Disney Resort Crisis Communication Plan

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary
Proposal
Topic
Project management
Recommendations
Works Cited

Executive Summary

This proposal provides an analysis of an incident at Disneys Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and suggests the crisis communication plan for dealing with the issue. The paper begins by giving a short description of the event. It will then go on to outline the plan for managing the impact of the crisis and provide a detailed explanation for each step that must be taken. The main issues addressed in this part: a) crisis communication team; b) analysis of the external data; c) issuing the statement.

The next section will examine the resources that need to be allocated to the project. It will be followed by a brief narrative of the project that would articulate the main focus of the study. The next section will provide a timeline of the incident. The remaining part of the paper will present an overview of the actions that must be undertaken to achieve goals stated in previous parts of the proposal.

Recommendations discussed include: issuing a brief statement regarding the incident on the Disneys Grand Floridian Resort and Spa website that would express companys concern and provide support to the family of the boy; keeping the website constantly updated as the situation develops; installations of signs warning guests about the presence of alligators.

Proposal

Issue

On June 15, 2016, a 2-year-old boy, the visitor of the Disneys Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, was pulled into the water by an alligator (McLaughlin et al. par. 1). The family from Nebraska was on the shore of the Seven Seas lagoon when the attack happened. The boys parents, Matt and Melissa Graves were watching an open-air film while the toddler was playing at the waters edge.

A spokesman for the Orange County Sheriffs Office, Jeff Williamson, reported that the boy was about a foot in, maybe ankle-deep or a little higher in water (Luscombe par. 8). He also added that there was no evidence that the boy was swimming when the attack happened. A further report suggests that the toddlers father made an unsuccessful attempt to fight the alligator. After a 16-hour search and rescue mission conducted by a search party consisting of 50 people and employing alligator trackers, sonar equipment, marine units and divers, the boys body was found and recovered. (Luscombe par. 17).

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings stated at a press conference that there was no doubt that the child was drowned by the alligator (Luscombe par. 4). The report of the executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Nick Wiley states that their personnel captured five crocodiles in the lagoon after the incident (Luscombe par. 15). FWC official confirmed that the lakes shoreline did not have signs indicating the presence of alligators; only the signs forbidding swimming were present. He went on to call the alligator attack an isolated incident (Luscombe par. 15).

Plan

It is a responsibility of a head of crisis communication to devise a detailed crisis management plan before an emergency happens. It must include key operations, procedures and backup processes guaranteeing visitors and staffs safety. It also has to minimize the impact of an incident on the operation of the enterprise and reduce the negative emotional effects of the emergency (Underwood 2)

It should also include a comprehensive description of the evacuation procedures and detailed instructions for the aftermath of the emergency (Fearn-Banks 306). A crisis communication plan is often considered a primary instrument of preparedness and it must be a part of a crisis management plan (Fearn-Banks 306). An evaluation form is an important part of the crisis communication plan. It helps determine effective and ineffective steps that were taken when dealing with a crisis (Fearn-Banks 306).

When dealing with an emergency, the head of crisis communication has to carefully follow a crisis communication plan. He or she will compile a list of key publics that have to be notified of the emergency. It will include external and internal publics such as board members, shareholders, investors, customers, officials, media, clients, employees and legal representatives among others (Fearn-Banks 308).

Each public has to be notified through pre-established communication channels. The preselected communication team members must also be reached using appropriate means. The major media statement will be either written or approved by the head of crisis communication. The media spokesperson or spokespersons that are sufficiently educated about the technical details of the emergency will be assigned (Fearn-Banks 308).

Strategy

The head of crisis communication will gather the crisis communication team in the control room. The team will notify external publics using a pre-established communication system. Internal publics will learn about the incident through the internal telephone system with the established telephone tree, where every group in the network is responsible for making calls to others in a chain (Fearn-Banks 309).

Board members will be notified about the emergency via telephone and e-mail. The media will be reached through the news release, phone call, e-mail or fax (Fearn-Banks 310). Other external publics will be notified using social media networks. The crisis communication team will start drafting news statements and contacting the media. The designated spokespersons must also be present in the control room. They will be briefed on the technical aspects of the issue as well as presented with the media statement draft for rehearsal (Fearn-Banks 311). Disneys legal advisers will be consulted before issuing a press release.

The crisis communication team will be responsible for conducting an external analysis of the situation. They will gather and analyze all external data related to the incident from the media. Blogs and social media relevant to the operation of the business will be closely monitored (Fearn-Banks 317). It will help to achieve symmetrical communication with the blogosphere. The predesigned Twitter and Facebook messages will be proactively issued. This must also be done to prevent media from adopting unreasonably strong language as well as to have control over the development of the situation.

The crisis communication team will draft a brief statement regarding the nature of the incident for the companys website. At the begging, it will simply acknowledge the event. It will be updated with new information, as the situation develops. Stating on Disneys website will significantly reduce the number of reporters trying to contact the company and will help mitigate the crisis recovery process. The concern of the organization will be unequivocally expressed and information will be current and accurate. Updates on the investigation and the search and rescue operation will be regularly posted on the website.

Resources

The head of crisis communication is responsible for the allocation of resources during the emergency response. In the initial phase of the crisis, the appropriate decision related to communication operations must be taken (ORISE par. 12). Anticipated duration of the response will be assessed and human and material resources will be allocated.

The crisis communication team is expected to work up to 12 hours per day and it will consist of 20 core group representatives. Additional members of the team will be deployed to cover for those who need rest. Communications workers responding to the phone calls from the public will be expected to work in three 8-hour shifts to cover three to five 24-hour periods (ORISE par. 22).

Press assistants and media information officers will also work in the same manner. Additional phone lines will be allocated to handle all calls in the most efficient manner (ORISE par. 22). The crisis communication team will be provided with the following supplies and equipment: bulletins and chalkboards, laptops, printers, mobile phones, office stationery, press kits, printed copies of crisis management and crisis communication plans, company quality control procedures, annual and safety records among other documents (Fearn-Banks 317).

Topic

When a crisis occurs, the effective communication strategies with the news and social media, along with the external and internal publics, are the key to the reduction of the negative effects of the emergency (Fearn-Banks 33).

The study focuses on the development of a strategic crisis communication plan. It is important to have a comprehensive communication strategy as a part of a crisis management plan before an emergency happens. Following it, the head of crisis communication will be able to start communication with all involved publics in the first hour after receiving a notification about the crisis (Fearn-Banks 33). The focus would also be on communication with the media.

There are four stages of news media coverage. The first stage follows the first notification of an event and is called breaking news stage. It can last from one to several days and usually ends when more details about the incident become available (Fearn-Banks 35). The second stage involves discussion of the concrete facts about the emergency when the new and detailed information can be broadcasted.

The third stage of media coverage usually deals with the aftermath of the event and an analysis of the story. At this point, the media might discuss how victims are coping with the tragedy (Fearn-Banks 35). The last stage includes an evaluation of the crisis and a critical analysis of the response to the event. It might include an overview of the learned lessons and be revisited lately. The head of crisis communication must clearly understand these critical points in media coverage to better control the development of the story.

Timeline

June 15, 2016:

9:15 p.m.The alligator suddenly pulled a 2-year-old boy into the water.
9:16 p.m.911 received a call reporting the incident.

June 16, 2016:

10:38 p.m.The search and rescue mission began.
11:15 a.m.The Orange County Sheriffs Office held a news conference (Security Tightened at Disney par. 2).
12:30 p.m.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions spokesperson reported that five alligators were captured and euthanized (Security Tightened at Disney par. 2).
2:52 p.m.Security staff members of the Grand Floridian Resort started patrolling the property and do not allow guests without confirmed reservations on-site (Security Tightened at Disney par. 2).
3:00 p.m.Sheriff Jerry Demings reported that the recovery mission became somewhat complicated (Security Tightened at Disney par. 1).
1:45 p.m.The toddlers body was spotted (Security Tightened at Disney par. 2).
3:30 p.m.The body was recovered (Security Tightened at Disney par. 2).

Family

The vice president of Walt Disney Resort expressed his sympathy to the family of the boy: Everyone here at the Walt Disney World Resort is devastated by this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the family. We are helping the family and doing everything we can to assist law enforcement (Chuck, Helsel and Walters par. 9).

Project management

There are three potential outcomes of the crisis: a) the resort goes out of business and the key executives get involved in the litigation; b) the organization loses its financial position and acquires a negative image in the publics eyes; c) the resort does not lose its reputation and has a favorable public opinion (Fearn-Banks 34). The head of crisis communication must organize the work of the crisis communication team in such a manner that they would be able to save the companys image during and after the crisis.

During the first stage of crisis when the media does not have many details about the incident, the preselected communication team members will be focused on the draft of the media statement. It will be approved by the head of the crisis communication and legal advisers of the company. All blogs and social media networks will be closely monitored. The data from it will be gathered and analyzed. The team for answering media calls will be gathered and briefed.

Recommendations

It is important to have a brief statement regarding the incident posted on Disneys Grand Floridian Resort and Spa website. The company should express its concern and provide support to the family of the boy. As the situation develops, the short and regular updates about the progress of the search and rescue mission have to appear on the website. The company should also install signs warning guests about the presence of alligators.

Works Cited

Chuck, Elizabeth, Phil Helsel and Shamar Walters. Body of 2-Year-Old Dragged Into Water by Alligator Near Disney Found: Sheriff. 2016.

Fearn-Banks, Kathleen. Crisis Communications. New York: Routledge, 2011. Print.

Luscombe, Richard. Body of Two-Year-Old Attacked by Alligator at Disney World Recovered From Lake. 16 Jun. 2016.

McLaughlin, Eliott, Joshua Berlinger, Ashley Fantz and Steve Almasy. Disney Gator Attack: 2-Year-Old Boy Found Dead. 16 Jun. 2016.

ORISE. Essential Principles. n.d.

Security Tightened at Disney. 2016.

Underwood, Geoff. Crisis Management Planning in Zoological Institutions. n.d.

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