Following the deadly sinking of the Sewol Ferry, the Korean public was more sensitive to safety issues than ever before. Around this time, a safety accident occurred due to equipment malfunction, leaving a global manufacturer in need of urgent help to smoothly resolve the situation. In all, timely response eventually played a significant role in maintaining the manufacturers brand and reputation. It took less than half of the day for FleishmanHillard in Korea to launch comprehensive, real-time monitoring across all traditional and social media channels and to develop the first crisis management platform by mobilizing a task force (TF) with the manufacturer. Also, FleishmanHillard preemptively established a 24/7 reporting and decision-making line with the manufacturers APAC and global HQ offices. Following the accident, FleishmanHillard immediately assessed the rapidly changing situations and interests of all stakeholders to prepare appropriate holding statements and response solutions. Simultaneously, FleishmanHillard sought out the site of the accident to directlycommunicate with local residents, police and media. Particularly, FleishmanHillard’s team worked closely with legal counselors on communication issues related to compensation, police investigations, and insurance companies, while committing to individually train counselors to properly respond to special situations. As a result of authentic and bilateral communication, the team was able to successfully reach an agreement with the bereaved family and key stakeholders while minimizing damages to the manufacturers reputation by preventing brand name exposure on media channels.
