By Richard E. Nicolazzo
In normal times they may all have their critics, but the "gang of four" rose to the occasion during the Hurricane Sandy disaster by
fine-tuning their crisis communication management skills.
President Barack Obama, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NJ Governor Chris
Christie, and NY Governor Andrew Cuomo appeared steady as a rock as
they executed the contingency crisis communications playbook during
what is being called the worst natural disaster to hit the Northeast
in more than a century.
Communications from the White House and New York and New Jersey
officials, in particular, were timely, informative, instructive,
simplified, and focused on the tasks at hand to protect and save lives
and property. It was a far cry from the 2005 communications fiasco
during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
Obama took charge well before the storm hit, going on national TV to
pledge the government's support and cooperation prior to, during, and
after the hurricane. Putting the campaign aside, he looked impacted
Americans straight in the eye and said "You will get help."
Bloomberg, Christie and Cuomo, the men on the hot seat in their
respective states, displayed similar resolve. They appeared organized,
informed and determined as they appeared at multiple press conferences
over a four-day period. No fluff. Just the facts, and lots of them.
Prior to the storm, Christie emerged as the most prolific and forceful in articulating his message. In one press conference he said, "People
who ignore Hurricane Sandy warnings and evacuation orders are both
'stupid and selfis'. We want to avoid significant loss of life, but we
could have that if people don't heed the warnings."
Bloomberg and Cuomo were equally in command. Two days before Sandy
hit, Bloomberg said bluntly, "It's a massive storm and the greatest
danger posed is the coastal surge."
"The worst is still coming," Gov. Cuomo warned, hours before he
ordered the closure of Whitestone Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge,
Verrazano Narrows Bridge, George Washington Bridge, Henry Hudson
Bridge, and Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge.
All four leaders paid close attention to the modern-day crisis
management playbook: they got the facts, showed concern, maintained
calm, executed clear communications goals and objectives, used
communications protocols, repeated their key messages, addressed the
issue directly and truthfully,
made themselves available 24/7, and scaled their responses
appropriately to reflect the gravity of the crisis.
Key Moment for President Obama
The fact that Sandy struck just over a week before the Presidential
election created an unintended platform for Obama to demonstrate his
crisis communication management skills in a non-political arena. His
first step was to suspend campaigning the day before the storm.
Just 48 hours after the storm battered the coast, Obama was on the
ground alongside the governor of New Jersey. Unlike some of his
predecessors, the message the President brought to the people in the
devastated seaside communities was particularly sharp.
After being introduced by Gov. Christie, Obama said, "We're not going
to tolerate red tape. We're not going to tolerate bureaucracy, and
I've instituted a 15-minute rule, essentially, on my staff. You return
everybody's phone calls within 15 minutes." Powerful words that
generated a sound bite captured instantly by news media across the
country.
This time, unlike Katrina, FEMA had 2,000 people on the ground just
two days after the hurricane hit. Having the "troops in the field" helped legitimize the President's message. In reality, getting aid to
people typically takes longer than expected, but no one can assert
that Obama did not take charge on the ommunications front.
Social Media Shines
While there were some social media abuses, such as the fake photo of
hurricane storm clouds surrounding the Statue of Liberty, for the most
part city and government officials embraced the medium to a larger
degree than ever before.
Social media communications from Gov. Cuomo make the point. He sent
700 Twitter messages during the two days following the storm,
featuring everything from photos of the actual storm surge damage to
upgrades on the restoration of power and phone lines. In just five
days, Cuomo's followers increased from 20,000 to 50,000.
Hurricane Sandy proves that social media now has to be part of any
contingency crisis plan. Just a few years ago, it might have been
considered a luxury item. Today, tools like Twitter and Facebook give
officials in charge the ability to conduct press and constituent
briefings 24/7.
While no one can be certain, it's likely the timing of Sandy will have
an impact on the Obama-Romney battle. The fact that the President (in
real-time with real-world challenges) is demonstrating leadership can
only redound to his benefit. It's no coincidence that he's being seen
on TV wearing a "commander-in-chief" leather jacket.
The bottom line may be that the President had a very narrow lead
before the storm, a lead that Sandy itself will almost certainly
buttress. The old adage still applies: timing in life is everything!
One of the lessons learned from Sandy is that having a pro-active
disaster and crisis communications plan in place can play a pivotal
role in saving lives. The loss of even one life is too many, but a
sharp contrast can be drawn in the case of disorganized communications
surrounding Hurricane Katrina in which at least 1,800 died. The death toll for Sandy now stands at 92.
In the end, however, nothing can really stop Mother Nature when she
unleashes her wrath. Experts estimate the losses from the storm will
approach $50 billion - about $30 billion in property damage, the rest
in lost economic activity.
Sandy is a storm that will be likely be talked about for the next century.
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Richard E. Nicolazzo is managing partner of Nicolazzo & Associates, a strategic communications
and crisis management firm headquartered in Boston, Mass. |