Communications executives are constantly bombarded with examples of how social media fueled a crisis situation. For a dose of much-needed optimism, here are a handful of organizations that have effectively implemented social media into crisis plans, and that have used it to their advantage when “it” hits the fan.
• Food and Drug Administration: Among other social media tools, the FDA has a Twitter account dedicated solely to communicating information surrounding recalls. The platform, @FDArecalls, has been used to update the public on everything from product recalls to allergy warnings.
• The Centers for Disease Control: The CDC has built up an active social media presence, which it has leveraged to manage communications around everything from the H1N1 Flu crisis to the peanut product recalls. For example, @CDCemergency addresses emergency preparedness and response issues and has more than 850,000 followers. The organization even has a YouTube channel, a SecondLife island, a Flickr channel and an iTunes profile.