TIP OF THE DAY “CEO communications can make a strong impact. 44% of consumers say they would have a more favorable view of a brand if they heard from the CEO. However, 50% say their opinions would remain the same even after hearing from the CEO.” – APCO Worldwide Report COVID-19 UPDATE - As of Wednesday morning, The New York Times reported that 189,000 Americans had a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 and at least 3,900 had died. Bing’s COVID-19 Tracker reported 189,531 cases and 4,081 deaths in the U.S. Globally, cases are now over 885,000.
- Lawmakers ponder an infrastructure bill as economists warn of the “mother of all financial crises.” President Trump endorsed an infrastructure jobs bill on Twitter.
- Markets were down again to start Q2, with the Dow falling 700 points. Analysts predict the market hasn’t bottomed out yet, amid reports of record unemployment.
What messages do your stakeholders need right now? Here’s what some PR pros say should be the focus and tenor of your communication with employees, investors and consumers.
Here are five rules for engaging employees during this crisis. Some of the advice includes having regular team-wide check-ins, creating boundaries around the start of the workday, and making sure you don’t radiate stress. Read all the tips here. Richard Edelman shares tips for how communicators should engage during the crisis. The CEO and leader of the PR agency talks through key messages and concerns for the industry in a video interview with AdAge. Tyson to offer ‘thank you’ bonuses to 116,000 frontline workers and Tyson truckers. Eligible workers will receive $500 dollars for a total that Tyson says will hit $60 million. The Texarkana Gazette wrote: "We're proud of how our team members have stepped up during this challenging time to make sure we continue fulfilling our critical mission of feeding people across America," said Tyson Foods CEO Noel White. "Our company recently relaxed our attendance policy and we encourage our team members to stay at home if they're exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 infection. We're taking additional precautionary measures, such as daily temperature checks at all our facilities and daily cleaning with extra sanitizing in high traffic areas.” Staying organized takes careful effort when working remotely. Just because you aren’t in the office, certain life skills like being able to say “no” are as important as ever. Read all the tips for staying productive and sane while working from home. Many brand managers turn to social media to engage their communities. Here‘s how some channels are being used to address COVID-19 and calls for more social distancing, according to Social Insider: 
Image courtesy of Social Insider. Furloughs are preferable to layoffs for PR and other agencies. In a report from Digiday, many agency leaders say that the alternative to layoffs is a better fit for their organizations to be poised to recover on the other side of this crisis. How should you address questions about employees or leaders with COVID-19? Here’s what belongs in your media relations strategy and how to convey difficult news to employees. The physical and mental health of your employees is paramount. Consider offering these resources from Mental Health America in your messaging, on your intranet and other channels. Slack offers integrations for video calls with Zoom, Microsoft Teams and more. The business networking app will now allow you to make VoIP calls directly from its platform with integrations to other services like Zoom, Cisco Jabber and others, according to The Verge. J.C. Penney paints furloughs as “tough” but “prudent.” The retailer has joined the ranks of many others and announced that it’s furloughing most of its 85,000 employees. The Dallas News reported: “These are difficult days all across the country and the globe. At J.C. Penney, we are making tough, prudent decisions to protect both the safety of our associates and the future of our company,” chief executive Jill Soltau said in a statement. Virtual Conference Alert Join us for Ragan’s Internal Communications and Culture Virtual Conference April 21-22 to learn how you can connect dispersed workers and unite your organization in the face of unprecedented disruption. 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! | 
