Marijuana Business Magazine September 2018

I n 1982, Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol painkiller was the target of drug tampering, and seven people died after consuming cyanide-laced capsules. The drugmaker’s actions in the days and months that followed are often considered the gold standard in crisis response, accord- ing to communications experts. “It demonstrates how an entity does (crisis response) very well,” said Mary Patrick, the CEO of Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications in Chicago. What did Johnson & Johnson do right? • It immediately formed a crisis-response team to assess the public threat and determine how to sal- vage the brand. • It immediately informed the public to stop consuming Tylenol and had its product pulled from every shelf in the United States. • It provided frequent updates and created telephone lines for consumers to call with questions and where the news media could receive updates. • James Burke, Johnson & Johnson’s CEO, issued public statements that kept consumers informed and intro- duced Tylenol’s pioneering tamper-resistant packaging. THE ‘GOLD STANDARD’ IN CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS “If a company has a plan in place and guidelines in place and messaging down that has been shared with their employees, that puts them miles ahead,” Larson said. Draft Key Messages It’s a good idea to draft general state- ments in advance of a crisis.The state- ments will need to be modified to suit the nature of the crisis, but having them already crafted helps you get ahead of the story. Larson shared a potential placeholder message from the NCIA crisis com- munications manual: “We are monitor- ing the situation and will be providing information shortly.” That can be used before modifying additional, predrafted statements, the manual says. Your message should be sincere – not defensive or defiant – fact-based, apologetic when necessary and forward- looking – meaning it states what you’re going to do to make sure there’s not a repeat crisis. Your messaging also should focus on the questions you’re being asked – not the questions you think you’re being asked, Larson said. And, you should draft questions you hope you aren’t asked, knowing you likely will be, she advised. Such questions can relate to sustainability, energy and water use, pesticides, product recalls or inventory that’s missing or incorrectly tracked. “At least taking the step to think through possible scenarios, ask the dif- ficult questions and formulate answers as part of their crisis preparation can help to better manage and maintain their messaging and reputation during a stressful situation,” Larson said. As part of your messaging, it’s also important to have up-to-date company information on hand – your vision and values, number of employees, brief bios for company leaders and spokespeople, safety plans and building blueprints, and policies and procedures. “It’s important that this is not a plan that sits on a shelf,” Patrick said. “Facts change. To have a plan that really helps you, it needs to be a discipline to keep it updated.” “When you’re in the thick of it, right in the eye of the storm, you have to make a lot of decisions quickly in order to get your story told and to keep ahead of the flow of information,” Patrick said. “You have a much better chance of being successful in crisis communica- tions management if you share your story before others start sharing it or judging it.” ◆ In other words, the company moved quickly and with transparency, accepted the fact its product had been compromised, prioritized public safety, provided frequent updates and channels of communication, then imple- mented a solution. The Tylenol case “informs us as communications professionals to take those pieces and utilize them in preparation for a response,” said Kim Casey, communica- tions manager for Native Roots Dispensary, a vertically integrated marijuana chain in Colorado. – Joey Peña September 2018 • Marijuana Business Magazine • 47

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