Worst Case Prep - Web 2.0 has its own set of rules. Facebook, Twitter and Co. have changed the way that humans communicate. Business and media are no longer able to make sovereign decisions on what information should make it into the public domain - Internet users decide this for themselves. In crisis situations, the Internet can act as a catalyst, upping the pace considerably. In order to make an immediate and appropriate response, professional concepts must already be in place.

Operational disturbances as were seen at Hoechst in the 1990s, waves of redundancies, environmental scandals, damage to corporate image and criminal offences are among the classic scenarios of crisis communication in the chemicals industry. Today, these crises take on a new dimension in the form of Web 2.0. Whether they want to or not, today every company can become a hot topic for discussion in the virtual world.

Stories spread like wildfire on microblogging services like Twitter, on social networking sites, and on platforms such as Youtube or Flickr. Facebook, according to a January 2010 estimate, now has over 350 million active users. That represents an increase of 40% in a period of less than six months. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest on the planet.

The use of Twitter is also increasing rapidly. There are now over 100 million people "tweeting" on the net. The likelihood of crisis-relevant news and messages emanating from virtual communication platforms is growing. Unfiltered messages are disseminated on a global scale. The online forums of news media outlets, where everyone can proffer and broadcast their own personal opinion, accelerate this process.

Challenges Presented by Web 2.0

Nowadays, an increasing number of companies are taking seriously the idea of dialogue with the movers, shakers and opinion formers of the online community, social media networks and the blogosphere. Others, such as BASF, have demonstrated a committed approach by including more than 200 social bookmark services on their website. Services such as Twitter, Google, MySpace or Mister Wong are available directly through a share button. At the click of a mouse, the user is able to globally share and link BASF information on his or her network.

What goes without saying: The more actively social media is used, the more strongly it resonates with Internet users. Through Web 2.0, employees become communicators who can have direct and unfiltered exchanges with customers, journalists, and all other interested parties. This can have far-reaching consequences for corporate communication. To ensure credible communication, the nuances and rules of the social media world must not only be considered, they must then also be embraced in practice when interacting at this level. Continuous web monitoring is a must. Why? New crises can emerge through the internet simply because companies didn't know or failed to consider the "rules of the game."

More Complex Structures, Greater Time Pressure And Global Presence

In times of crisis, maintaining public trust in the management and products of a company is of fundamental importance. Conveying precisely that message is the principal task of communication. Whoever is acting in a time of crisis must be in a position to speak on the subject. Web 2.0, however, with its direct network of different stakeholders, has reduced the reaction time available. Many more channels of communication must be simultaneously observed and integrated into the communication strategy.

News stories quickly slosh around from blogs to newsgroups or social networking sites, and are then spread via twitter to a broader public. Demonstrations over massive job cuts, as happened at Clariant in February of this year, are publicized around the world in seconds, and forums provide a voice for the employees of a company. Furthermore, the inhibition threshold for expressing negative opinions is considerably lower on the internet. And nothing is ever forgotten on the internet: Everything is always just a click away on Google or Wikipedia. Pictures from cell phones or videos are accessible to everyone at all times and in all places via Flickr and Youtube.

Objective: Maintain Room for Maneuver

Don't lose room for maneuver, or regain it as quickly as you can - the rules that apply in classic crisis communication also apply to Web 2.0:
The following points should be kept in mind in times of crisis:

• Permanent web monitoring: Observe the situation and the communication developments; comment on and discuss this (with primary sources if available) before an individual opinion becomes the group opinion, which could then be widely disseminated. 
• Immediate information about the other stakeholder groups: The communication channels of Web 2.0 are the fastest and most direct way to keep the public informed. The most important of these is Twitter, because it is the fastest tool for spreading information. 
•  Staff briefing: Staff must be informed immediately about the crisis situation and the next steps. This must be done openly and promptly. Prescribed terminology must be established and always kept up to date. If the employees themselves are active in the social web, then they too will be considered as a point of contact and source in times of crisis.
• Activating dark site: The dark site contains the most important information for all stakeholder groups in the event of a crisis. Depending on the scale of the crisis, this site will become the "Online Crisis Management Center." It forms the nerve center for dialogue with stakeholders, the online community and the media. All information is focused here (press releases, hotlines, RSS feeds, corporate blogs where applicable). 
• Background information: Information that is already available, as well as FAQ sections, must be amended and supplemented in the event of an acute crisis.
• Search Engine Optimization during the crisis: Check your Google ranking. Which search terms lead to which positions? Measures must be taken, where necessary, to counter this.

Crisis Prevention

Many risks can be identified in the early stages. While action in this phase cannot always prevent a crisis, it can help contain it. For this reason, professional crisis prevention is a prerequisite for responsible crisis management.

Besides traditional media monitoring, another important element of the early warning system is the monitoring of social media. Early signals, patterns and trends can be identified in the digital sphere through network analyses and topical analyses. One way to get a quick impression about upcoming topics and trends is by using Twitter. However, all relevant forums, blogs and Wikipedia entries should be professionally analyzed and evaluated.
The planning of procedural guidelines and codes of conduct during calmer times also provides helpful support in the event of a real emergency. The risks have to be carefully analyzed for all business processes, specific crisis and alarm procedures put in place, and the roles and functions of staff members must be determined.

Nobody is in the position to manage a crisis perfectly. However, advanced preparation does provide room for maneuver, so that the crisis can be managed in a professional manner that will limit the damage. It also serves to protect "soft values," such as trust and reputation - the values that companies have already spent large sums building up through advertising and PR. Values that are the basis for all the business activities of a company, regardless of whether they relate to customers, business partners, media or politics. Values that crisis prevention can help protect. In the end, it is the sum of errors that were detected early and the mistakes that were averted that separates good crisis management from bad.

The five most important rules for social media communication:

• Listen: Before plunging headlong into the world of social media, listen carefully to who is saying what and how in the various communities.
  
• Be open and honest: Honesty and transparency are of utmost importance in social media. Disclose who you are and the interests you represent. Hushing things up is self-deception and is sure to backfire.
  
• Be concise: Long-winded and meandering explanations are a social media taboo. Additionally, you run the risk of your message being taken apart and then quoted out of context.
  
• Respond promptly and politely to comments: Social media are dialogue-oriented; so respond to comments quickly, politely and in a constructive manner.
  
• Only publish what you would also personally be willing to say at any time and what you would also be happy to see "in print" next to your name: Social networks provide us with a voice to convey our emotions and allow us to vent our frustrations. The effects, however, can be fatal.