Our Crisis Communications Samples
A wide variety of crisis content…
Over the last 35 years, Hoffman Power Consulting has created more than 1,000 client-tailored technical and marketing documents in the electric power industry. Following are representative samples of the many crisis communications products our team members have managed or produced in various positions throughout their careers:
CASE STUDY
Challenge
After Superstorm Sandy passed through the service territory of a major southeastern utility in 2012, impacted utilities in the northeastern US requested mutual assistance to help restore the thousands of customers without power.
Solution
In response, the utility deployed over 1,000 utility workers to aid restoration efforts in the northeast. In her previous role as senior director of external communications at the utility, Marci Grossman, now a senior consultant at Hoffman, developed strategy and oversaw execution of tactical media relations during this process. This included developing and distributing news releases and media alerts for the media about the mutual assistance efforts; posting social media content; proactively reaching out to media in the Northeast and at home; creating and placing digital billboard ads on the interstate that welcomed the utility workers home; developing messaging; and coaching and preparing the utility workers for media interviews once they arrived home safely. Marci also supervised creation and media placement of videos and photos of the crews departing for the northeast, arriving in the affected areas, and restoring service. She also helped coordinate efforts with the northeast utilities.
Outcome
As a result of Marci and her team’s efforts, the utility received positive feedback and posts from customers on social media channels, and garnered significant media coverage locally, regionally, and nationally. Her team also developed an external communication plan for future mutual assistance efforts, which included examples of activities during Sandy (ads, news releases) and template materials to adapt accordingly during future events.
After Superstorm Sandy passed through the service territory of a major southeastern utility in 2012, impacted utilities in the northeastern US requested mutual assistance to help restore the thousands of customers without power.
Solution
In response, the utility deployed over 1,000 utility workers to aid restoration efforts in the northeast. In her previous role as senior director of external communications at the utility, Marci Grossman, now a senior consultant at Hoffman, developed strategy and oversaw execution of tactical media relations during this process. This included developing and distributing news releases and media alerts for the media about the mutual assistance efforts; posting social media content; proactively reaching out to media in the Northeast and at home; creating and placing digital billboard ads on the interstate that welcomed the utility workers home; developing messaging; and coaching and preparing the utility workers for media interviews once they arrived home safely. Marci also supervised creation and media placement of videos and photos of the crews departing for the northeast, arriving in the affected areas, and restoring service. She also helped coordinate efforts with the northeast utilities.
Outcome
As a result of Marci and her team’s efforts, the utility received positive feedback and posts from customers on social media channels, and garnered significant media coverage locally, regionally, and nationally. Her team also developed an external communication plan for future mutual assistance efforts, which included examples of activities during Sandy (ads, news releases) and template materials to adapt accordingly during future events.
CASE STUDY
Challenge
In August 2021, summer storms flooded a midwestern utility’s substation, which impacted three other area substations and caused significant customer outages. The unprecedented flooding inside the substation damaged equipment and created substantial challenges for the utility, including rebuilding the substation line and rerouting power.
Solution
Marci Grossman, currently a senior consultant at Hoffman, was director of communications at the utility during these storms. She implemented an educational strategy using traditional media and social channels to reach customers and other stakeholders. Besides providing estimated times of restoration (ETRs) and safety hazard information, Marci’s strategy was to go beyond providing ETRs. Her communications team explained the cause of the outage, the need for long ETRs, and the steps the utility was taking to restore service as quickly as possible. The team posted images and videos of the flooded substation to illustrate this, as well as to explain the complex steps needed to fix the situation.
Outcome
As a result of the new communication approach, customers and stakeholders were better able to understand the challenges and appreciated the utility’s efforts. The utility had not previously educated customers – and the approach was well received. In fact, customers posted positive comments on social media channels about the restoration efforts and commended the utility’s workers.
In August 2021, summer storms flooded a midwestern utility’s substation, which impacted three other area substations and caused significant customer outages. The unprecedented flooding inside the substation damaged equipment and created substantial challenges for the utility, including rebuilding the substation line and rerouting power.
Solution
Marci Grossman, currently a senior consultant at Hoffman, was director of communications at the utility during these storms. She implemented an educational strategy using traditional media and social channels to reach customers and other stakeholders. Besides providing estimated times of restoration (ETRs) and safety hazard information, Marci’s strategy was to go beyond providing ETRs. Her communications team explained the cause of the outage, the need for long ETRs, and the steps the utility was taking to restore service as quickly as possible. The team posted images and videos of the flooded substation to illustrate this, as well as to explain the complex steps needed to fix the situation.
Outcome
As a result of the new communication approach, customers and stakeholders were better able to understand the challenges and appreciated the utility’s efforts. The utility had not previously educated customers – and the approach was well received. In fact, customers posted positive comments on social media channels about the restoration efforts and commended the utility’s workers.
CASE STUDY
Challenge
When Marci Grossman, currently a senior consultant at Hoffman, was senior director of external communications at the southeastern utility, she initiated research with news media to determine perceptions of working with the utility, its communications efforts, gaps in providing information, and suggestions to improve communications. The research identified room for improvement regarding the utility’s media responsiveness, and the need to provide local spokespersons for local stories.
Solution
With her team, Marci implemented new communication practices – before and after severe storms – to address the media’s feedback. Before storms, they started deploying bilingual media spokespersons to diverse areas; sending other media people to large metro areas in the service territory; and conducting interviews from the storm center about preparation efforts. After the storms hit, other new tactics included staging media events, identifying locations for the media to videotape and photograph restoration work; and conducting interviews with local media outlets. These activities educated and showed all stakeholders the efforts the company was implementing to restore power.
Outcome
Marci and her team’s efforts increased positive media coverage. Media provided feedback that the utility had become much more approachable and responsive as a result of the new practices.
When Marci Grossman, currently a senior consultant at Hoffman, was senior director of external communications at the southeastern utility, she initiated research with news media to determine perceptions of working with the utility, its communications efforts, gaps in providing information, and suggestions to improve communications. The research identified room for improvement regarding the utility’s media responsiveness, and the need to provide local spokespersons for local stories.
Solution
With her team, Marci implemented new communication practices – before and after severe storms – to address the media’s feedback. Before storms, they started deploying bilingual media spokespersons to diverse areas; sending other media people to large metro areas in the service territory; and conducting interviews from the storm center about preparation efforts. After the storms hit, other new tactics included staging media events, identifying locations for the media to videotape and photograph restoration work; and conducting interviews with local media outlets. These activities educated and showed all stakeholders the efforts the company was implementing to restore power.
Outcome
Marci and her team’s efforts increased positive media coverage. Media provided feedback that the utility had become much more approachable and responsive as a result of the new practices.