An Overview of The Public Relations Function, Second Edition

Shannon A. Bowen, Brad Rawlins, Thomas R. Martin

• Publisher: Business Expert Press
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781949443677
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Public Relations
• Index: Business

This second edition of An Overview of the Public Relations Function examines current thought to help busy managers and students master the most important concepts of management in communication quickly, accessibly, and with an eye to helping an organization achieve excellence through cutting-edge, research-based strategic public relations management.

This book acquaints the manager with the lexicon of the field and provides research on the theory of public relations, its sub-functions, such as research or public affairs, and the ethical guideline CERT formula: Credibility, Ethics, Relationships, Trust.

It also examines the role of the chief communications officer (CCO) and leadership, organizational culture, structure, effectiveness, managing stakeholders and publics, using research to create strategy, and the four-step process of public relations management ("RACE"). Finally, the authors discuss the advanced management concepts of issues management, specialization in the sectors of public relations, managing values, deontological ethics, conducting moral analyses, and counseling management. They review what research found in regard to the most excellent ways to manage public relations and relationships: both beginning and ending with ethics.

PART 1

Mastering the Principles

CHAPTER 1

Why Do Public Relations?

Southwest Airlines Case: Flight 1380

Tuesday, April 17, 2018, began like most other busy travel days for Southwest Airlines. The airline would carry 400,000+ passengers that day, on nearly 4,000 flights. In 2017, Southwest safely flew more than 120 million passengers on its fleet of 700+ airplanes. But on this Tuesday, Southwest’s sterling safety record of never having had an in-flight fatality would sadly be broken.

Flight 1380, a Boeing 737-700, departed from New York’s La Guardia
Airport at 10:43 a.m. on a flight to Dallas. On board were 144 passengers and a crew of 5. At 11:03 a.m., 20 minutes into the flight, the left engine experienced a catastrophic failure, sending shrapnel flying, piercing the aircraft fuselage, and shattering a passenger window. The blast severely injured a passenger, Jennifer Riordan, who was seated next to the shattered window. She was partially sucked out of the plane as fellow passengers frantically struggled to keep her inside, despite depressurization and flying objects.

The cabin experienced sudden depressurization and oxygen masks were deployed, and many passengers assumed the flight was doomed.
A few made desperate video recordings on their phones, thinking these were
the last messages they would leave their families. Despite the significant damage, Captain Tammie Jo Shults and First Officer Darren Ellisor made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport at 11:20 a.m., just 17 minutes after the engine had exploded. Emergency crews met the plane and quickly removed the unconscious Riordan and transported her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Other passengers who received injuries were treated and released. Understandably, everyone on the flight was badly shaken by the ordeal.

Southwest’s Immediate Response

Meanwhile, in Dallas—where Southwest Airlines is based—a group of leaders were off-site for a workshop, when everyone’s cell phone began buzzing at once. Linda Rutherford,¹ the chief communications officer (CCO), was part of the team that got the initial call. Quickly, the decision was made to return to headquarters, open the Headquarters Emergency Command Center, and activate the crisis plan. Rutherford and her team had less than 15 minutes to gather the facts, establish priorities, and begin communicating with key stakeholders and publics, including the family members of those on the flight, other customers, employees, and the news media. Her first action was to get on a Potential Operational Problem (POP) call to ascertain the facts; her second was to mobilize the Headquarters Emergency Command Center and begin working with the team to activate the crisis plan. The first media calls came in at 11:20 a.m. (all times are Dallas time from this point on), just minutes after the emergency was declared and as Flight 1380 was landing in Philadelphia.

By noon, Southwest issued the first media advisory, simply stating the facts as they knew them:

We are aware that Southwest flight #1380 from New York La ­Guardia to Dallas Love Field has diverted to Philadelphia ­International Airport . . . We are in the process of gathering more information. Safety is always our top priority at Southwest ­Airlines, and we are working diligently to support our Customers and Crews at this time.²

Flight 1380 was the top news story of the day, with passengers and crew describing the disaster on board across media outlets. The media call center that the communications team operated took more than 100 calls that first day. More statements would follow, but Southwest was aware that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had to lead the way in discussing anything relating to the cause of the accident. Nevertheless, Southwest also had a responsibility to reassure their customers that flying on its other planes was still safe.

By 3:00 p.m., the company was able to acknowledge its first in-flight fatality. Southwest posted an update that included this statement:

We are deeply saddened to confirm that there is one fatality resulting from this accident. The entire Southwest Airlines Family is devastated and extends its deepest, heartfelt sympathy to the Customers, employees, family members and loved ones affected by this tragic event. We have activated our emergency response team and are deploying every resource to support those affected by this tragedy.

As Rutherford, her team, and dozens of other Southwest employees began mobilizing to deal with the unprecedented situation, they had numerous stakeholders and publics to consider. First and foremost were the victim’s family members. Riordan was survived by her husband, Michael, and two children. The family had to be notified appropriately and offered resources as they coped with their staggering loss. In addition, other passengers on Flight 1380 had experienced a life-threatening emergency, sustained minor injuries, and/or witnessed the tragic death of a fellow passenger. They needed to be consoled and also offered compassionate assistance by the airline.

Gary Kelly, Southwest’s chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), had a visible role from the first few hours of the crisis. He was notified within minutes of the incident and kept updated throughout the day. Kelly’s first video statement was issued at 3:30 p.m. and posted both internally and externally and on social media channels. He conducted a press conference for the media at 5:20 p.m., which was later posted on social media. Kelly also had a special message of gratitude to all first responders and Southwest employees later that evening.

Southwest immediately activated its Care Team to provide support staff for the Riordan family and others on the flight. The Care Team would do everything possible to assist the family as they made plans for Jennifer Riordan’s funeral and a public memorial service. They offered travel support (on Southwest and other airlines) to family members traveling to the service, and they remained on call to fulfill other needs.

Southwest’s Continued Response

Within hours of the accident, the airline began reaching out to offer assistance to the other 143 passengers, as well as the 5 Southwest flight crew members on the flight. Southwest had used Care Teams in the past to assist passengers in extraordinary circumstances, but this event was unprecedented and required a comprehensive approach. A Care Team call center was activated the day after the accident to coordinate all the elements of support. Special toll-free numbers were established, and all the affected passengers were sent e-mails providing instructions on how they could access support. A “go plane” of Southwest employees was dispatched to Philadelphia to support local employees and to assist with the NTSB’s investigation of the accident. A special relief flight was also dispatched to Philadelphia to accommodate those passengers who still wished to continue on to Dallas later that day. The following day, as a proactive measure, Southwest sent each passenger a FedEx package with travel vouchers and a check for $5,000, no questions asked. In addition, Southwest offered to compensate them for travel expenses, lodging, and other expenses incurred as a result of the incident. The crew was hosted in Dallas the following week for a meeting with Gary Kelly; they were offered support and time to heal from the traumatic event. The crew was interviewed on ABC’s 20/20 program, and the communications team helped prepare them to answer questions.

Throughout the crisis and recovery, social media played a key role and was managed carefully. Within minutes of the emergency, details of Flight 1380’s situation could be found on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media channels. Southwest routinely monitors social media channels; as activity increased concerning Flight 1380, so did monitoring efforts. Southwest posted its first items on Facebook and Twitter just an hour after the plane had landed in Philadelphia. The first YouTube video, featuring a message from Kelly, was posted before 3:00 p.m., just hours after the accident, and a second update was posted less than an hour later. The day after the accident, Facebook and Twitter were used to convey statements from both the captain and the first officer of the flight. The team handled media inquiries, taking top-tier media into account for priority handling. They used e-mail statements, phone question/answer sessions, and the company’s media website to manage high call volume and provide timely updates. During the first 7 days, the team handled more than 1,200 media inquiries.

Rutherford and her team’s primary objective was to make sure that the needs of the passengers, crew, and family members of the victim were met in a timely and compassionate way. Yet everyone responsible for managing the crisis also had to continue to serve the millions of other customers who depended on the company for safe, reliable transportation. Now, the pressing issue was how the company would respond to the questions raised by the engine failure. Following the accident, Southwest began inspections (later mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] for the worldwide fleet) of all 737 CFM-56-7 engines, totaling more than 700 planes. The airline did everything possible to minimize system disruptions, but, finally, a total of 500 flights had to be canceled on because of the inspections.

The strength of our culture got us through it.

All of Southwest’s efforts in the first few weeks following the accident were focused on comforting the families, caring for the affected passengers and crew, and reassuring customers and employees of the airline’s safety. In an effort to convey the seriousness of the situation, Southwest replaced its colorful brand identity on all of its digital sites with monochromatic imagery by 2:00 p.m. on April 17. Advertising was suspended to show respect for all who were touched by the tragedy. Now the company faced a dilemma. Southwest was known for humorous in-flight commentary from the flight crew, and the playful tone of its corporate culture. How could Southwest remain true to its culture while also showing empathy and respect for Flight 1380?

In the end, the company was guided by dialogue with the greater Southwest family of stakeholders. A few months later, customers and employees began asking via social channels when it was okay to return to Southwest’s roots . . . when was it okay to laugh again? According to Rutherford, the answer rested with the frontline employees: “We provided guidance early on to be sensitive to the use of humor, but ultimately, we felt it was important to empower our flight attendants and pilots to make their own decisions about when to resume humor aboard flights,” she said.

They were in the best position to determine the mood in the cabin and what was appropriate on any given flight. To laugh again isn’t to minimize what happened on April 17; it was devastating to everyone in the company. In many ways, it was the strength of our culture that got us through it. And an important part of that culture is our ability to use humor in appropriate ways to cope with life’s many challenges.

Rutherford acknowledged,

It was heartbreaking to deliver the news of our first in-flight fatality. The media were generally thoughtful and kind as they knew how much we were hurting from what had happened—that is the power of developing relationships with key stakeholders. You don’t know when you will need them as much as they need you.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018, will always be remembered within Southwest as a day of loss: one that tested t...