it is to convince Twitter users completely automated bots were real people:

Benevenuto and his colleagues created 120 bot accounts, making sure each one had a convincing profile complete with picture and attributes such as gender. After a month, they found that almost 70% of the bots were left untouched by Twitter’s bot detection mechanisms. What’s more, the bots were pre-programmed to interact with other users and quickly attracted a healthy band of followers, 4,999 in total.

The implications of this are not trivial. “If socialbots could be created in large numbers, they can potentially be used to bias public opinion, for example, by writing large amounts of fake messages and dishonestly improve or damage the public perception about a topic,” the paper notes.

It’s a problem known as ‘astroturfing’, in which a seemingly authentic swell of grass-root opinion is in fact manufactured by a battalion of opinionated bots. The potential for astroturfing to influence elections has already raised concerns, with a Reuters op-ed in January calling for a ban on candidates’ use of bots in the run-up to polls.

The follower numbers gained by Benevenuto’s were not particularly impressive, at approximately 42 each you could gain many more simply by using the tried and true “follow a bunch of people and hope they reciprocate” method, but the fact that most completely evaded detection gives you a hint at what could be lurking on the horizon.

In our opinion, a team of social media experts using a mix of automation and their own savvy to seed sentiment could, and likely already has, swayed public opinion on matters ranging from politics to corporate blunders.

What does this mean to crisis management? Well, just as you wouldn’t (at least we hope!) get your decision-making information from a random person on the street, you can’t trust everyone you hear from on social media. Be careful to fact-check before sharing things you read online, be wary of any and all private messages from users you don’t personally know, and be aware that, while there ARE bots out there trying to trick you into believing something you shouldn’t, the repurcussions that come from believing the wrong thing are going to fall squarely on your shoulders.

We’re sure some of you are wondering how you can compete with these bot nets, and the answer is really quite simple. Use both social media and real-life efforts to recognize and connect with your advocates, and create methods to mobilize them to share when the time comes. People are surprisingly happy to devote some of their own time to organizations or individuals they support if you give them a chance. Just don’t forget to say thank you when they do!

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Another “what were they thinking?” moment from a high-profile ad agency

It’s not uncommon for advertisements to offend, but once in a while one goes so far that you have to wonder how it was ever approved. This week, ad industry leader Ogilvy & Mather came under major scrutiny from the public after its Indian offices created a commercial focused around the extremist shooting of Pakistani teen Malala Yousafzai — for, of all things, a mattress retailer.

HuffPost’s Alexander C. Kaufman reports:

The ad, made for Indian mattress retailer Kurl-on, sparked outrage by grapically picturing the attack on the education activist, who was 14 when she was shot in the head by the Taliban with an AK-47 assault rifle. The ad shows the young girl facing down the gun, being shot, and tumbling through the air while injured. After landing on a Kurl-on mattress, she is able to “bounce back” — the theme of the ad — to be honored for her work.

The execs at Ogilvy, no crisis management slouches themselves, quickly responded with a strong statement:

“We deeply regret this incident and want to apologize to Malala Yousafzai and her family,” Rachel Ufer, a senior partner and spokeswoman for Ogilvy, said in a statement to The Huffington Post. “We are investigating how our standards were compromised in this case and will take whatever corrective action is necessary.”

This case actually offers two lessons. The most obvious is to consider how any messaging you put out there could be perceived negatively by stakeholders. The second is that the actions of one branch of your organization can, and will, affect the reputations of the others.

The first one is really all about common sense and the ability to place yourself in someone else’s shoes.

To steer clear of the second issue, avoid the common trap of creating silos – smaller parts of a larger organization that fail to communicate with one another. In other words, make sure everyone is on the same page regardless of how large you’ve grown. Obviously, the folks running Ogilvy’s Indian office are drastically out of touch with those at their home base here in the States. And as Ogilvy also has a quite reputable PR division, you can bet they weren’t in the loop until it became time for damage control.

Of course, one really must wonder who at the mattress company thought this would be a great angle to push their product, and how their sales figures are looking since this story emerged.

Advertising is an amazing tool, but the risks of employing it carelessly apply to both client and agency. Don’t wind up losing money because you pushed too hard to make a buck.

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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]