Crisis communication

Realized by: Supervised by:

 JERRA HIBA ● Mr. ZOHRI
   
 plan
01- Introduction

02- Definition

03- Crisis communication rules

1. Tell the truth
2. Plan a head
3. Making a plan
4. Act quickly

04-A case study of the Belgium

Coca-Cola crisis
 Introduction
Surprise, loss of control, criticism and panic are
among the different stages often experienced by
organization during a crisis
When leaders are faced with a crisis immediately
it become a very tense situation, where the things
that they may normally do when it’s calm are not
being able to be followed you have things
coming at you and you really can’t plan things
out.
So the key is really to understand a few rules
What is a Crisis?

A crisis is an event, rumor or

story that has the potential to
affect your reputation, image or
credibility in a negative way.

NOBODY IS SAFE!
Tell the truth

You should say as much as you know but no

more than that.
There is only three things that you can say:
1- I didn’t do it
2- I did it but it was justified
3- I did it and I’m sorry
The cardinal rule of communicating in a crisis
is to tell the truth tell it all and tell it fast
 Plan ahead

Don’t wait for a crisis to strike

to spring into action. Develop a
plan ahead of time while
everything is going well.
 Making a plan

Make sure that your plan outlines

exactly what you’re going to do once
the crisis happens
You need to know simple things like:
• Who make the decisions
• How to contact the CEO at home
Set up a team and contact list ahead
of time.
 Act quickly

In today’s internet and cable dominated

society, it is important to act quickly
and decisively.

The quickest way to end the agony and

build back the credibility is to
communicate through media.
In mid-1999, after a huge outcry of
negative public opinion and the adverse
decision of the health minister of Belgium, Case study of the failure to think
Coca-Cola was forced to recall about critically: the Belgium Coca-Cola crisis
thirty million cans and bottles of its
products.

Not only was this the largest product recall

in the company’s 113-year history, but for
the first time ever the entire inventory of
Coca-Cola products was banned from sale
throughout Belgium.

The ways in which Coca-Cola mishandled

the Belgian crisis was not only one of the
worst public relations disasters in the
company’s history, but also one of the
biggest textbook examples of how not to
The crisis began when children at six schools in Belgium complained that the Coke products, they had
consumed tasted and smelled funny. Soon afterward they suffered serious headaches, nausea, vomiting, and
shivering. The same week, the governments of France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg also banned Coca-
Cola’s products.
The first response of the company’s top executives was to have their quality control engineers run extensive
tests on the products in question.
The engineers quickly ascertained that there was nothing toxic in the beverages;
The executives who were involved in handling the crisis said not only that there was nothing wrong with their
beverages but also that the reactions of the children, their families, and the Belgian health minister were due to
mass hysteria, that their reactions were merely psychological and therefore should be dismissed out of hand.
In this way, Coca-Cola’s executives not only attempted to explain the problem away, but also did something
far worse. They basically insulted their consumers, their families, and the health minister of Belgium.
As a result, not only did sales plummet throughout Europe, but Mac-Donald’s, one of Coca-Cola’s largest and
most important customers, stopped selling Coke in all of its European fast food outlets.
Coca-Cola’s executives were violating one of the cardinal rules of crisis communication: never, ever
insult your customers or key stakeholders, especially children and their parents.
Instead, always go out of your way to demonstrate empathy and to convey honest compassion and sincere
concern for them.
 THANKS
FOR
YOUR
ATTENTION