The Hanmer Springs earthquake and aftershocks have tested more than New Zealand’s buildings and transport infrastructure.
Corporate communications teams across the country have abandoned BAU activities to convey important information relating to safety and service disruption. Despite the challenges posed by such events, well-prepared organisations have used this period as an opportunity to demonstrate their values and commitment to customer service, and to build the reputation of their brand.
Facebook walls, Twitter feeds, and media releases are now full of information on how to get help, where to check for updates if your electricity isn’t working, and how much time you have to lodge an EQC claim. Public sector organisations such as the police and transport agencies have been communicating widely, offering safety advice and advising on disruption to travel arrangements.
Well-prepared spokespeople have reinforced this information and made themselves accessible.
These communications have not been developed ‘on the hoof’. Those organisations that have communicated effectively are also those that take their crisis preparedness seriously. Most (if not all) would have had a crisis plan, and their senior staff were able to execute it well. They have used this event to positively and directly engage with their staff, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, as well as a much larger audience than they could ever expect on an average Monday morning.
Alongside messages about service availability, some organisations demonstrated their ‘heart’ – 2degrees gave customers free texts for the day, while Spark provided everyone with unrestricted access to its nationwide wifi network. Vero Insurance provided recommendations to customers on how to stay safe, beginning with ‘People first’, before outlining how to lodge claims for damaged property. These examples show companies using their assets for the benefit of New Zealanders, while reminding them about the products and services they normally offer.
It isn’t just corporates that can improve their reputation in a time of crisis. GNS scientists led a stuff.co.nz live chat on the causes of quakes. The New Zealand Defence Force publicised the deployment of its helicopters and the Red Cross is telling people about its work in the worst-affected areas.
Having a crisis management plan is essential for any organisation hoping to communicate during events such as Monday’s earthquakes and aftershocks. However, the next step up from being ready to react is being ready to show others your willingness to help. It’s often the case that an organisation’s values are most tested when it is under pressure. Being able to shine, especially on a particularly dark day, is one of the best ways to build goodwill in the reputational bank.
As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.