Crisis Communication Crash & Burn

Employee scandals.
Illegal activity.
Product recalls.
These, and more, are all things that call for crisis communication.

Temple University recently announced the cancellation of seven sports teams and has found itself in the midst of a situation that could use a lot of crisis communication.  While an initial announcement was made, there has been a lot of backlash from students, parents and faculty about the issue and minimal information has been provided from the university.

I'm not here to place blame on Temple, I am simply analyzing the situation from the perspective of a public relations student. While I haven't had much first-hand experience with crisis communication, I've learned a great deal about it and there are several things that should be done in an instance like this:

• Get accurate information out fast. If you don't the press will and word of mouth will and the message you were hoping to convey is hopelessly lost in translation.
• Never say "no comment". Always have something to say, or others will end up putting words in your mouth and taking your caution as avoidance and guilt.
• Use empathy. Put yourself in the shoes of the people that are being affected. Make it known that you are doing so. Generic responses and cookie cutter actions are only going to show people that you're disconnected with your audience.

Based on what I've learned during my education here at Temple, the university could up their crisis communication and handle the situation more effectively. It's a tricky issue, I think everyone understands that. What would you do if faced with such a crisis?

What’s in a Name? Effects of the Big East Name Change

This year’s March Madness marks the last year that many of the traditional Big East schools will represent their conference in the tournament. Next year, the Big East will be completely made-over, reflecting little of its Eastern history and rivalries. 

The official split of the conference is effective July 1. Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse are headed to the ACC and Rutgers is headed to the Big Ten. 

Seven of the league’s Catholic schools are also leaving to form their own basketball-focused league. These seven Catholic schools will take with them the Big East name and the Madison Square Garden location for their post-season tournament. 

Even with all of this movement, there are leftover schools in the Big East for the upcoming year. The schools are: Temple, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, South Florida and Southern Methodist. “America 12” is one of the names being considered for this conference. 

Looking at the Big East’s long history and tradition, being a college basketball fan and being a student at Temple. I couldn’t help but think about the PR implications of this split for the new America 12, the Catholic 7 and Temple (my university). 

• America 12: With many of the Big East powerhouses exiting the league, I’m not sure if the America 12 will be able to uphold the reputation that comes with the Big East name. I believe it will take a while for fans of these schools to get used to the new name and what it means. 
• Catholic 7 (Will take Big East name): Will this league be thought of as a phony Big East? Although the league simply bought the Big East name, the schools involved are all schools in the east with long-standing basketball dominance and tradition. I think the name will still resonate with fans. In respect to name recognition and branding, the Catholic 7 may be the group getting the most out of this deal. 
• Temple: In spring 2012, there was lots of hype around Temple’s move back to the Big East. It seems though, as soon as we sat down at the Big East table, all the major players got up. As a soon-to-be graduate of the university I am sad to say that this may be a setback of the reputation of our athletics but I hope the America 12 name will become as respected as the Big East name. 

Do you have other thoughts regarding the split? Let us know. Enjoy the rest of March Madness! 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Kyra Mazurek

We Have All Become #1 Fans of Social Media

Social media has become more than just our constant connection to the outside world. Lately, there has been a massive trend among sports fans to use these outlets as a way to show support for their beloved team. Years ago, people would wear jerseys, hang flags, or attend games to show their passion for a specific team. But now, it has become so much more.

Facebook and Twitter are just two of the outlets people utilize to interact with those who share a common interest. Social Media sites allow fans to keep up with a game without TV or radio. In a recent poll, 83% of sports fans check social media sites while watching the game on TV. The websites provide instant access to the statistics of not only the game but all the players as well. 63% of fans will browse sports social media sites while they are attending an actual game. The “die hard” sports fans are the ones who need the instant updates social media provides. Fans no longer need to wait for years highlights books to come out, because every ounce of information they could possible need is right at their finger tips. 

Sports fans aren’t the only ones jumping on the bandwagon. Now college students have sparked an interest in merging sports with social media. Hash tagging is used to create a trend and hopefully gain more followers. NFL player Tim Tebow was at the center of a hash tagging frenzy. People all over twitter would show their support for Tebow by either hash tagging his name or his most famous act “tebowing”. Colleges also jumped ship and began hash tagging their mascots, players and even their drum line. 

This social media frenzy has connected everyone from all over. People who may have never met are developing a bond through shared interests. Sports continue to be one of the top interests people discuss on Twitter and Facebook. Social media has done a great deal than provide us with the latest and greatest news.


This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Alison Curran