Media Relations 101
It is imperative that executives and professionals maintain the ability to represent their brand appropriately in the court of public opinion and in front of their key stakeholder bases. When interacting with the media, act as the expert on your subject matter, be clear and concise, be passionate, stay focused, routinely connect every response back to your core message, and anticipate audience reactions.
Protecting Yourself Against Home Invasions
Guest Submission by Stephen Malin As most Americans know, home security is very important. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 3.7 million burglaries and home invasions occurred each year between 2003 and 2007. From petty crimes to violent thefts, over one percent of U.S. residents are likely to face the possibility of theft or crime within their homes this year. Protecting your assets is important, but protecting your family is even more crucial. While particular areas and neighborhoods are more susceptible to crime than others, anyone can be the victim of a home burglary. Keeping your home safe is an important responsibility and should not be taken lightly. The single most important thing you can do to protect your home against theft is to install a security system. Home security systems allow trained professionals to respond in an emergency, even if you are asleep or away from your home when a break-in occurs. Security companies monitor your home through the use of an alarm and special sensors to identify intruders or suspicious circumstances. Installing video security cameras is equally important. By having cameras recording your yard, entryways and other vulnerable areas of your property, you will be able to quickly detect an unsafe situation in a way that allows you to act before a break-in is attempted and an alarm is triggered. Additionally, cameras will provide you with a record of anything happening on your property you are not aware of. This will notify you if there has been a threat of a robbery or any other actions that may require police attention. While a security system with video security cameras is essential, there are other things you can do to protect your home. For example, you should keep your trees and shrubbery well-groomed to avoid giving burglars a place to hide. Keep your blinds drawn, especially at night, to prevent people on the street from seeing into your home. Do your best to avoid drawing attention to your property, such as leaving boxes for large televisions or other expensive products on the curb where thieves can see them. Additionally, be sure your property is well lit. If you don’t want large porch lights on perpetually, consider installing a motion-activated floodlight. It is also worth investing in timers for your inside lights, especially if you spend extended periods of time away from home. Be sure the doors and windows on your ground floor are secured, making it difficult for anyone to force their way inside undetected. The idea of a break-in is terrifying, making protecting your home incredibly important. Be sure to consider the little things you can do to protect your home from invaders, such as securing your entry points and creating the illusion that someone is home at all times. Most important is a home security system complete with video security cameras. No safety measures can stack up against the effectiveness of home surveillance, making this the first step you should take in securing your home. In the U.S. alone, a home break-in occurs every 15 seconds. Don’t let your home be next. About Supercircuits Supercircuits is the security industry’s trusted leader for cutting-edge security technologies and surveillance solutions—from HDcctv/HD-SDI and IP video surveillance solutions, to hidden cameras and wireless and IP-based access control systems. Supercircuits has over 23 years of experience in the security industry and offers customers the largest selection of fully-integrated, high quality surveillance solutions available today. Learn more at http://www.supercircuits.com/, and connect with them on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Image by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
3 Things Every Business Needs When Disaster Strikes
It’s up to company leaders to prepare employees and infrastructure for any and every kind of disaster or emergency situation, from natural disasters such as flooding or tornadoes to man-made situations like security threats. Once the safety of your employees is ensured, the next step is to determine how to keep your business afloat.
The Social Media Opportunity
Utilizing Facebook as a public relations outlet during a time of crisis can improve the overall image and public opinion of the organization in crisis.
Remodeling Firm Boosts Public Relations Efforts
Founded in 2000, The Atlantic Remodeling Corporation (TARC) is a Maryland-based residential remodeling firm specializing in energy efficient windows, siding and roofing solutions. The mission of TARC is to deliver a professional remodeling experience from start to finish that exceeds client expectation. TARC engaged the Fallston Group to spearhead its marketing communications strategy to support the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the organization.
In Remembering 9/11…
The devastating attacks of 9/11 are a moment in time that every American will always remember. The Fallston Group joins America in remembering and honoring the innocent lives taken from us that day, the brave souls of rescuers and responders, and the courageous men and women who continue to protect our nation from outside threat. Although we can only plan for so much, it is important that business owners recognize the possibility of crisis at any moment. The Fallston Group offers the following steps in building and implementing your workplace violence policies.
Engage Your Social Media Channels During a Crisis
Crisis is an inevitable part of business. However, it’s how your company handles an issue that is the most telling. Social media can ultimately be the deal breaker when it comes to your organization’s ability to effectively communicate to your stakeholders during a time of adversity. Keeping an open, honest line of communication is critical whether you are keeping your stakeholders safe, informing them of an incident, or apologizing for a mistake.
National Preparedness Month
September marks National Preparedness Month. With hurricane season halfway through and winter just around the corner, there is no better time to prepare yourself, family and workplace for emergencies and disasters. Emergencies and disasters can be unexpected and devastating. That is why preparation is imperative. At the Fallston Group, we believe the more prepared you are, the better you respond and quicker you recover from such situations.
College Athletics…Social Media…Crisis Communications
We are all familiar with major news stories involving student athletics which brought their campuses to crisis. Recent stories include: Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino crashing his motorcycle while riding with his girlfriend; The murder of University of Virginia lacrosse player Courtney Love by her boyfriend and men’s lacrosse player George Hughley; The child abuse charges being filed against former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky. An event doesn’t have to be national news to initiate a crisis that could negatively impact the institution’s brand. Hazing, drug/alcohol abuse, campus crime, the improper use of school facilities…all are events that can escalate into a reputation-damaging crisis. Many colleges and universities are now utilizing social media as a part of their marketing strategy, which brings an additional element into the crisis communications equation. Recently, the College Sports Information Directors of America commissioned a survey of the athletic departments to determine their position on the use of social media, especially during a crisis situation. The survey included 152 four-year institutions, the majority of which (38%) were schools with an enrollment of 1,000-4,999 students. Twenty-five percent of the schools have enrollments of more than 20,000 and 30% have enrollments of 5,000-19,999 students. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CRISIS HITS – THE RESULTS More than half of the schools participating in the survey reported having had to initiate their crisis communications plans from one-to-three times within the previous 12 months. During the same period, 43% of the institutions had potential reputation-damaging stories discussed on social media sites and 6% reported having seven or more stories of this nature occur. Are colleges and universities prepared to respond effectively when faced with an actual crisis event? Apparently not as only slightly more than 50% of the institutions in the survey reported having an active crisis communications plan in place. Of those schools with a crisis communications plan, only half included social media as an active part of the crisis response scenario. In addition, nearly 60% of the schools have no plan to monitor social media outlets as a part of their crisis communications strategy. This is despite the fact that 98% of the schools have an official athletic department page on Facebook and 96% have active Twitter accounts. HOW TO PREPARE It is not a question of whether a crisis will impact a college campus; it is a question of when. In order to effectively respond to a crisis and minimize the negative impact on an institution’s brand, there are steps that can be taken in advance which will lay the groundwork for success. Establish a crisis communications plan: The plan should include the creation of a team within the institution to lead a crisis response; Include all aspects of electronic communications: Have a plan to use the school’s existing website, create a “dark” web site which can be activated to respond to a crisis, include all of the institution’s social media accounts in the response plan; Actively monitor social media during the crisis: Social media is a two-way form of communication. An element of the crisis plan must include being responsive to social media activity and taking advantage of the ability to communicate directly to stakeholders. Social media is, many times, the way students not only find out about, but follow a crisis. Clear, concise directives should be given during a critical time of need; Confirm the facts – In any crisis situation, effective communication must be accurate. Because social media is immediate, confirm all facts before any information is distributed via traditional or social media channels. There are many more critical elements to an effective crisis communications plan. For more information about crisis and strategic communications, call the Fallston Group at 410.420.2001. The Fallston Group is a crisis management and communications company. Send email inquiries to info@fallstongroup.com.
Mid-Air Crisis Turns to Rock-Solid Advantage
Adversity as serious as a hole in the roof of a jetliner at 30,000 feet can still turn to advantage with the right crisis planning and response. Southwest Airlines has come through that potentially deadly and damaging event with flying colors. The hole tore through the roof of a Southwest 737-300 as it cruised above Arizona on its way to Sacramento. Instantly, the well-trained flight crew acted to divert and land the plane with no incident. Next, company leaders wasted no time, grounded the fleet and halted business operations while taking full responsibility for pinpointing the problem. Almost immediately, media attention was pointed at the aircraft’s manufacturer and Southwest’s safety and inspection records were heralded by the National Transportation Safety Board. An event that could have sent air travelers in droves to the competition has potentially strengthened customer loyalty to an airline known for low-price and high-service. In the end, Southwest’s crisis plan involving fast action and free-flowing information is winning praise from airline industry analysts, public relations experts and most importantly, customers. Read more here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/commuting/bs-md-southwest-airlines-20110407,0,4930336.story
