Meet Emily Chae, PondelWilkinson’s USC Scholarship Recipient

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Emily Chae is the 16th recipient of the Cecilia Wilkinson Memorial Scholarship.

Meet Emily Chae, a graduate student at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and the 16th annual recipient of the Cecilia Wilkinson Memorial Scholarship.

Since 2008, Cecilia Wilkinson, one of our firm’s founding members, has been honored through an endowed scholarship for first-year graduate students who demonstrate strong academics and a genuine interest in strategic public relations, investor relations and reputation management.

“This scholarship serves as a driving force in my determination to work even harder, and someday be in the position to provide scholarships for future generations of communications students,” said Chae. “It is an honor to receive this special award in memory of Cecilia Wilkinson, a USC alum and respected industry leader, whose name and professional legacy live on at PondelWilkinson.”

Emily is completing a Master of Arts in Public Relations and Advertising, with graduation targeted for May 2024. She also works as a graduate research assistant to Willow Bay, dean of USC Annenberg.

“I already have been exposed to a myriad of opportunities, from forming profound connections with inspiring individuals I have admired for many years, to partaking in life-changing professional experiences that already are shaping my personal and academic journey,” Chae added.

Emily said she looks forward to combining strategic communications with graphic design, as she sets her sights on a career in the entertainment industry, where she hopes to make a positive impact leveraging campaigns on a global scale.

Lauren Tsuneishi, ltsuneishi@pondel.com

5 Unconventional Reasons Why Hire a Public Relations Firm

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Different sized companies, private or public, have varying needs when it comes to corporate communications. Whether it is to help message a crisis, improve shareholder value or build brand awareness, engaging a public relations firm may often seem like a no brainer.

It’s also important for any organization to look beyond the obvious to assess opportunities or even threats that may impact business goals. Think of it like a self-tune up that asks the fundamental questions, “What if …” and “What can we be doing better?”

Most small and middle market companies do not have their own communications departments able to perform self-assessments. Using an outside firm may be a good alternative, which also can provide a unique, objective perspective on existing strategies.

As organizations plan for 2023 and beyond, it may be worthwhile to consider these five unconventional reasons for engaging a corporate pr agency:

  • Perception doesn’t match up with company’s values. Media and investor audits, as well as customer and employee surveys, can be very helpful in gauging sentiment. Using a pr agency as facilitator is ideal for determining unbiased feedback that can be translated into effective communications programs.
  • Can’t tell the bigger story. Today’s CEOs, CFOs and CMOs must navigate myriad landscapes that have their own unique sets of challenges. Clearly defining target audiences from Main Street to Wall Street will help ensure message delivery. However, knowing what to say, when and how to say it will move the proverbial needle.
  • Too busy. Organizations have great ideas but don’t always have the bandwidth to successfully implement communications campaigns. While finding a good firm may take some extra time, consider one that can do the “heavy lifting” and free up internal marketing and investor relations resources.
  • Don’t hear the word “no” very often. While a communications firm should be an advocate and supporter of a company’s vison, it is important that the pr firm does not drink the proverbial Kool-Aid. A heathy debate on strategy and tactics will always yield better results.
  • You got this. Like most corporations, good public relations firms, too, should always be learning. We need to be aware of new technologies and strategies, as well as stay up to speed on latest marketing and communications platforms that are constantly evolving. Select a firm that can add both tangible and intangible value to any company, brand or organization beyond its internal capabilities.

Establishing or enhancing share of voice can be a monumental task for any sized organization in today’s crowded, very noisy marketplace. All that’s needed is the right public relations firm with the savvy to develop a cogent strategic approach, mixed in with good ole’ fashioned “out of the box” thinking.

George Medici, gmedici@pondel.com

PondelWilkinson Profiles: Judy Sfetcu

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This month marks Judy Sfetcu’s 25th anniversary at PondelWilkinson. Our longest tenured staff member, Judy oversees a host of firm functions, as well as managing several investor relations accounts, including Monster Beverage, which has been a client for more than two decades. We caught up with the firm’s vice president in our ongoing Q&A series to learn a little more about her personal life and some of the experiences that have shaped her career.

Pictured during her last trip to Chicago, Judy Sfetcu had the pleasure of stopping by the SkyDeck to overlook the beautiful city. 

What was your first job?

Passing out menu flyers for restaurants. I just turned 17 at the time and moved to New York City from South America about a week prior. My next job was scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Much more fun.

How long have you been in the IR industry?

Twenty five of my 27 years have been at PondelWilkinson. I spent my first two years working for a publicly traded apparel manufacturing company, which piqued my interest and passion in investor relations.

If you had to pick one word to describe what you do, what would it be?

Multitasker. Hands down the best word that describes me and encompasses my job. I’m pretty much a jack of all trades at the firm, from working with the investment community on behalf of investor relations clients, to planning, accounting and human resources for PondelWilkinson. 

What is the favorite part about your job?

Learning about all the different types of businesses we represent, how they operate and how we help companies maneuver through the investor landscape. This gives me a plethora of knowledge about different industries, management styles and achieving success

What is the least favorite part about your job?

I would have to say managing quarterly reporting schedules. Most public companies report earnings around the same timeframe, and sometimes, clients report results on the same day. Life becomes super hectic during earnings season.

What do you like to do for fun?

I enjoy traveling, dancing and attending the theater. Living in Los Angeles provides plenty of options to keep me entertained and happy.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done?

I know it may sound odd, but I don’t do weird things, although I’m quite adventurous when it comes to food. My most recent trip to Philadelphia had me eating authentic sautéed snails!

What’s something that recently made you smile?

About a month ago, I saw a butterfly in my backyard struggling to fly. It kept bumping into things. I went outside to see if I could pick it up and noticed its legs were stuck together with some type of lint. I was able to remove the string-like material, and happily, I watched it fly away. It was one of the most beautiful butterflies and being able to help it put a smile on my face.

What’s next on your bucket list?

Traveling back home to visit my family in Taiwan for Chinese New Year, Asia’s most celebrated season. I haven’t visited my family for almost four years because of Covid. I am super excited, since it has been so many years since I properly and traditionally celebrated Chinese New Year. Looking forward to the Year of Rabbit on January 22, 2023.  

What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?

“Forgiveness is really for yourself, not the person you are angry with.” I am not sure where I originally heard that, but often the person who angers you is unaware of your feelings. I’ve learned that it’s best to let go, otherwise these emotions will only hurt you in the end.

— Shannon Clemons, sclemons@pondel.com

Interning from My Bedroom: Lessons Learned While Working Virtually

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By Maisey McGinnis

Pre-pandemic, I always pictured what my first internship experience might look like: commuting to a fancy office building in downtown Los Angeles or Century City, sitting around a big conference room table at company staff meetings, and maybe even attending a lunch or two with local reporters, investors or clients. My vision never included working from the comfort of my apartment, sometimes even from my bed.

Instead of commuting during the morning rush hour, I get to sleep in a little longer. The big conference room idea now is me at my desk joining meetings via Zoom. And although I do sit in on meetings with reporters, investors and clients, it is always behind a phone or computer screen.

My experience working remotely will likely continue, at least for the time being. Interning from my bedroom during the last seven months has not come without its challenges, so I thought I would share a few lessons learned:

PondelWilkinson’s Maisey McGinnis at home with her dog Crosby.

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you need to clarify three or four times.

For me, the most nerve-wracking part about working remotely was being on my own without anyone at my side to guide or direct me. In my previous in-person jobs, I always had a boss or co-worker in the same room or close by that I could easily ask questions if I was confused or unsure of something. Working virtually eliminates that, so having clear communication becomes even more important. Asking questions – and lots of them – has been crucial in my understanding of what I need to do and how I need to do it. Virtual communication, whether that be phone calls, emails or texts, can often cloud meaning and intent, so making sure you fully understand what you are doing before you start is the key to avoiding unnecessary work.    

2. Check your email often. More often than you think you will need to.

Working virtually takes away from the natural connection people have with each other in person. A co-worker can no longer come to your office or desk and ask if you got their email. Even as an intern, I receive and send what seems like hundreds of emails a day (a few dozen is more likely). With all the work activity, it is easy to glance over and forget to reply to an important email, check the spam folder or hit send on a draft. When email (aside from the occasional Zoom meeting or phone call) is the primary method of communication with co-workers and clients, I don’t think we can check it enough. Refreshing the inbox every 10 minutes or so seems to work well for me.

3. Try to take a lunch break away from the computer.

Since the start of the pandemic, I have invested in several pairs of blue light glasses. Whether they actually make a difference is still unclear (no pun intended), but the amount of daily screen time from remote classes, remote work and general phone usage was concerning enough for me to take action. One of the most important lessons I have learned throughout this experience is the importance of taking lunch – or a break – away from the computer and the blue light. This may include eating lunch on my balcony or taking my dog Crosby on a walk. Breaking away from the computer has been a huge part of maintaining my well-being while working and attending school remotely.

4. Don’t put off your work just because you can.

Since I am not in the office, I can work on various projects at my leisure unless they have specific deadlines. I can start at 8 a.m. on Monday and noon on Tuesday depending on what I need to accomplish for the day. This flexibility is great when running an errand or attending to an appointment. The flexibility, however, also can have a negative impact, especially when I put off updating a calendar or media list and realize it’s 7 p.m. Not having the office space to distinguish between work and home blurs the lines for knowing when to be working. Just because we can do our work at unconventional hours doesn’t always mean we should. Maintaining a work-life balance has been one of the harder lessons learned.

Despite my initial expectations, I have learned more than I could have ever anticipated and believe my experience at PondelWilkinson is allowing me to grow professionally in my public relations and investor relations career. Interning from my bedroom may not seem like the most glamorous experience, but I guarantee I have learned just as much, if not more than I would have in one of the fancy office buildings I originally pictured. 

Maisey McGinnis is currently interning remotely at PondelWilkinson. She is a student at the University of Southern California studying communications, public relations and advertising. When she’s not working or studying, Maisey enjoys hiking, traveling, reading a good book, and taking her Maltese, Crosby, on walks at the park. After graduation, she hopes to put her new found skills to use in Los Angeles or New York.

Performance Rules, but Perception is Everything: How to Know What Investors Truly Think About Your Company

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This article was originally published by national news wire service BusinessWire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, on its global blog July 9.

If you’re familiar with the British sci-fi fantasy series, Doctor Who, you know that a common plot device is the use of “perception filters,” in which aliens attempt to alter reality to reflect what they want you to see. A favorite episode is with actor/comedian James Corden, who lives on the first floor of what appears to be a normal two-story building – only the building does not have a second floor, just a scary alien machine parked on top of it with a perception filter designed to hide its existence.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use perception filters to influence how investors and financial analysts think about public companies? I am sure many management teams would love to use something like a perception filter to ensure that only positive things are said about their companies.

Alas, we all know this isn’t possible. And yet, one of the more interesting things I have observed over the years is how many management teams believe they already know what investors think of their companies – as if they have a perception filter firmly in place.

While many C-suite executives and corporate IR professionals dialogue often with the investment community and glean valuable insights from their conversations, it is a mistake to assume that investors will share everything that is on their minds. As Peter Drucker, the celebrated author, educator and management consultant, once noted, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”

How, then, can management truly gain insight into what investors think? Enter the perception study, a tool designed to gather unique and candid feedback. It is only through the use of an independent third party that companies can truly get to the heart of what investors think. Third parties are able to create an environment that protects anonymity and are better positioned to share tough feedback with management.

Designing a Perception Study

There are many ways to design a perception study, which at its core, seeks to determine how investors view the company, its strategy, management team and IR program. Perception studies often are particularly useful before and after major events, such as an investor day, or when a company is in the midst of transition.

In most cases, many investor responses are surprising. Also in most cases, a good perception study pays off handsomely by revealing tangible and actionable items, along with nuances, of course, that facilitate communication and potentially valuation improvement.

Perception studies create opportunities to:

  • Streamline business models that have become too complex.
  • Simplify messaging to better resonate with the investment community.
  • Improve an IR program in ways a company might not have seen.
  • Provide benchmarks for future comparison.
  • Let the investment community know that the issuer cares.

Dichotomy of Opinion

In a recent perception study we conducted for one of our clients, we found a fascinating difference of opinion about the company, with views that converged around common themes, but were almost polar opposites of each other. Interestingly, this dichotomy of opinion often was expressed by the same participant in the study.

For example, investors praised the management team’s ability to articulate the company’s investment attributes, but at times felt they could be too “promotional” in doing so. Investors also liked how the company positioned itself to capture emerging trends in its industry; at the same time, however, they believed the actions management took to take advantage of these trends made the business too complicated to grasp.

Perhaps most importantly, investors felt the company altered its strategy too frequently. While many praised management’s ability to pivot when the facts on the ground changed, the rate of transformation left investors and analysts wondering if management had a clear roadmap for the future, which, in turn, made it difficult, if not unnerving, for many of them to invest.

The perception study created an opportunity for our client to:

  • Clearly articulate its business strategy, highlighting its vision for the future.
  • Help investors understand exactly how management perceives the path to value creation.
  • Simplify its story and improve consistency in metrics presented. 
  • Provide a candid discussion of business performance, both positive and negative aspects.

Understanding what investors and analysts truly think is a fundamental responsibility of the management team and board of any public company. Such knowledge provides tangible results and can serve as catalysts for positive change.

Jeff Misakian, jmisakian@pondel.com

SPACs: No Small Potatoes, and Still Growing Like an Idaho Spud

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It is nearly impossible these days to avoid SPACs, which most of you know by now stands for Special Purpose Acquisition Companies.

According to SPAC Insider, there were 226 SPAC IPOs from 2009 through 2019, compared with 248 in 2020 alone. No small potatoes as a financing vehicle, SPACs this year will experience yet another spurt of explosive growth.

Mark Y. Liu, partner at Akerman LLP, who hosted a recent webinar on the topic, said those 248 SPACs raised $83 billion last year. Amazingly, 550 SPACS were in registration as of March 31, 2021, looking to raise $162 billion more. And SPAC Analytics reveals that SPACs made up 55 percent of all IPOs in 2020 and 76 percent of those thus far in 2021.

Sometimes known as “blank check” companies, SPACs are typically publicly owned shell companies with no operations, but with mandates to acquire private operating companies, usually in a specifically stated sector. If the SPAC does not complete a transaction within 18-24 months, it is liquidated, and funds are returned to the company’s investors. 

Trend or a fad? 

SPACs are growing like Idaho spuds and loved by investors.

While the numbers appear to say “trend,” Business Insider recently noted that investor appetite for SPACs is declining. Additionally, SPACs have come under scrutiny by the SEC over reporting, accounting and governance practices.

On the other hand, and supporting the trend side of the equation, Goldman Sachs estimates that that SPACs could drive $900 billion in M&A enterprise value in the next two years, with nearly $129 billion of SPAC capital currently searching for acquisition targets.

James Keckler, from D.A. Davidson’s investment banking group, and on the webinar with Liu, noted a few things to watch for on the horizon. He believes SPACs and their acquisition targets will get even bigger; that celebrities will continue to increase their involvement with SPACs; and that there could be multiple companies involved in a SPAC merger, versus the typical one-to-one model currently being utilized. Does that mean conglomerate?

The real question:

Are SPACs good for sponsors, the acquired companies and investors? The answer according to Liu, and others, is a resounding “yes” for all three. 

For SPAC sponsors, the benefits include access to capital markets, founder warrants and common stock incentives, and the ability to use both cash and stock for acquisitions. For potential acquisition targets (this one comes from Covington Capital Management), the ability to skip the tedious process of filing a registration statement and bypass a roadshow is attractive. And for investors, the positives include redemption rights, $10 per unit liquidation value and liquidity. 

On the downside, and not that much different from any company going through the IPO process, are the costs of going public, the reporting requirements, market oversaturation, and as some industry watchers have noted, SEC scrutiny (although this could be a good thing for investors).

Whether one is a SPAC investor, merging a company into a SPAC, or forming one, below are a few sound principles to practice:

  • First, a public company is a public company. No matter the capital structure, management team or industry, all rules and regulations governing exchange-traded securities must be closely followed.
  • Next, it is vitally important that communications are complete and transparent, both requisites to build credibility and a loyal investor following.
  • Third, fourth and fifth, research the management teams and their backgrounds; understand what the investment opportunity is really about; and ensure that the language in all documents is easy to understand, with jargon kept to a minimum.

Lastly, although there are many more “secrets” that we readily share with our clients, please know that SPAC formation, merging, and investing are not necessarily quick ways to riches. Old fashioned performance, and maybe even going public through the tried-and-true method established by the SEC in 1933, usually will win out in the long-term. But for right now, SPACs are growing like Idaho spuds and loved by investors.

Laurie Berman, lberman@pondel.com

Roger Pondel, rpondel@pondel.com

To Delete or Not to Delete: That is the Email Question

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I hope this email finds you well.

We all have come across this frustrating opening salvo at one time or another from some unknown person, touting a product or service that is of very little or no interest.

The good news is that email marketing campaigns have evolved. Technology and social media are enabling email marketers to deliver relevant content to intended recipients. The bad news, however, is that we are finding more emails in our inboxes.

And it’s only getting worse. According to Statista, the number of daily worldwide emails is estimated to increase to 319 billion next year, a 20 percent jump from the 269 billion sent in 2017.

When it comes to email marketing, our basic advice to clients, whether publicly traded or privately owned companies, is focused on content and consistency. Communications should be engaging and “on brand,” with a specific call-to-action, including click-backs to a website or online platform. Frequency also is important, keeping regular communications at a minimum, not overdoing it.

But myriad emails continue to arrive in our inboxes, creating a conundrum for many on whether to hit save or delete. Management experts and even psychologists advocate for zero tolerance on unopened emails. The theory is that a positive psychological effect occurs when completing the task of clearing an inbox, thereby making a person more productive, or at least feel that way.

Full disclosure: I currently have 2,782 unopened emails. That number pales in comparison to others, who have boasted amounts in the tens of thousands, even surpassing 100,000. For the record, I have seen all of my unopened emails. For us in the communications biz, think of it in terms of impressions. I’m constantly looking at emails to determine what needs to be opened immediately or saved for later. I do, however, delete “junk” most of the time.

I like to think of myself as super organized and very responsive, so cleaning my email inbox won’t necessarily make me more productive. Rather, I am relieved that perhaps one day I will need that email I saw months ago. It sounds silly, but  my email inbox serves as a database, enabling me to search for past client-related communications, news stories, relevant research, conference opportunities, among many  other topics.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to managing email inboxes. What’s important is that it works for the individual and does not jeopardize productivity, which is essential for managing today’s increasingly complex, multi-faceted, work-life business environment.

I hope this blogpost finds you well.

George Medici, gmedici@pondel.com

Our Industry Stands in Solidarity, So Do We

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“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

The words were spoken by Martin Luther King Jr.

It is in that spirit, and at this sad time for our country, we put our core communications expertise to work with messages of universal resolve toward bringing about equality, justice and respect for everyone, once and for all.

We also are heartened by statements from the leaders of two trade associations we belong to: the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI).

In a recent letter to members titled, “My Heart Breaks,” PRSA Chair Garland Stansell writes, “We should be the voices of compassion, civility, reason, and the earnest voices of challenge to help our employers, clients, communities, friends and families engage in productive, honest and empathetic conversation.”

Similarly, NIRI’s President and CEO Gary LeBranche takes a personal approach in a post for IR Update Weekly titled, “Breathless,” stating, “If a community can rally to find a beloved pet, we can also rally to save and improve our society and our fellow humans.”

Both letters are worth taking the time to read in their entirety.

There is little left to be said. Now is the time for action. We stand in solidarity with our industry.

 Roger Pondel, rpondel@pondel.com

No Shut-down for Activism

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While activist activity was down a bit in the first quarter of 2020, compared with last year’s first quarter, according to Activist Insight’s “Shareholder Activism in Q1 2020” report, there were still plenty of shareholder demands made of public companies.

By sector, industrials was the largest group impacted by activism, followed by financial services and consumer cyclicals. Large cap companies were the most affected, with U.S.-based companies making up 70 percent of those subjected to activist demands.

Shareholder demands are still being made of public companies, according to Activist Insight’s “Shareholder Activism in Q1 2020” report.

Lazard’s 1Q 2020 activism review shows that the number of targeted companies in the first quarter of this year was roughly the same as in last year’s first quarter. On the other hand, Reuters, reporting on the Lazard review, noted that while 2020 began on a strong note, with activist firms pushing for change at 42 companies in the first two months of the year, new activist campaign launches fell by 38 percent in March, when the global economic shut-down began in earnest.  Further, Reuters reported that new activist campaigns were, “launched at the slowest pace since 2013 and corporate agitators put the smallest amount of money to work since 2016.”  

Even so, there are several high-profile campaigns looming. One getting some buzz, according to Bloomberg, is Standard General’s proxy fight with Tenga, Inc., a $2 billion media company. This contest will be the first-ever all-digital board fight. With Standard General seeking four board seats, Tenga’s virtual annual meeting on April 30 will be a test for activism, both digitally and in the world of COVID-19. 

While virtual annual meetings are nothing new, counting contested votes remotely is. Bloomberg noted that Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc., which prepares, ships and counts most of the proxies for U.S. companies, doesn’t currently have a specific platform to allow for remote voting in a contested situation.  According to a Broadridge representative, the company, “lacks the technology” to count virtual votes when there are competing director slates. 

Bob Marese, president at MacKenzie Partners Inc., a proxy solicitation firm, said that it could, “be more difficult for proxy solicitors get investors to switch their votes in the lead up to the meeting because many are not in the office, nor are the bankers or brokers they may need to change their vote.” Other potential pitfalls include the inability for shareholders to ask tough questions in a virtual meeting setting. According to the Financial Times (as reported by IR Magazine), investors have become concerned that virtual annual meetings could “shift the balance of power” away from shareholders, as companies have greater control over managing Q&A sessions virtually.

What does the future hold for activist activity? Since many companies have curtailed stock buyback activity in light of the COVID-19 crisis, Lazard believes that activists pressing for return of capital through buybacks will not be a focus. 

Jim Rossman, the head of shareholder advisory at Lazard, believes that, “lower M&A activity and companies focused on conserving cash will mean that activists are likely to increase their focus on operational performance and how management teams react to the crisis as the basis for new campaigns.” He went on to say that activists will likely want to avoid looking overly aggressive during the pandemic as to not offend other investors, “whose help they might need in pushing their case later.” 

Chris Young, managing director and global head of contested situations at Jefferies, also believes overly aggressive activists could face media backlash for seemingly profiting off the pandemic. Young further believes that, “having lived through the prior period of sky-high market volatility, we expect there will be a decline in activist campaigns in the near-term. Once volatility subsides and corporate valuations reset at new normal levels, however, we expect activists could have enough time to initiate new campaigns, including submitting director nominations for proxy season 2021.”

While COVID-19 may be changing the activist landscape in the near-term, the same best practices apply to help make sure your company is ready in the event of aggressive shareholder demands. Analyze your shareholder base and stay in-the-know about changes in ownership, especially during a period of extreme volatility when activists can build positions more cheaply; be open to proactively engaging with investors, even while you hunker down to focus on the impact of the current health crisis and economic downturn; and, think about adopting a “poison pill,” or at least having one at the ready. 

Laurie Berman, lberman@pondel.com

Wash Your Hands and Don’t Panic!

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If history has taught us anything, it’s that we should learn from it.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), financial markets continue to be rattled, as the U.S. and other global economies desperately try to respond to the pandemic.

Cases of COVID-19 also are being reported in a growing number of countries internationally, including the United States.

Global travel, entertainment, sporting events and conferences all are being cancelled in an effort to curtail the spread of the pathogen, while companies reevaluate revenue projections and earnings guidance due to the current “business slowdown.”

Some good news, however. Congress approved $8.3B in emergency spending to fight the virus, plus the Fed lowered interest rates and has begun to flood the market with liquidity. And there’s now talk about a payroll tax cut. While these fixes are helpful in the long run, what can a business or organization do right now?

It’s important to realize that pathogen outbreaks are not new. Many more serious than COVID-19. What makes this epidemic seem worse, at least economically, perhaps is because we are more than ever linked to a global economy, and there is more we don’t know about the coronavirus than we actually do.

All this puts enormous pressure on business organizations to properly communicate to stakeholders, from employees to customers to shareholders, among other key audiences. Saying the wrong thing or not saying enough can be detrimental to the bottom line.

Establishing a crisis communications plan is vital to help navigate the fallout of COVID-19. It’s probably best to do it A.S.A.P. In the interim, here are three simple actions to follow:

Foster calm. Without sounding too glib, keep clam. Create a plan on how your organization is working to circumvent the spread of the coronavirus internally and externally. Follow guidelines from the CDC or WHO, and if applicable, bring in a health expert.

Communicate. Let employees know your organizational response. Transparency is key. Also, follow up with customers, partners, and other key audiences, as applicable. If publicly traded, it’s important to assess material risk, or even lack thereof, which may require special communications.

Anticipate. Address any worst case scenarios and formulate responses, both from tactical and communications perspectives. Keep in mind this is an internal exercise and not meant for public dissemination.

While the above-mentioned tips aren’t a replacement for a professional crisis communications plan, they can help organizations better prepare for the inevitable regarding COVID-19, which to many, may occur sooner than we think.

George Medici, gmedici@pondel.com