Overview:

The National Watermelon Promotion Board crisis communications plan is in place to assist staff and the industry in being prepared to address a crisis the industry may face. Scenarios might include a foodborne illness incident tied to watermelons, a major announcement by an environmental/consumer group about levels of pesticide residues, a government report tying laborer illness/disease to watermelon production or a first-amendment cases. 

Click to view and download the new Media and Crisis Management Tip Brochure.

There are a number of resources that have been put in place to ensure the industry is prepared.  Priority-issue positions and messages have been developed, a crisis team designated that includes industry members, staff, and third-party experts, and contact number databases created for key industry members, media and third-party resources. 

Here you will find the Crisis Plan in its entirety, which covers the following sections on Protocol:

1. Protocol: Convene crisis team and assess the crisis scenario; Industry - key constituencies; and Outside industry
2. Prepare for Communications Launch
3. Communicate Promptly with Key Publics
4. Stay on Top of Crisis
5. Assess Damage/Evaluate Performance
6. Protocol for Media Inquiries (that could lead to a potentially negative story)
7. Staff Fields the Call
8. Staff: Responding Director
9. Assess Nature of Inquiry
10. Get Answers: Determine Response
11. Assess Necessity of Communications with Key Constituencies
12. Follow Up
13. Keep Track of Event with a Crisis Management Log

Priority-Issue Positions and Messages:

Close scrutiny was given to potential crisis issues to determine which issues had the greatest potential for becoming an industry crisis.  Position statements and messages have been developed that provide the media with information on the industry’s and the NWPB’s position on the issue.  Although most crises require a response tailored to the particular incident or issue, pre-prepared positions and messages provide the foundation for a fact-based, well-thought-through response. 

Crisis Team:

The crisis team is comprised of a number of individuals from the industry, staff and third-party experts that are trained and prepared to discuss the issues, define a position, determine the action required and address the media.  A select group of NWPB board members make up the industry component with NWPB executive management and director-level communications staff comprising the staff team.  In addition, NWPB-selected nutrition, horticultural and agricultural experts are prepared to act as third-party advocates to address media on NWPB’s behalf. 

Follow Protocol:

It is critical that protocol is followed when a crisis emerges, and that the stress and pressure of the incident don’t create a loss of control of the situation.  Following protocol ensures important steps are taken and critical messages are told in a method in which they will create the most optimum situation for the watermelon industry.

Protocol:

Convene the Crisis Team/Assess the Crisis Scenario:

• Communication director alerts NWA.
• Communications director calls crisis team together via teleconference or in person at designated location.
• Define the scope of the crisis.  Gather and validate the facts.  Is it of local, regional, national or international concern?
• Designate industry spokesperson for news conference/media interviews.
• Alert third-party experts, e.g. university researchers, government officials (set-up in advance to respond to media inquiries)
• Determine what audiences are affected and need to be informed.  In what order?  Via what type of communication vehicle? (e.g. phone call, fax, e-mail, NWPB Web site, Watermelon Update).

Industry – Key Constituencies:

• NWPB executive committee, NWPB directors, NWA, State watermelon associations, PMA, United, FMI, IFPA, and produce industry media

Outside Industry:

• USDA, retailers, food service operators, retail/food service trade media, general media and consumers

Prepare for Communications Launch:

• Develop and issue “holding” statement for media, based on crisis specifics.
• Generic holding statement:  We’ve just been informed of the situation and are currently doing everything we can to gather all the facts.  We’ll bring you fully up to speed once we have a clear picture of what’s happened.
• Re-visit prepared position and key messages; refine based on scenario.
• Determine whether crisis warrants a news conference (main criteria: barrage of media interest).  If not, devise alternative media dissemination strategy.
• Establish a media center for periodic briefings.
• Clarify industry organization roles in communication effort and get commitments.
• Prepare communication for prioritized audiences (e.g. news releases, fact sheets, background materials, web site).
• Rehearse anticipated questions/responses with spokesperson (alternate if needed).

Communicate Promptly with Key Publics:

• Communicate with internal/external audiences, as prioritized.
• Stage news conference or briefings, as appropriate.
• Coordinate additional media interviews.

Stay on Top of the Crisis:

• Hold frequent update meetings of the crisis team.
• Keep industry organizations apprised of progress, new developments.
• Update NWPB web site.
• Update media and other external audiences, as appropriate.
• Be accessible to media and key audiences.  Provide after-hour phone numbers to reporters.  Return calls to media as quickly as possible and keep a call log.
• Record events and crisis-team responses as the crisis evolves.

Assess Damage/Evaluate Performance:

• Assess short- and long-term damage to industry (e.g. primary/secondary research, input from industry players).
• Evaluate media coverage for placement of desired positioning/key messages.
• Evaluate NWPB performance in executing crisis plan (pay particular attention to web site hits); make adjustments to plan. 
• Reach consensus on long-term strategy to shore up vulnerabilities, address concerned raised by crisis.
• Review cost of managing crisis and determine future budget based on these expenditures.

Protocol for Media Inquiries (that could lead to potentially negative story):

Type of inquires would encompass, but not be limited to:

• foodborne illness
• accusations of harmful levels of pesticide residues
• perceptions of imported watermelons
• laborer working conditions, criticism from environmental/consumer groups
• first amendment lawsuits

An assumption is made that priority-issue positions and messages have been developed, third-party experts identified and contact number databases created for key industry players, media and third-party experts. 

Staff Fields the Call:

Establish media person’s name, affiliation if possible.  If reporter volunteers that he/she is calling about a topic likely to lead to a negative story (see above), say: let me locate someone who can talk to you about that; I’ll have them call you right back. Get media person’s phone number.

Staff – Responding Director:

Immediately inform Director of PR and Social Media - Stephanie Simek

If PR Director is not available, route to Executive Director – Mark Arney

If Executive Director is not available, route to Director of Marketing & Communications – Gordon Hunt

Assess Nature of Inquiry:

Communications director returns call to assess the inquiry, including:

• the topic of the story (probe for angle)
• what questions they have; what they need NWPB to comment on
• what deadline they’re working under
• what other people in and outside the industry they’ve spoken to
• expected publication/air date

Get Answers; Determine Response:

Communications director verifies facts and gets answers to reporter’s questions.  Response options: provide information over the phone and/or fax prepared statement or background material.

Assess Necessity of Communications with Key Constituencies:

Communications director decides if the inquiry warrants alerting any of the following key constituencies. Assess most appropriate form of communication (e.g. one-on-one, phone call, fax, e-mail, letter).

Industry: NWA, NWPB board members, NWPB public relations firm, NWPB merchandising team, State watermelon associations, PMA, United, FMI, IFPA

Outside Industry: USDA, Retailers, Food service operators, Distributors

Follow-up:

Communications director obtains copy of story (print or video), evaluates results (e.g. key message inclusion) and recommends next steps, if any.

Note: If desired, the nature of the inquiry and NWPB’s response can be summarized in a media inquiry response form and saved in a separate database for future reference.

Keep Track of Event with Crisis Management Log:

• Date/time crisis occurred
• How company informed of crisis
• Crisis description
• Who was immediately impacted – who is the victim
• Action taken to resolve situation
• Spokesperson
• Key messages/position

For a Crisis Log Form, Click Here