Friday, May 1, 2009

Should I Take Cover Now?

The quick public hysteria surrounding the swine flu (now being re-branded by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention as A(H1N1) virus) is causing varying degrees of confusion and concern among various audiences. Should I cancel my trip to Mexico ? Is the subway safe? Do I need to go stock up on medicine and water? Do I need a mask? Did Vice President Joe Biden really tell his family to stay home?

While we are nearly certain (at this point) that most businesses will not be disrupted, we believe that it is best to proactively address situations before they arise. Maintaining customer and community confidence is the utmost priority in times of crisis, perceived or real. As such, we are working with our clients to help them communicate proactive measures with key stakeholders.

As a suggestion, we employ a variety of communication tactics that can be tailored to best suit your audiences, including:
  • Crafting messages to employees, customers and investors
  • Advising on distribution strategies to reach stakeholders, including
    • Video statements
    • Web site home page alerts
    • Social media outreach
    • Proactive media statements
    • Responding to media inquiries received by the company
  • Tracking stakeholder responses
  • Ongoing message management
The following information is provided publicly by our local health department officials and the CDC to prevent the spread of the contagious flu
  • Wash hands often to protect yourself from germs.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; germs are often spread when a person touches a contaminated object and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • If you are sick, stay home from work, school and running errands. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
  • Contact your physician if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms. Some antiviral drugs may be used to treat persons who become ill with swine influenza. For more information, contact the Swine Flu Phone Bank at (866) 278-7134.

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