Comm & PR in Sport(Exam 4)

Results of Unmediated Communication

-development of personal connections with members of key publics -production of goodwill and favorable attitudes among publics -generation of publicity -ability to generate revenue, at least indirectly

Benefits of forecasting crises

-organizations can take preemptive measures and prevent crises from occurring -provides a practical foundation for the development of the crisis communications plan

enhanced personal connection results in:

1) decreased sensitivity to price changes 2) decreased sensitivity to disappointing performance

4 approaches to managing CSR

1. Ad hoc 2. Corporate-centric 3. Stakeholder- centric 4. Strategic

Golden rules of communicating in a crisis

1. Be quick, accurate and consistent. 2. Always stick to the facts. 3. Stay neutral and put emotions aside. 4. A consistent, transparent message, delivered by one spokesperson, supports believability.

As crisis management teams select protection and repair strategies, they will also have to consider how to communicate the organization's position and share additional information with relevant key publics by:

1. Determining key messages 2. Choosing communication channels 3. Dealing with media

5 common CSR practices

1. Donatingfundstononprofitorganizations and charities 2. Supportingsocialcauses 3. Conservingresources,materials,and minimizing waste 4. Treatingallemployeesfairly 5. ComplyingwithEqualEmploymentOpportunity Commission policies

5 steps to developing a crisis communications plan

1. Ensure that senior management supports the development of the plan 2. Maintain the involvement of key personnel on the planning committee 3. Ensure all employees recognize the existence of the plan and the importance of using it when a crisis occurs 4. Test the plan 5. Remain committed to the plan when a crisis occurs

5 activities to prepare speakers

1. General coaching 2. Audience analysis and objective identification 3. Q&A preparation 4. Speech development 5. Supporting materials

Unique aspects of CSR in sport

1. High visibility and star power 2. Strong community connections 3. High expectations among the public

Advantages of unmediated communication

1. Personal interaction 2. Audience members are usually predisposed to be interested in and favorable toward the organization 3. High level of control over the messages

How can pr pros minimize chances for unfavorable behavior by ensuring representatives are:

1. fully briefed on event 2. aware of any incentives (i.e. appearance fee, contractual obligation) 3. matched with interests

Repair strategies

1.Denial posture 2. Diminishment posture 3. Rebuilding posture 4. Bolstering posture

What percentage of communication crises can be avoided by planning ahead?

90%

Qualities to consider when selecting speakers

=best fit -ability to speak well -ability to interact with others effectively -knowledge to affect audiences

Foundation

A non-for-profit charitable organization that donates to good causes, typically makes grants to other charitable organizations, usually established with funds from a single source

Plan deployment

After the initial steps of the crisis communications plan are deployed, the crisis team begins to formulate a strategy that will protect or repair the organization's reputation, and delineates subsequent communication tactics.

Diminishment strategy: justification

Attempts to minimize the amount of perceived damage resulting from the crisis. Justification can be accomplished when the crisis produces minimal injuries or damage, or when victims bear significant responsibility for their injuries because of their own actions.

CSR can...

Be a tool to build relationships with communities • Often involve philanthropy, but it is much more than charitable giving • Be described as a "holistic business mind-set that incorporates both social and economic interests."

Key questions to ask in stage 3 of crisis management

Did everyone know their roles? • Was the crisis handled as smoothly as possible? • How can we improve the process for next time?

In-kind donations

Donations of products to charitable causes • Often valuable assets that can be auctioned or raffled off for significant amounts of money by the charity • The true cost of in-kind gifts is relatively low for the sport organization. • The nature of the gift varies based on the type of sport organization. Cash Donations • Less common than in-kind • Offer tax advantages

Stage 1: monitoring crises

Identifying crises as they happen is invaluable • The sooner you recognize a crisis, the sooner you can react • Watch and listen to social conversations to tune in to what people are saying about your brand

Denial strategy: attacking the accuser

Involves challenging those making claims against the organization. This strategy occasionally involves the threat of a lawsuit against the accuser.

Rebuilding strategy: compensation

Involves offering money or other gifts to those harmed in an effort to offset their suffering

Do all negative incidents qualify as crises?

No

Does a crisis management plan prescribe responses for every conceivable crisis?

No, general guidelines for the management team

A crisis communications plan provides a framework for responding to crisis situations by specifying:

Staff members' responsibilities • How information is to be shared internally • How information is to be shared with other publics

Forecasting crises

The first step that sport PR professionals should take in moving toward crisis readiness is to anticipate the types of crises that their organizations may face.

Bolstering strategy: victimage

The organization emphasizes how it too has suffered because of the crisis

Bolstering strategy: ingratiation

The organization heaps praise on its stakeholders for their support

Bolstering strategy: diversion

The organization redirects attention away from itself to players and fans who suffer because of the crisis. Diversion may sometimes be a successful strategy for sport organizations because of the emotional attachment between players and fans, but it should be employed only when the players or fans bear no responsibility for the consequences that they suffer

Bolstering strategy: reminding

The organization reminds key publics of the many positive things it has done in the past.

Approach two for evaluating speech

Track the opportunity to see or hear a key message (OTSM) numbers. By noting, the key messages included in speeches and the number of audience members receiving those key messages, an organization can calculate OTSM results over time.

T/F public speeches/ special events generally results in positive publicity

True

T/F the selection of an appropriate assessment of a speakers effectiveness generally depends on the objective of the speech

True

Unmediated Communication

Two way contact that does not pass through a channel or medium

Diminishment strategy: Excusing

When the organization wants to emphasize that it had minimal, if any, responsibility for the crisis.

Denial strategy: straightforward denial

Where the organization denies that a crisis exists and offers explanations about why there is no crisis

Diminishment strategies are recommended when a crisis is an accident or caused

a crisis is an accident or caused by something beyond the control of the organization, especially when an organization has an unfavorable crisis history or poor reputation

Rebuilding posture is recommended when:

a preventable crisis occurs or when an organization with a weak crisis history and a poor reputation suffers an accident (adidas boston marathon email)

Crisis Management

a process designed to prevent or lessen the damage a crisis can inflict on an organization and its stakeholders (Institute of Public Relations)

Crisis

a situation or occurrence possessing the potential to significantly damage a sport organization's financial stability and/or credibility with constituents

More than anything fans want

accessibility

family crisis

after-hours or offseason incidents including legal infractions and celebrity scandals

philanthropy

an act of trust on the part of the donor towards the organization that will receive and use the donation

Bolstering posture is recommended

as complements to other postures

approach 1: If the objective of the speech is to achieve revenue- related outcomes such as donations, sponsorship inquiries, or trial usage, then steps should be taken to...

capture data about the audience members in attendance. The organization can use this data to track long-term purchase behavior.

What is often the most difficult aspect of the crisis communications process?

dealing with the media

on-field crises

event-related incidents such as competitor death or major injury, fan injuries, and on- field or in-stand violence

Which communication channel is most persuasive

face-to-face

Corporate crisis

financial failure, layoffs, compliance issues, and actions that result in political protest

What group commonly uses open houses?

fitness centers as they seek to attract new members

Characteristics of effective CSR program

focused, impactful, leveraged, evaluated, sustained

What is emphasized when sport organizations structure community outreach programs?

growing the game

Speakers bureaus

help satisfy demand for speakers by responding to requests for speakers

Rebuilding posture: apology

included both accepting full responsibility for the crisis and apologizing to victims

Cash donations

less common than in kind often tax advantages

interaction with current and potential customers =

marketing opportunities

Key messages (or key points)

often brief statements that are easily replayed in sound bites and may appear as succinct quotes in text

3 levels charitable giving occurs at

player/coach, team, league

3 stages of crisis management

preparing, managing, and assessing the response

Which unmediated communication type allows for sport organizations to make direct contact with numerous publics?

promotional events like caravans, special events, draft parties, fan/customer appreciation days

Forms of unmediated communication

public speeches, promotional tours, clinics, open houses

Social responsibility (Corporate Social responsibility)

responsibility of organizations to be ethical and accountable to the needs of their society as well as their stakeholders.

Why are clinics highly effected?

set within the realm of the sport participation

What is the optimal approach to CSR?

strategic; example is NBA fit or NFL play 60

Physical plant crisis scenario

terrorism and other security threats, natural disasters, construction problems

Adding hoc is useful in settings where...

the sport organization is not particularly guided by either its evaluation of external pressures or the potential of its internal resources

Wha too open houses often include?

tours of sport facilities and a behind the scenes look at operations

Player personnel crisis

trading or releasing prominent players or coaches

What is the most powerful form of support that sport entities provide?

volunteerism

Single most important decision that the crisis communications team will make is:

what the organizations posture toward the crisis will be

Denial strategy: Scapegoating

when scapegoating, the organization blames people or groups outside the organization for the crisis

Personal appearances booking considerations

• Potential to benefit the sport organization • Compensation for athletes/ coaches • Obligations with other sponsors/partners • Personal branding