QUOTE OF THE DAY "In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers." - Fred Rogers COVID-19 UPDATE - As of Monday morning, The New York Times reported 141,895 positive cases of novel coronavirus in the United States, and at least 2,486 patients who have died. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker reports 144,060 cases and 2,573 deaths.
- Government health leaders have shifted messaging as they warn of dire scenarios where as many as 200,000 American deaths could be a “best case scenario.” They add that they have doubts that all Americans are doing everything they can to stop the spread of the disease.
- Business leaders say that the unprecedented $2 trillion stimulus recently passed by Congress won’t be enough to save the economy. One number to know: $9.5 trillion, the outstanding corporate debt that exists for U.S companies as they try to navigate the crisis.
The Institute for Public Relations offers a library of resources. Check out its list of resources and research being done by academics and organizations around the country on the responses and needs for communicators during the COVID-19 crisis.
How are you coping with working from home? Ragan Consulting’s Jim Ylisela walks through some of the pitfalls (time management) and some of the strategies (impromptu dance party?) to help you keep your sanity and stay on task while operating from home. HBR shares challenges for remote workers. For companies that have shifted their teams to a virtual network, there are new challenges that have to be addressed according to the Harvard Business Review. Some of the key problems they note are “social isolation,” “lack of access to information,” and “distractions at home.” Here’s how they suggest managers can help. GameStop’s messages to employees pose reputational concerns. Internal emails to managers on how to operate during the coronavirus are showing up in news reports, and the company hasn’t been able to offer a good explanation for why it continues to operate in states where non-essential business has been ordered to close. Encourage employees to share stories. Here are some techniques for gathering these important narratives to help engage dispersed workers. E-scooter startup Bird lays off 400 workers via group Zoom call. Due to some technical difficulties, some thought they were being laid off in a prerecorded message. BBC reported: Its chief executive, Travis VanderZanden, later added: "Video was turned off, which we thought was more humane. "In retrospect, we should've made one-on-one calls to the hundreds impacted, over the course of a few days." Globally, 77% of PR firms expect the COVID-19 pandemic to harm their bottom line. In a report from PRovoke Media, respondents shared a grim outlook for the immediate future of the PR and marketing industry. Where people are spending? Crisis communications and corporate comms. 
Image courtesy of PRovoke Media. During the current crisis, think about your community—not profits. Here are some tips on how your organization can position your outreach in terms that audiences will appreciate during these uncertain times. After the crisis is long over, these efforts will pay dividends for your organization. Sharing news over the loss of a colleague is never easy. Jeffries Group shares that its CFO, Peg Broadbent, has died from COVID-19. Organizations will have to address issues of business continuity while sharing their grief over the loss of a colleague and engaging internally to help workers through the crisis. USA Today reported: In a joint statement Sunday, Jefferies CEO Rich Handler and chairman Brian Friedman said they are "heartbroken" … "Part of what made Peg the great partner he was to all of us was his core humanity," Handler and Friedman said in their statement. "No matter what the occasion, his decency, calmness and dry wit were always there, always making things better. We will miss him terribly." Yum Brands CEO donates salary for bonuses to regional managers. Often in a crisis, the CEO forgoing their salary is symbolic, but Yum is trying to tie the gesture to a more tangible result. Managers at restaurants like Taco Bell, KFC and other will receive a one-time check for $1,000, according to CNBC. Keeping virtual meetings productive. With teams being forced into virtual conference rooms, it’s important to know how to keep these gatherings moving and focused. Here are some tips on how to manage your teleconference session so it achieves its goals without eating up all your time and energy. COVID-19 disrupts influencer marketing. Here’s how the experts say your organization can pivot to use these online personalities to engage important audiences. Virtual Event Alert Check out Ragan’s Crisis Communications Virtual Summit March 31 for a day of virtual sessions that you can share with your entire team, or watch any time on your own schedule. Join our Crisis Leadership Board Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board is the resource you need before, during and post-crisis. As a Board member, you have access to all back issues of this newsletter, we well as research, data, case studies, checklists, tip sheets, articles and other resources, plus a peer to peer discussion board and an all-access pass to the annual Crisis Management Conference. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Contact Hannah Lavelle at HannahL@ragan.com with sponsorship and advertising inquiries. Pitch Us Have a great story to share about crisis communication or your own take on current best practices? Contact Editor Ted Kitterman at TedK@ragan.com. Sign Up Subscribe to Ragan’s Crisis Daily newsletter today! | 
