COX COMMUNICATIONS NATIONAL CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Challenge:
Cox Communications, the nation's fourth largest cable broadband
communications company, recognized that no corporation is immune from a
crisis - especially after the events of September 11. With 6.5 million
customer relationships and 21,000 employees, the $5 billion company
realized it had multiple points of vulnerability for potential crisis
situations. The challenge was to create a national crisis communication
plan that could help Cox anticipate scenarios, detail response steps and
identify the most effective communication tactics when time was of the
essence.
Solution:
Cox hired Shira Miller to create crisis communication plans for usage at the corporate and system-wide level. Working closely with the Public Affairs team, she conducted research and met with subject matter experts throughout the organization to identify prospective scenarios such as negative financial performance, executive crime, acts of terrorism, outages, retransmission issues, union activity, product recalls, employee violence and much more. Detailed responses were mapped out for each situation that included target audiences, key messaging, communication action steps and points of public escalation. The plan also included a crisis checklist, refined Cox's definition of a crisis versus a significant event, and made numerous recommendations about handling the crisis communications function. A crisis communications plan template was then created for local system communicators that featured tips, checklists and issue-specific speaking points. As a result, Cox Communications is now armed with a comprehensive - yet easy-to-use - crisis communications plan to anticipate and respond effectively to crisis situations when they arise.
"Shira Miller quickly, competently and confidently tackled our crisis communications plan, and the result is outstanding. This project displayed a number of Shira's talents - strategic thinking, broad experience, great interpersonal skills and superior writing ability. Shira's straightforward approach to a complex project was refreshing and her ability to work independently was a lifesaver for a busy department. Best of all, she's creative and has a great sense of humor, so she's great fun to work with."
- Ellen East, Vice President
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Cox Communications, Inc.
