Cuando hablamos justificar desde el punto de vista financiero el blogging corporativo (o estrategias 2.0) es importante tener en cuenta también el tema del crisis management, que pocas veces puede ser calculado en cuanto a su retorno pero es clave incluso para la continuidad de algunos negocios. Encontré algunas definiciones interesantes sobre el tema para compartir y comentar.

Dircom, no webmaster

It is imperative to respond to a PR crisis as quickly as possible. This means operating inside the news cycle, and not having to wait on your IT department to update your website with crucial communications.

Los roles del blogging en las crisis

Given the negative, cynical tendencies of mainstream media, the blogosphere can offer an alternative, more positive viewpoint of a crisis.

1. to disseminate the facts, staying ahead of the news cycle
2. to project a company’s message
3. and to combat error and quash rumours

Risk communication is putting greater emphasis on transparency, information sharing, honest consultation and accountability. All four can be achieved and supported by a blog, which apart from these attributes also provides speed, enormous reach to multiple audiences, credibility, and ease of use. The latter means flexibility and information presented by individuals, using their own names, which gives a human face to the organisation. The most important assumption here is that any information is better than none from the point of view of the public/audience.

Todo comunica

A company cannot remain silent and communication is always necessary. Not showing up for the conversation does not count. According to Corello, the seven cardinal rules of effective risk communication are

1. involve the public as a legitimate partner
2. plan and evaluate your efforts
3. listen to specific concerns
4. be honest, frank and open
5. collaborate with other credible sources
6. meet needs of the media
7. speak clearly

Blogging as a continuous record of facts and corrections of errors in near real-time is valuable. In crisis management, a blog is not a journal of an indiviudal but a record of a company’s management of crisis. The problem in crisis is getting out facts - not opinions - and stating them as quickly and accurately as possible. Quashing rumours is also essential. Such crisis blogging should be done by one person directly reporting to the CEO, who should verify all the facts as they come in. Everything should be approved and no individuality should be evident from the blog. The individual blogging is there to provide a human face, not his opinions, as any information provided by the company in a crisis may be shifted by lawyers and other hostile members of the company’s audience afterwards.

En las crisis la velocidad se convierte en un factor clave para su éxito o fracaso.

…How would blogging fit into a situation like this? Blogging, as some define it, — a place to record opinion and insights — does not fit. However, blogging as a continuous record of facts and corrections of errors in near real time would have been valuable. Regrettably, the client did not use the blogging tool but did make use of its Web page. A key difference between a Web page and blogging was critical. The corporate communications director relied on the Webmaster to upload information to the Web page. With a blog, the director could have created a content stream directly. Speed was critical.