{"id":224589,"date":"2020-04-10T08:30:15","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T03:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qcsglobal.com\/?p=224589"},"modified":"2020-04-18T17:10:18","modified_gmt":"2020-04-18T11:40:18","slug":"disaster-and-crisis-messaging-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/disaster-and-crisis-messaging-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Disaster and Crisis Messaging Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Disaster planning is all about preparing for rare events, whether they\u2019re epidemics, hurricanes, blizzards, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, or some other calamity. Crisis messaging should be a part of any disaster planning so you can communicate effectively with your customers and give them the essential information that they need.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Let\u2019s talk about what that should look like in terms of messaging, subject line and preview text copy, tone, design, quality assurance, and segmentation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Messaging<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">The No. 1 goal with any crisis messaging is to address the burning questions that your customers have and to demonstrate that you\u2019re doing your best to address their needs and that of your employees. Doing so will improve customer satisfaction and reduce confusion\u2014which you\u2019ll be able to measure partly from call center volume and the sentiment of the <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oracle.com\/marketingcloud\/resources\/social-marketing.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">social media activity<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"> around your brand.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">What those questions are will likely be different depending on whether the disaster has already hit or not. When it\u2019s an event that can be predicted at least a few days ahead of time, it gives you the opportunity to proactively address customer questions such as:\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">How can your company help people prepare for the coming disaster?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> Are you extending your store hours or call center hours? Are you providing preparedness checklists? Have you stocked up on high-demand items?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">How can you help your customers plan for disruptions to their service, store closures, etc.?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> Can you alert them to what\u2019s likely to happen so they\u2019re not surprised?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">For example, during the Nor&#8217;easter that affected the 2009 holiday season, Neiman Marcus sent a segmented email to those affected by the blizzard on Dec. 20, saying in the subject line, \u201cCan&#8217;t get to the mall? Shop online and get FREE DELIVERY by Christmas at any price\u200f.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Are you canceling services or events?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> If so, are you providing refunds or giving credit? Are you automatically rebooking services for a future date or does your customer need to pick a new date? Are you providing any incentives to encourage customers to rebook or not cancel?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Are orders likely to be delayed?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> If so, how long is the anticipated delay? What should customers do if they\u2019d like to cancel their order?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Are you changing your cancellation, return, or warranty policies?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> Are you allowing more time for returns? Are you allowing returns in ways that you don\u2019t typically?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Will you be closing stores?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> If so, when will they be closing?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">How can customers get current information?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> What webpage can customers go to for up-to-date information? What phone number can they use to contact your company to get their questions answered? For example, Xfinity emails customers who are likely to be hit by severe storms to proactively encourage them to visit their <\/span><\/span><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/stormready.xfinity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\">Storm Ready webpage<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> and to download their free apps so they can get updates on outages. They also encourage them to download shows and movies that they can watch offline in the event that they do lose power.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<p>\u201cXfinity knows how disruptive service outages (WiFi especially) can be for their customers&#8217; daily lives,\u201d says Ana Jablonski, Senior Consultant for Strategic Services, Oracle CX Marketing Consulting. \u201cBy understanding and anticipating what their customers need during a crisis, they are able to proactively provide resources throughout the year so customers can feel calm and prepared in a time of need.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">For disasters that can\u2019t be forecasted and during ongoing disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic, use your crisis messaging to address other questions such as:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">What\u2019s the best way to get information on how your business is affected?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> Are you experiencing delays in customer service? If so, set the appropriate expectations and tell them alternative ways to get help.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<p>For instance, in a Mar. 12, 2020 email to users in the wake of new travel restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19, Expedia said: \u201cWe are clearly facing extreme call volumes at this time, and wish we could respond to everyone immediately. Please know that we are working as fast as we can to update our site with options that allow you to manage your itinerary directly, as well as re-deploying Travel Advisors from other parts of the business in an effort to assist those who are calling in. The quickest way to find out if your travel plans can be changed without a penalty will be to check the airline or hotel website directly.\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Are you reducing capacity?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> If so, by how much? How might that affect your customers?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">When will your locations reopen?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> Will they resume normal business hours or will hours be longer or shorter than normal?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<p>For example, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Lane Bryant sent a segmented email on Dec. 4, 2012 to their customers near Oceanside, NY, announcing in the subject line: \u201cWe&#8217;re Back &#8211; Our Oceanside Store Re-Opens Friday.\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Are there alternative ways that your customers can get service?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> Can your customers get service from you some other way or can they get help from a partner, government agency, or charity?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<p>For instance, after tornadoes hit Nashville in early March of 2020, Comcast sent out a targeted email to customers in the affected area alerting them of new, public WiFi hotspots that had been added to allow for customers, friends, family and first responders to stay connected.<\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">What actions are you taking to ensure customer safety?<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">For example, during the early phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, many airlines, stores, restaurants, and other public places communicated that they were increasing cleaning protocols and making more hand sanitizer stations available to customers.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Depending on the circumstances, you may also want to address how you are keeping your employees safe and ensuring the continuity of operations. For example\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">While most of your messaging will be about your company and your customers, there may be opportunities to be broader than that. For example&#8230;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Can you direct your customers to trustworthy sources of information?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> For example, can you direct customers to <\/span><\/span><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\">the National Weather Service<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">, <\/span><\/span><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\">the Centers for Disease Control &amp; Prevention<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">, or other local, state, or federal websites?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"><span style=\"tab-stops: list .5in;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: baseline;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">Can you direct your customers to trustworthy charity organizations?<\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> For customers who may want to help those affected by the disaster, can you point them to reputable charities? If your company is donating to one or more charities, that\u2019s a great way to strengthen this call-to-action and get people thinking civic-mindedly. For example, during the wildfires in California, grocery delivery company <\/span><\/span><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/help-bring-thanksgiving-to-the-camp-fire-evacuees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\">Good Eggs sent an email<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"> about how they are working with relief centers in Oroville, CA to bring Thanksgiving dinners to people displaced by the Camp Fire. The company encourages subscribers to donate to the effort as well.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Consider ending your messages with a reminder that crises and disaster recoveries are fluid situations, says Doug Sundahl, Senior Director of Strategic Services, Oracle CX Marketing Consulting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">\u201cMake sure you let them know your organization is keeping a close eye on the situation,\u201d he says, \u201cand will continuously work to adapt in the best interest of customers, employees, and the community as new information comes in.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Subject Lines &amp; Preview Text Copy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Especially in times of crisis, clarity is the order of the day. Don\u2019t be vague with your subject line or pull punches. Be direct.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">For example, the subject line of REI\u2019s Mar. 15, 2020 email was \u201cWe&#8217;re Closing Our Retail Stores Until March 27.\u201d That is much clearer than \u201cAn update on our retail stores,\u201d which was the subject line of another retailer that was also closing its stores.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Continue this philosophy of directness in your preview text, which allows you even more characters to give your subscribers the most critical information.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Tone<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">If your brand is funny, irreverent, zany, or really casual, it can be easy to get tripped by up disasters. It\u2019s best to dial down your brand personality and be heartfelt and serious.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Whatever the situation, the chances are high that property and lives are being lost, so the last thing you want to do is be indifferent or make light of things. Imagine that you\u2019re good friends with your most affected customers. You should express sympathy for those affected.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">\u201cWe typically see a lot of these messages come from CEOs and presidents,\u201d says Sundahl. \u201cIn and of itself, that usually puts a more conservative and serious tilt to the messaging, which is exactly what\u2019s needed.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Most of all, you\u2019ll want to avoid any perception that you\u2019re profiteering off the disaster. \u201cMake sure the messaging never appears to be opportunistic,\u201d he says, \u201cbut value- and benefit-focused in an effort to help consumers. It could very easily come across as trying to capitalize on a bad situation, which would likely hurt your brand image and jeopardize long-term sales.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Design<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Your message design should be simple. Now is not the time for flash or creativity. Clarity of communication is the goal, so anything that distracts from that should be jettisoned from your design.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">\u201cIt\u2019s important to formalize the email versus making it look promotional,\u201d says Jason Witt, Senior Director of Creative Services at Oracle CX Marketing Consulting.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Generally, what this leaves you with is an email with clear branding at the top of the email, often followed by a headline, and then your body copy. We don\u2019t recommend using hero images in these emails, as they push your copy down, can distract from your message, or project the wrong tone. You can see this design aesthetic in action at a glance in this <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/categories\/emergency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\">collection of COVID-19 messages on ReallyGoodEmails.com<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Because these messages tend to be text-heavy, make thoughtful use of subheads and bullet points to break up text and to create easy-to-digest chunks of information. And make sure your font size isn\u2019t too small or all the text will look impenetrable, says James Wurm, Head of Coding Services, Oracle CX Marketing Consulting.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">\u201cDepending on how much copy there is,\u201d he says, \u201cI find 14pt to 18pt to be appropriate.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Using reverse copy, where it\u2019s light text on a dark background, is okay, but you\u2019ll want to pay extra attention to legibility and contrast ratios, says Witt. \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 11.5pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: #1d1c1d;\">It needs to be ADA compliant,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s key!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><i><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Remember<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">: It\u2019s a time of crisis. Your customers are likely stressed. They may not be at their best. Make your email easy to scan and easy to read. Cut extraneous words and ideas wherever you can to highlight the most important messaging.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Quality Assurance<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">In times of crisis, you\u2019re moving fast. But make time for QA, even if it\u2019s less than usual. Thankfully, crisis messaging is fairly simple in terms of design, so most of your QA is simply copy proofing. Make sure there aren\u2019t any typos, missing words, or bad grammar.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 14.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Segmentation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Most disasters are regional in nature, so <\/span><\/span><\/span><a style=\"color: blue; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oracle.com\/marketingcloud\/products\/marketing-automation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\">segmentation<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"> is key to getting your message in front of the appropriate subscribers within your overall audience. Do your best with the geographic information that you have about your customers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">\u201cIf the disaster affects all of your customers, as COVID-19 does for many senders, then you\u2019ll still want to use some segmentation. However, in this case, you\u2019ll want to exclude your inactive subscribers to avoid causing deliverability problems and driving up attrition,\u201d says <span style=\"background: white;\">Clea Moore, Director of Deliverability Strategy, Oracle CX Marketing Consulting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">\u201cWith any large, full-file send, there is the potential for a performance and reputation hit, especially if the email is sent as a service message from a transactional IP address that usually has low send volume per day,\u201d she says. \u201cSo, loop in your deliverability expert or consultant and assess which subscribers you\u2019re going to send to and determine if throttling the campaign is necessary.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Sending your crisis message may only be the beginning of your adjustments<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">, as some crises have a lasting impact on consumer behavior. And because we always want to be in sync with our customers, that may require you to adjust your messaging, frequency, and other elements.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"><b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Need help with your crisis messaging strategy?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-size: 11.0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"><span style=\"color: black;\"> Oracle Marketing Cloud Consulting has more than 500 of the leading marketing minds ready to help you to achieve more with the leading marketing cloud, including a <b>Campaign Deployment &amp; Monitoring Services<\/b> team that offers crisis and rush campaign support to get your emergency campaigns out the door in 2 hours or less.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/feedproxy.google.com\/~r\/itsallaboutrevenue\/~3\/1RgELvOnXHc\/disaster-and-crisis-messaging-best-practices\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disaster planning is all about preparing for rare events, whether they\u2019re epidemics, hurricanes, blizzards, wildfires, floods, earthquakes, or some other calamity. Crisis messaging should be a part of any disaster planning so you can communicate effectively with your customers and give them the essential information that they need. Let\u2019s talk about what that should look [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":224590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,11,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224589"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224589"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224650,"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224589\/revisions\/224650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qcsglobal.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}