Crisis Communication Plan

Confidentiality Statement: The contents of this Crisis Management Plan for H&M are intended
solely for members of the organization. This plan contains confidential information. If you are
not the intended recipient, you are notified that disclosing, copying, or distributing the contents
of this plan are strictly prohibited.
Table of Contents
Introduction & Crisis Communication Team Contact List 2
Mission and Purpose 3-4
Crisis Threat Likelihood Analysis List 4-5
Key Publics/Stakeholders Information and Communication 6-7
Crisis Preparation and Prevention Plan 8-9
Media Audit 10
Social Media Strategy for Crises 10-11
Third-party Potential Supporters/Credible Experts for Interviews 11
Testing/Evaluating the Crisis Plan 12

Appendices

Immediate Response Checklist 13-14

Communication Channels 15
Key Messages 16
Press Release Template 17
Organizational Backgrounder 18-20
Media Log Sheet & Crisis Team Contact Sheet 21-23

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Introduction

This Crisis Communication Plan is an outline and guide for both internal and external

communication during a crisis related to H&M. This plan provides necessary information and

procedures for crisis management, including:

● Roles of the Crisis Communication Team

● A crisis threat likelihood analysis list

● Proper communication with key publics/stakeholders

● Strategies and tactics for crisis preparation, prevention, and management

It is strongly advised that H&M follow this plan’s procedures, as it will help with H&M’s ability

to respond properly and efficiently. When a crisis is underway, it is imminent that H&M

immediately follows and utilizes this guide to minimize the impact of the crisis.

Crisis Communication Team Contact List

Role Team Member Contact Information

Crisis Communications Team Claudia Cesario

Leader

Assistant CCT Coordinator Julia Connolly jrconn1@ilstu.edu

Media Relations Lead Olivia Dickinson osdick1@ilstu.edu

Spokesperson Sara Lizakowski

Legal Nick Scaletta

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Mission

H&M’s crisis team’s mission is to establish a framework and strategy to quickly and effectively

address crisis situations to ensure that we remain aligned with our commitment to drive

long-lasting positive changes and improvements.

Purpose

The overarching goal for this crisis communication plan is to establish certain guidelines for

dealing with a multitude of possible situations. The purpose of H&M’s crisis communication

plan is to provide policies and courses of action to ensure good coordination and communication

in the event of an emergency or crisis, both within the organization and externally between H&M

and its stakeholders including shareholders, customers and the media.

During a crisis, clear communication and coordination is critical to mitigate reputational damage,

concerns among associates, shareholder value, risk of misinformation and safety and security

concerns. This plan addresses media relations and communication issues, but also incorporates

procedures for quick identification of a potential risk or crisis and the methods for responding to

said situation timely and effectively.

This crisis communication plan will benefit the H&M group by supplying the main objectives an

organization would need during a crisis. This plan provides different actions, issues and tactics

that need to be considered. This plan will assist in identifying which stakeholders should be

informed on the crisis, internal communication outlets that can be used to communicate with

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associates, media outlets that can be used to minimize damage to the organization’s reputation,

and how order can be restored including the target audiences to debrief post-crisis.

Crisis Threat Likelihood Analysis List

All organizations are prone to facing a crisis. When faced with a crisis, there are different types

that can occur that H&M could possibly suffer from. Ranging from a reputation crisis to natural

disasters. This list entails each possible crisis, how likely they are to occur and their impact.

Crises Type Unlikely Likely

Personnel Poor working conditions,

X layoffs, and internal problems
leading to workers lashing
out.
High Impact

Natural Disasters Natural disasters such as

hurricanes, tornadoes, and X
snow storms interrupting
product facilities. Low
Impact

Technological Crises Technological issues X

regarding H&M’s website
such as hackers and website
crashing. Low Impact

Confrontation X Consumers who confront

H&M regarding poor product
or customer service. High
Impact

Financial X Financial issues within H&M

that can lead to bankruptcy
and closing stores. High
Impact

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Workplace Violence X Violence occurs within the
workplace by employees
whether in factories or in
office. High Impact

Malevolence H&M utilizes illegal acts to

sabotage its competitors. Low X
Impact

Organizational Misdeeds Arises when H&M makes

decisions that could impact
their reputation. High Impact
- Discriminatory X
clothing
- Issues with CEO
- Poor product quality

Rumors Consumers/Audiences create

X rumors regarding H&M
hurting the overall reputation
of the company. High Impact

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Key Publics/Stakeholders

Key demographics of publics:

● Mainly women ages 16-25

● Low to middle class income

● Looking for something quick and cheap

Stakeholders

● Employees/Management

● Consumers

● Clothing manufacturers

Contacts

Head Office
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB
Mäster Samuelsgatan 46A
SE -106 38 Stockholm
SWEDEN
Switchboard +46 8 796 55 00

Head of Communication
Sofia Jegerborn

Head of Media Relations

Emelie Ericson
mediarelations@hm.com

Media Enquiries
Phone: +46 8 796 53 00
Email: groupmediarelations@hm.com

Communication Director
Andreas Eriksson

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Themes to Emphasize in Communication with Key Publics/Stakeholders

Many things that are posted on social media are trendy or different from things you would see on

any competitor’s social media, such as Forever 21. In times of a crisis it would be best to still

make an eye-catching visual to get the publics and stakeholders attention quickly and with a

short paragraph, a couple of sentences, explaining the situation at hand. I believe they have done

a great job with their social media creating eye catching visuals, many people don’t like to read

long things in social media so we need to make sure it is short and possibly add some way they

can reach out with any concerns.

Preferred Medium for Communication with Key Publics/Stakeholders

To get the word out quickly, the most effective medium for communication would be Twitter and

Facebook. Twitter and Facebook are platforms where you can get information from, whereas on

Instagram, many people just look at the photo or video and do not pay attention to the captions.

With stakeholders, emails may be a good idea to get information straight to them with no

misinterpretation between other forms of media that could have false information.

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Crisis Preparation & Prevention Plan

Goal: Produce a Crisis Communication Plan that can substantially lessen the reputational and

organizational risks H&M could face during or before a crisis.

Objectives:

● Diagnose potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses that could threaten H&M

● Identify potential risks that could occur

● Develop proactive strategy, framework and tactics to respond to a crisis

● Select and train crisis team and spokesperson

Strategies and Tactics:

1. First diagnose the potential vulnerabilities that could threaten H&M. Assess potential

areas of vulnerability, consult with legal, social media/marketing, product/engineering,

and the head of sustainability to validate and add to vulnerabilities assessment.

Additionally, look at the environmental and economic vulnerabilities known to H&M.

2. Next, identify the potential risks. As a retail company, potential risks include issues with

materials used, environmental impacts of production, labor practices, and how and where

the items are made. Sources for gaining a deeper understanding of H&M’s potential risks

include our most recent sustainability disclosure, fashion transparency index, ecogain

biodiversity index, and our sustainability and accountability reports.

3. Then, develop a proactive strategy, framework, and tactic to respond to potential crises.

Establish monitoring systems. Gather and arrange information on the crisis. Stakeholders

and validated representatives help curate a response. Identify the target audience. Make a

decision on how to move forward or present crisis to leadership.

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4. Finally, select and train the crisis team and spokesperson. Identify who will be on the

team, each department will have a representative that attends crisis drill meetings to

practice. The Head of Media Relations will determine who will be the spokesperson

based on who knows the most about the topic and has the right training.

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Media Audit

While researching through the different social media outlets, Twitter is the most used social

media when it comes to crises. H&M has not been active on Twitter since August of 2022. If a

crisis were to occur this is the platform most consumers and stakeholders will be getting most of

the information for the crises that is happening. The H&M Communication Director, Andreas

Eriksson, and their team would have to make sure they are analyzing and be able to recognize

when a crisis is starting to arise. When it comes to traditional media, television news, talk shows,

blogs, even [fashion] magazines are going to be covering the crisis at hand. The main

demographic for H&M is women and men between the ages of 16-25 years old looking for

affordable choices, even if the quality of the item is not the best. But those who may still live

with parents, or have older relatives that pay attention to the traditional media and get word out

on Facebook and possibly Twitter. Blogs have also become a player in how people get their news

or get persuaded in some way.

Social Media Strategy for Crises

If a crisis were to arise for H&M, the social media outlets that would be the most beneficial to

use would be Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. These three platforms are the ones that have

been utilized the most in the past. They also have the highest follower count which would be able

to reach more users of those social platforms. Instagram with 38.5M, Facebook with 40+M, and

Twitter with 7.9M followers. H&M would definitely want to come out with a statement to post

on Twitter and Facebook especially being able to reach the most consumers and stakeholders.

When a post is made to either of those sites with an apology or explanation there is a good

chance that it would be covered in the television news or other news websites. When the

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statement is released the analytics team will have to work hard to see how many people are

seeing the statement and how they are reacting.

Third-party Potential Supporters & Credible Experts for Media Interviews

● National Retail Federation

● CDP A List (Carbon Disclosure Project)

● FTSE4Good Index

● Industry Association Sustainability committees

● Unicef, for issues affecting H&M, its employees, or customers and communities

● British Red Cross, for issues affecting H&M, its employees, or customers and

communities from UK

● Site recognitions/awards from Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Fashion Revolution

Fashion Transparency Index, Fast Company World Changing Ideas 2021.

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Plan for Testing/Evaluating the Crisis Plan

In order to ensure this Crisis Communication Plan works effectively, we will run a crisis drill.

● The Head of Communications will hold a kick-off meeting with the entire crisis team;

Representatives of each function within communications, legal, social media/marketing,

HR, product/engineering, sustainability and corporate governance.

● Communications Lead will present an overview of the issue or crisis.

● Team validates that all relevant representatives are in the room.

● Communications Lead will facilitate the meeting by going through the Crisis

Communication Plan to validate roles and responsibilities.

● Team will discuss key considerations around the issue or crisis.

● Based on framework, validate we have the information needed to move forward to

effectively mitigate the crisis.

● Each team will split off to work on their individual responsibilities/roles.

● Team comes together to run through the response and ensure that it is effective.

○ For example, Communications will present messaging, press release, standby

statements, selected spokesperson, Q&A, plan for timing, and fact sheets.

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Immediate Response Checklist
For all organizations, proper communication with the public and stakeholders is crucial
throughout each stage of a crises. These following steps will ensure that H&M will be able to
precisely respond to any given crises at hand. These steps should be activated at any given time
and adjusted if needed.
1. Identify the crises.
2. Immediately notify important
communicators.
3. Construct communication messages to
release to the public.
4. Release messages to the public.
- What is the crisis?
- Who is involved?
- Where did the crisis take place?
- When did the crises occur?
- Why did the crisis occur?
- How did it happen?
- Classify the severity of the
crises.
- The crisis communication team leader
should notify the rest of the
communications team and key
employees on the proper strategies
that should be put in place to diffuse
the crises. (Refer to strategies and
tactics on page 7)
- Remain in constant communication
with the H&M Group.
- The H&M crisis communication team
leader creates proper messages to
release to the public.
- Prepare for responses and reactions
from the public
- Spokesperson of H&M releases a
press release and statement to the
public.
- A statement is made on all of H&M’s
forms of social media.
- Spokesperson is readily prepared to
make a statement on national
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5. Monitor media and prepare for
feedback.
television if needed.
- Actively monitor media about the
crises through social media, and news
outlets.
- Communication team leader assesses
the plan that was implemented and
reviews how it was executed.
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Communication Channels

The ways in which crisis updates are communicated both externally and internally for the H&M
organization.

External

● Official website - https://www.hm.com

● Customer Email- groupmediarelations@hm.com
● Instagram- @hm ( @hm_man, @hm_kids, @hm_careers, @hmbeauty,
@hmhome)
● Twitter- @hm
● Facebook Page- H&M
Internal

● Head Office- H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB, Mäster Samuelsgatan 46A, SE -106
38 Stockholm, SWEDEN (on-site meetings location)
● Corporate Office- H&M Hennes & Mauritz LP, Lighting Way 300, NJ 07094,
Secaucus, Suite 100 (on-site meetings location)
● Internal Communications platform- Convo (https://www.convo.com)

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Key Messages

● "We believe in people. We are one team, constant improvement, straightforward and
open-minded, entrepreneurial spirit, and in all we do, sustainability is a natural part."

● H&M strives always to be attentive and to offer the best combination of fashion, quality
and price.

● Understanding and meeting the customers’ needs is at the core of everything they do.

● Considerable resources are devoted to increasing sustainability at H&M. H&M does not
own factories, but instead buys products from independent suppliers and works to bring
about long-term improvements for people and the environment.

● H&M’s vision is for all its operations to be run in a way that is economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable. For this reason sustainability work is not a separate activity
– it is included in every aspect of the business.

● Other factors contribute to ensuring the best price in store: in­-house design, no
middlemen, large purchasing volumes, efficient logistics and cost­consciousness at every
stage.

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 H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB
Mäster Samuelsgatan 46A
SE -106 38 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 468-796-5500
Email: info@hm.com

Press Release FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Head of Media Relations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Emelie Ericson
[Date] 468-796-5500
mediarelations@hm.com

[Headline]

[Location] – Message of Empathy/Caring (if appropriate):

Main Paragraph:
Who is affected:
What is going on:
Where is this taking place:
When did this occur:
Why is this important:

Quote:
From a predetermined spokesperson. Quote should say what actions H&M is taking,
telling people what actions they should be taking, or voicing compassion and concern.
Include the name of the spokesperson and their title.

Key Message(s):

Include supporting points and explanation and reasoning for them.

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Backgrounder

Media Contact: Emelie Ericson

H&M

Head of Media Relations

Email: mediarelations@hm.com

Phone number: 468-796-5500

Address: H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB

Mäster Samuelsgatan 46A

SE -106 38 Stockholm

SWEDEN

Business website: https://www2.hm.com/en_us/index.html

About Us

H&M is a clothing company that produces top-quality and fashionable mens, womens, and

childrens clothing as well as home products for customers internationally and locally. H&M’s

success has stemmed from staying connected to its loyal customer base, ensuring they are always

placed first in its decision-making processes. With a variety of clothing item options available,

customers have benefited from their sustainable clothing materials, their transparency about

suppliers, and their in-store recycling system Loop.

Over the years, H&M’s sustainable products have grown in popularity, earning 22 awards, with

most customers stating that the products greatly improved their lives thanks to its quality and

accessibility. Their sustainability plan was initially developed as a way to further consider the

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needs of present and future generations, but has since expanded into a campaign dubbed Leading

the Change.

History of H&M

H&M was created by Erling Persson in Sweden in 1947 when the then-budding entrepreneur saw

a need for more women’s fashion after going on a road trip through the USA. Looking for an

opportunity to capitalize on New York’s growing women’s fashion industry, Erling came up with

the idea to produce a new womenswear store named Hennes, Swedish for “Hers”.

After nearly 75 years in the business, H&M has grown exponentially, with 4,801 stores currently

open worldwide. Despite its great success, the company has remained loyal to its initial vision to

provide accessible, inclusive and sustainable clothing for all.

Awards & Milestones

● Fashion Revolution Fashion Transparency Index, 2022

● United Nations Global Impact LEAD, 2021

● Textile Exchange Corporate Fiber & Materials Benchmark, 2021

● InfluenceMap’s A-List of Climate Policy Engagement, 2021

● Dow Jones Sustainability Index, 2021

● Baptist Aid’s World Ethical Fashion Report, 2021

Company Vision and Mission Statement

H&M’s vision statement is “to lead the change towards circular and renewable fashion while

being a fair and equal company.”

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H&M’s mission statement is “to drive long-lasting positive change and improve living conditions

by investing in people, communities and innovative ideas.”

Conclusion

H&M is a successful clothing business that credits its success to hard work and a loyal customer

base who has supported the business since its inception in 1947. With over 20 awards, including

one of the best Platform Living Wage Financials Annual Report, the business has solidified itself

as a top contender in the clothing industry.

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Media Log Sheet & Crisis Team Contact Sheet

Team Contact Name Roles and Responsibilities

Communications Andreas Eriksson ● specializing in the development

of integrated marketing solutions for
groupmediarelations entertainment, media, sports,
@hm.com consumer, and lifestyle brands
● H&M’s expertise spans media
and community relations,
multicultural marketing,
publicity, events, media
planning/buying, grassroots and
experiential marketing, content
creation and syndication,
creative, digital and social
media, sponsorship
development and activation, and
corporate/crisis
communications.

Customer Support Aimee Thompson ● responding to customer

info@hm.com inquiries
● troubleshooting tech
problems

● handling complaints to
building strategies for
improving the overall
customer experience and
fostering loyalty

Legal Henrik Lundin ● Helping the company to

info@hm.com understand the impact of any
legislative or regulatory changes on
its business model or operations
● Ensuring that the company’s
operations comply with the
relevant regulatory frameworks
and laws

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 ● Mitigating any legal risks
associated with the business
● Providing support in corporate
transactions, such as drafting
and editing contracts

Social Media/Marketing Emelie Ericson ● Defines social media campaigns

as they align to the overall digital
groupmediarelations marketing strategy
@hm.com ● Sets team goals and deadlines
● Establishes company’s online
reputation by building brand and
product awareness
● Manages the social media
team’s performance and
functions

HR Kristen Ricigliano ● 1. Proactive human resource

info@hm.com planning This is one of the key roles
of the HR department that requires a
very good understanding about the
future requisites of the company. ...
● 2. Recruiting the right
candidates ...
● 3. Flawless performance
management ...
● 4. Training and development
...
● 5. Effective and timely career
guidance ...
● 6. Resolve conflicts ...
● 7. Handling rewards
framework ...
● 8. Ensure health and safety in
workplace

Product/Engineering Diego Spaccini ● Using industry knowledge to

info@hm.com come up with unique product ideas

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 ● Coordinating with the
product development team to
finalize product ideas
● Using computer-aided design
(CAD) software to create
products
● Testing product prototypes to
adjust design flaws
● Evaluating the product
prototype to identify
potential safety hazards

Head of Sustainability Leyla Ertur ● Evaluating a company's current

Ertur@hm.com strategies and processes to identify
areas for sustainability improvement
● Creating documents for
environmental project
funding, such as grant
applications and proposals
● Researching the latest trends,
practices and news related to
sustainability

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