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| Mission
Accomplished -- Case Studies |
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| To give you some idea of the range of our customized training, here
are a few examples of projects we've handled: |
| COMMUNICATING SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO THE
PUBLIC |
| Client |
| A leading supplier of electricity and energy-related services faced
challenges associated with reporting to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency the specific amounts of certain chemicals they handle or release
annually. The report is known as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), and the
company is one of the utilities that completes a TRI report for each of its
coal-fired power plants and coal-preparation facilities. |
| |
| Objective |
Because the firm is one of the largest coal-burning electric
utilities in the country, the number of pounds of chemicals it had to report
was quite high. The public was likely to be interested in, and concerned about,
those numbers. Moreover, although facilities that must comply with TRI
reporting requirements need not communicate their TRI data directly to the
general public, this firm chose to do so.
The firm wanted to communicate
several messages: First, to acknowledge that it does have emissions from
burning coal, and that it's concerned about those emissions. Also, that it
tries to minimize those emissions. Other messages included: reminding people
that coal is an important fuel in generating electricity, and that the company
was willing to answer anyone's questions about its emissions.
Those
messages were targeted primarily at other employees who needed to be able to
talk to their neighbors and families about the issue. Other audiences were
policy makers (at the federal, state and local levels), fence-line communities,
financial analysts, shareholders, the media and community health-care
professionals. |
| |
| Strategy |
| Presenting and explaining the company's chemical emissions data was
the responsibility of a number of employees from various locations. To prepare
them to do that, The Ammerman Experience conducted a series of training
sessions - providing instruction on how to establish trust and credibility when
communicating about health, safety and environmental issues. During that
training, each participant took part in three videotaped and critiqued
exercises: delivering a segment of a scripted presentation (including facing a
skeptical/hostile audience), and handling one-on-one interactions with the
audience. A particular challenge was preparing employees in the company's
engineering-oriented culture to communicate effectively in an environment of
high concern and low trust. In all, 100 employees from 10 different locations
were trained in 10 one-day sessions. |
| |
| Results |
| The company was well prepared to provide a context for its data that
otherwise probably would not have reached the public. Instead of getting
negative reactions, as the company anticipated, the overall reaction from its
audiences was neutral to mildly favorable. There were very few
surprises. |
| COMMUNICATING ABOUT A FACILITY CLOSURE |
| Client |
| A major food manufacturing concern prepared to radically change its
operating structure that would require the shutdown of a facility and
necessitate the relocation of many employees along with the layoff of nearly
200 workers. |
| |
| Objective |
| Prepare the management team, including the president of the division
and labor attorneys, to develop a communications strategy to effectively and
sensitively communicate why the company was undertaking these drastic measures
prior to the Christmas holiday season. |
| |
| Strategy |
Facilitated a one-day session with more than 30 management personnel
who would be delivering the messages to different sectors of the workforce and
the media. The management team was obviously emotionally challenged by the
entire situation since many long time employees of the company would be
discharged as a result of the closure. Additionally, the shutdown of the
facility had historic implications in the community, as the closure would bring
an end to an era. The shutdown would also have a profound impact on the
adjacent farming communities, in fact, ending relationships with farming
families that had endured for generations.
Following this session, media
training sessions were conducted for all of the individuals who would be
charged with carrying the messages to both internal and external audiences.
|
| |
| Results |
| Initially, managers tried to detach themselves from their emotional
feelings about the situation - a common defense mechanism communicators use in
times of bad news. The Ammerman sessions allowed managers to express these
emotions about the situation, and ultimately positively impacted the messages
that were crafted for the targeted audiences. The training resulted in a
comprehensive, consistent communications strategy that had high-level buy-in
from all of the management personnel who participated, including those who were
going to lose their jobs as a result of the company's actions. |
| COMMUNICATING DURING LABOR NEGOTIATIONS |
| Client |
| A large international petrochemical corporation facing labor
contract negotiations in a highly charged work environment. |
| |
| Objective |
| Develop a comprehensive messaging and training effort for all top
executives, middle management and shift management personnel to communicate the
company's messages to rank-and-file employees during the negotiating period.
This would be the first time the company would do this - necessitated in part
because of corporate plans to automate and centralize much of the operation at
the facility. |
| |
| Strategy |
Develop a variety of training modules that would prepare employees
at different levels to communicate the company position during the negotiation
period. Some of these employees would have to communicate proactively, while
others had to be prepared to "push" company messages in casual conversations
when employees brought up the negotiations.
The Ammerman Experience
trained more than 150 people, including the company's executive leadership team
and external communicators, during a two-week period in more than 23 sessions.
The sessions for upper management allowed the Ammerman team to facilitate the
company's communications department's objective of developing messages that
would fit a variety of situations and maintain consistency of
theme. |
| |
| Results |
| The company was able to negotiate a contract that won approval by
the union, and provide employees who participated in the training with lasting
communications skills that continue to benefit the operation of the facility.
|
| PREPARING A CEO TO APPEAR ON CNBC's POWER
LUNCH |
| Client |
| A leading Silicon Valley provider of distance learning over the
Internet wanted to prepare its senior management, particularly its president
and CEO, for media interviews. |
| |
| Objective |
Because of the growing number of high-tech firms along with the
fierce competition among them for media attention, many companies find it
difficult to gain media coverage. Moreover, clearly explaining what their firm
does and why someone should invest in it is a challenge for many people with
technical backgrounds.
The president and CEO of this particular firm at
times was uncomfortable with the media. The firm's public relations agency had
arranged for him to appear on an influential CNBC financial program, but a few
days before the interview, he backed out. In addition, this individual had some
prior media training, but was unhappy with the training method. The PR agency
secured another TV opportunity for him - this time on CNBC's Power Lunch.
Company management was concerned that he might again cancel at the last minute.
The company was doing well and was about to announce that it had obtained
significant new business. It could not afford to lose this opportunity for
important media coverage. |
| |
| Strategy |
The Ammerman Experience conducted a one-day session at the client's
headquarters. The first half of the day involved media training for several
senior staffers, including the CFO. The goal was to provide them with a solid
grounding in how to interact with the media. Equally important, we helped them
develop a succinct, powerful and understandable explanation of what it is their
company does.
The second half of the day focused on the president and
CEO. We reviewed some of the basics of dealing with the media, but most of the
time was spent preparing him for his interview on Power Lunch scheduled for the
next day. We familiarized him with the program's format (essentially a
five-minute interview) and the interview style of Bill Greffeth, the program's
host. We also showed a clip of one of the programs. Because the interview would
be a remote, we covered the special challenges that are posed by doing remote
interviews. Our training included doing several simulated remote interviews -
asking him the questions he would likely get on the program, and giving him
practice in formulating and fine-tuning his answers. |
| |
| Results |
| The president and CEO appeared as scheduled on Power Lunch the next
day. He did an excellent job - coming across as comfortable and affable.
Equally important, he summarized his firm's line of business and its prospects
clearly and concisely. He was also prepared to respond to questions about his
firm's significant new business. Because the interview was a success, we
reinforced with him his strengths in a post-interview critique. This individual
now has the confidence (and competence) needed for any future interview
opportunities that invariably will present themselves. |
| GAINING
MEDIA ATTENTION AND DELIVERING KEY MESSAGES FOR A TRAVELING
EXHIBIT |
| Client |
| One of the country's largest real estate firms created a traveling
exhibit designed to provide a glimpse at the home of the future. The exhibit
was based on the animated cartoon, The Jetsons. It will travel around the
country for two years, stopping at state fairs, conventions, trade shows, civic
events, etc. People tour the exhibit and see some of the high-tech conveniences
the Jetsons had (including Rosie the robot) - conveniences that are making, or
will make, their way into real homes in the 21st century. |
| |
| Objective |
| The firm will spend considerable money and staff time on the
exhibit. The goal is to obtain media attention in each of the cities the
exhibit visits. Early on in this multi-year project, several problems surfaced.
One: the firm found it difficult to attract the media (many journalists
considered the exhibit "fluff" and refused to come out). Two: when they did
cover the exhibit, the media typically focused only on the Jetsons - ignoring
the firm. Moreover, the news coverage usually amounted to nothing more than 30
seconds at the closing of the local news (typically a lighthearted
sign-off). |
| |
| Strategy |
Because of our firm's experience in preparing people to interact
with the media, we were asked to train approximately 20 regional managers and
others who work the exhibit and would have to do media interviews. None of
these individuals had any previous media training; consequently, they were
uncomfortable and lacked proficiency in dealing with the media. Before the
training, we visited the exhibit at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas. Our
training at the firm's East Coast headquarters included sensitizing the session
participants to how the media work, the importance of having key messages (and
staying on message), and some of the common traps encountered when dealing with
the media.
Equally important, we evaluated the messages the participants
were delivering during our simulated videotaped media interviews. We found a
lack of message consistency and substance. Among the things we did was show
participants how to bridge from a discussion of the Jetsons' home to a
discussion of some of the new and innovative things homeowners today must do
when buying or selling a home. For example, one service the firm offers to
homebuyers is arranging for various utility or other services. (It does all the
grunt work in getting electricity, gas, water, phone, cable and other services
up and running.) We explained why a reporter would be interested in reporting
on this innovative service and showed them how to incorporate this message into
their media interviews.
We also offered specific suggestions on
possible media venues, proper ways of contacting the media (including following
up on those contacts), etc. in order to increase the likelihood of media
interest and coverage. |
| |
| Results |
| Those individuals we trained are now more confident and competent in
their interactions with the media. More important, there is greater media
attention and reporting on the firm and its knowledge of home buying/selling
techniques and less focus on the Jetsons. In short, the Jetsons have now become
the footnote in media coverage, whereas before, the firm was the
footnote. |
| PREPARING EDUCATORS TO FACE THE MEDIA AND MANAGE CRISIS
SITUATIONS |
| Client |
| The largest chapter of a national professional association that
promotes public schools through effective communication with parents,
taxpayers, staff and students. Its members include public information officers
and communications directors serving school districts and educational
associations and agencies. Membership also includes superintendents, principals
and other school administrators. |
| |
| Objective |
| Education is front-page news every day. And because the prevailing
news in the mass media is sensational and negative, it's a constant challenge
for those in education to respond to as well as to communicate good news. The
amount of time and expertise needed to deal with the media, even when there's
not a crisis, has greatly accelerated. Principals and central-office
administrators in particular need hands-on media training. The association
asked The Ammerman Experience to develop a training seminar that introduces
school administrators to the basics of facing the media and managing crisis
situations. |
| |
| Strategy |
We created a one-day session for 25-50 participants. The morning
focuses on media communications: how to have a successful media interview, the
most common and damaging media traps encountered during media interviews, and
how to establish trust and credibility - the primary goal of all effective
communication. Several of the participants experience an ambush interview,
which is taped and critiqued.
In the afternoon, the focus shifts to
crisis management: the five predictable stages of every crisis, and the
critical role communication plays in controlling and resolving a crisis.
Participants are given a crisis scenario, and form crisis management teams.
Each team analyzes the crisis, develops a strategy to manage it, prepares a
media statement and selects a member to conduct a press briefing, which is
taped and critiqued. The scenario is updated, and the process is repeated.
|
| |
| Results |
| School administrators typically receive little or no training in PR
or communications, so they leave the session with solid media skills - skills
they can use when talking about positive or negative developments. They also
come away with a greater appreciation of what PR people who speak with
reporters have to deal with. As of this writing, more than 500 superintendents,
assistant superintendents, principals, public information officers and other
education professionals have attended our sessions. |
| Providing Crisis Management and Media Training to Japanese
Executives |
| Client |
| One of the world's leading global electronics companies
headquartered in Tokyo wanted executives from a number of its subsidiary
companies introduced to the concept of crisis management. It also wanted to
provide them with media training. The company wanted the training to be
conducted by an American firm with substantial expertise and experience in
crisis management and media training. Before selecting The Ammerman Experience,
it conducted an extensive, lengthy and detailed screening that included
visiting a number of firms in the United States. |
| |
| Objective |
| Corporate crises have become a fact of life in business, and make
headlines on a regular basis. How companies handle them can have long-lasting
effects on their public image. Another fact of business life today is media
interest or scrutiny. Never have the media been more interested in reporting on
business issues than they are today. Therefore, it is critical that executives
know how to properly handle crisis situations, and how to deal effectively with
the news media - whether in Japan, America or elsewhere. Our goal was to help
the client's executives learn how to do just that. |
| |
| Strategy
|
The Ammerman Experience developed a four-day, customized workshop
for 10 participants. The workshop included the following elements:
· Principles of Crisis Management: In this session, we examined
the concept of crisis management, and covered the fundamentals that every
executive needs to know about this integral part of a firm's overall management
system. Four case studies were examined: Johnson & Johnson Tylenol product
tampering, Exxon Valdez oil spill, Mitsubishi sexual harassment lawsuit, and
the Bridgestone/Firestone tire recall.
· Media Training:
In this session, participants learned and practiced the skills needed for a
successful encounter with the news media. They faced experienced journalists
during several videotaped interview simulations (including a remote interview),
followed by critiques.
· Crisis Media/Crisis Management
Team Training: In this session, participants were asked to individually analyze
a crisis scenario, develop a prepared statement, and face multiple reporters
during a press briefing. In addition, they became part of a crisis management
team, and were asked to collaboratively analyze and make decisions about a
simulated crisis specific to their company.
Although most of the
participants had a working knowledge of English, the training (including each
interview) was conducted in Japanese through the assistance of interpreters.
All training materials, including the case studies, PowerPoint visuals, video
clips used to supplement the course content, and notes summarizing the course
content, were translated into Japanese. |
| |
| Results |
| This was the first time executives of this firm were provided with
training in crisis management and media interviews. As evidenced by their
performances in the videotaped simulations, and based on the results of the
workshop evaluation, participants left the session with increased confidence
and competence in facing the media and handling crisis situations. |
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