So Hurricane Sandy hit and it was a mess. While the President and Gov. Chris Christie did their tour of ground zero was it enough to contain a potential PR disaster?
At first it looked like it might be, but in the proceeding days what we've seen is a string of media reports that have made everyone associated with the disaster, from FEMA to the media itself, cast in a negative light.
Some of the highlights include:
Staten Island residents rip in to the Red Cross
Michael Moore went on CNN and ripped in to them for their coverage of Hurricane Sandy.
I have to admit, it's pretty absurd that the media is telling people to 'leave' while at the same time the reporter telling people to leave is not leaving himself. The unspoken message from the media is that if it's safe enough for them to be there, it's probably safe enough for you too (which was NOT the case, as we are finding out with over 65 people dead so far).
Perhaps the biggest PR disaster of hurricane Sandy has been the two-to-six hour lines to get gas...
And in NYC there were reports of people dumpster diving....
On a more humorous front (depending on your perspective towards this kind of thing) a couple of pranksters decided to have fun with the media...
The prize for Biggest Idiot during Hurricane Sandy though goes to....
Take Away
So what's the PR take-away from hurricane Sandy?
Overall I'd have to say that the government and government-funded rescue operations took a hit. Despite knowing the hurricane was coming and knowing the damage it was going to cause, it's clear that they did not ramp up resources to help the community in the aftermath.
Only yesterday did President Obama announce that they would be shipping in additional gasoline.
What will people remember from Hurricane Sandy? Most likely they will remember the videos I've posted above.... the pain and suffering folks are enduring as well as the high-jinx of a couple knuckle-heads.
PR Strategies and Tactics
What could governments (federal and municipal) have done differently?
My only suggestion would be to take a page out of the Iraq war PR handbook. Embed reporters with rescue operations. Let the media see what you are doing and let them communicate that story to the world.
Why there has been zero coverage of the rescue operations is beyond me. All we are getting out of the media are pictures of the carnage and next to no video of the efforts under way to help folks.
Corporations step up
Corporations have stepped up to help out with the aftermath of Sandy, but they too have received little coverage. You really have to be searching for stories on this to find them:
Hurricane Sandy: Corporations donate millions
It's sad to say, but that's the only story I found on corporate involvement.
Now, you might be thinking, why didn't the corporations promote their involvement? The simple answer is that corporations hate publicizing their good deeds for fear that they will be seen as opportunistic, so they always give quietly during a crisis.
This is why it's the job of the government and operations like the Red Cross to publicize the response from the corporate community. The benefit is that it can motivate others to give and help accelerate the recovery process.
Why the government / Red Cross did nothing to promote the corporate response to Hurricane Sandy is, yet again, another PR puzzle and dropping of the ball.
K.I.S.S
Even a 'keep it simple stupid' PR strategy wasn't deployed. Take the gas line ups. While there are police managing things at the end of the line (ie. at the gas station), essentially ensuring that chaos doesn't break out, you've got line-ups two-miles long which are a perfect opportunity for PR involvement.
You could have a municipal representatives walk the line and provide those waiting for gas with information... whether that be safety info, contact info, resource info (where to get clothes, food, etc).
My point is you take a situation in which people's anger and frustration is building (ie. sitting in a line for two-to-six hours to get a tank of gas) and you turn it into something positive. Not only would the media cover it, but the public themselves would get a sense that at least you are 'trying' to help them at every turn.
So there you have it. Biggest storm to hit the East Coast in something like a hundred years. On the PR front it's hard to give anyone high marks.
At first it looked like it might be, but in the proceeding days what we've seen is a string of media reports that have made everyone associated with the disaster, from FEMA to the media itself, cast in a negative light.
Some of the highlights include:
Staten Island residents rip in to the Red Cross
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
Michael Moore went on CNN and ripped in to them for their coverage of Hurricane Sandy.
I have to admit, it's pretty absurd that the media is telling people to 'leave' while at the same time the reporter telling people to leave is not leaving himself. The unspoken message from the media is that if it's safe enough for them to be there, it's probably safe enough for you too (which was NOT the case, as we are finding out with over 65 people dead so far).
Perhaps the biggest PR disaster of hurricane Sandy has been the two-to-six hour lines to get gas...
And in NYC there were reports of people dumpster diving....
On a more humorous front (depending on your perspective towards this kind of thing) a couple of pranksters decided to have fun with the media...
The prize for Biggest Idiot during Hurricane Sandy though goes to....
Take Away
So what's the PR take-away from hurricane Sandy?
Overall I'd have to say that the government and government-funded rescue operations took a hit. Despite knowing the hurricane was coming and knowing the damage it was going to cause, it's clear that they did not ramp up resources to help the community in the aftermath.
Only yesterday did President Obama announce that they would be shipping in additional gasoline.
What will people remember from Hurricane Sandy? Most likely they will remember the videos I've posted above.... the pain and suffering folks are enduring as well as the high-jinx of a couple knuckle-heads.
PR Strategies and Tactics
What could governments (federal and municipal) have done differently?
My only suggestion would be to take a page out of the Iraq war PR handbook. Embed reporters with rescue operations. Let the media see what you are doing and let them communicate that story to the world.
Why there has been zero coverage of the rescue operations is beyond me. All we are getting out of the media are pictures of the carnage and next to no video of the efforts under way to help folks.
Corporations step up
Corporations have stepped up to help out with the aftermath of Sandy, but they too have received little coverage. You really have to be searching for stories on this to find them:
Hurricane Sandy: Corporations donate millions
It's sad to say, but that's the only story I found on corporate involvement.
Now, you might be thinking, why didn't the corporations promote their involvement? The simple answer is that corporations hate publicizing their good deeds for fear that they will be seen as opportunistic, so they always give quietly during a crisis.
This is why it's the job of the government and operations like the Red Cross to publicize the response from the corporate community. The benefit is that it can motivate others to give and help accelerate the recovery process.
Why the government / Red Cross did nothing to promote the corporate response to Hurricane Sandy is, yet again, another PR puzzle and dropping of the ball.
K.I.S.S
Even a 'keep it simple stupid' PR strategy wasn't deployed. Take the gas line ups. While there are police managing things at the end of the line (ie. at the gas station), essentially ensuring that chaos doesn't break out, you've got line-ups two-miles long which are a perfect opportunity for PR involvement.
You could have a municipal representatives walk the line and provide those waiting for gas with information... whether that be safety info, contact info, resource info (where to get clothes, food, etc).
My point is you take a situation in which people's anger and frustration is building (ie. sitting in a line for two-to-six hours to get a tank of gas) and you turn it into something positive. Not only would the media cover it, but the public themselves would get a sense that at least you are 'trying' to help them at every turn.
So there you have it. Biggest storm to hit the East Coast in something like a hundred years. On the PR front it's hard to give anyone high marks.
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