![Dole Food Company Inc. Crisis Communication Plan<br />-95250699135Apple Juice Recall due to Increased Levels of Patulin<br />Developed by:<br />Lindsay Smith<br />Director of Media Relations<br />Created: April 27, 2010<br />Table of Contents<br />Introduction………………………………………………….……....p.3<br />Acknowledgments………………………………………….…..........p.4<br />Rehearsal Dates............................................................................…...p.5<br />Purpose and Objectives...………………………………….………...p.6<br />List of Possible Crises …………………………………….……….p.7<br />List of Key Publics……………………………………….…………p. 8<br />Procedures for Notifying Publics………………………………....…p.9<br />Crisis Communication Team ……………………………….. ...p.10-11<br />Media Spokesperson……………………………………….……...p. 12<br />Emergency Personnel and Local Official……………………….…p.13<br />Key Media……………………………….………………….……...p.14<br />Spokespeople for Related Organizations…......................................p.15<br />Crisis Communication Center and Alternate Location s………..…p.16<br />Equipment and Supplies…………………………………………...p.17<br />Pregathered Information……..………………………………….....p.18<br />Wed Sites and Related Links……………………………………....p.18<br />Key messages………………………………………………...........p. 19<br />Possible Trick Questions and Responses………………………......p.20<br />Example Press Briefing…………………………………..……p. 21-22<br />List of Prodromes……………………………….……………..…...p.23<br />Evaluation Form………………………………………………..….p. 24<br />Dear Employees and Executive Team,<br />At this time, I would like to express to you the importance of reading and becoming familiar with this contingency plan. As many of you know, Dole Food Company Inc. is responsible for over 50,000 employees working in over 25 countries. Dole Food’s has a deep history of improving our products, expanding our expertise and leading the industry in nutrition education and research. Dole has earned this reputation over the last 154 years thanks to its unwavering commitment to fulfill its customers' needs and consumers' expectations in the critical areas of quality assurance, food safety, traceability, environmental responsibility and social accountability. With this promise to our customers, we must strive to always be ahead of the curve in order to maintain the level of reliability that is expected from us. In response to this, our Public Relations team has worked diligently to try and develop a plan in order for us to be prepared incase increased levels of the bacteria patulin were to be found in Dole’s 100% Apple Juice that would then result in the immediate recall of all bottles in the entire state of Virginia. Please read and study this plan thoroughly in order to be prepared as possible in case this unfortunate event were to occur. Failure to read this plan will result in unnecessary confusions, thus, not allowing us to maintain the ability to truly call Dole Food Company Inc. the most reliable brand of apple juice. By considering this possible crisis, we are able to improve our company and remain proactive in insuring that Dole continues to maintain its excellent reputation as a dependable company. <br />Thank you for your time and devotion to Dole Food Company Inc.<br />Sincerely,<br />David A. DeLorenzo<br />President of Dole Food Company Inc.<br />To Employees of Dole Food Company Inc.,<br />Thank you all for your help in obtaining the necessary information in order to formulate this crisis communication plan. I can not express enough how imperative it is for each of you to read over and study this plan. Therefore, please sign this acknowledgement sheet below after you have read over this plan thoroughly. Turn this sheet into your administrator as proof of completion and then each location will be tested for response outlined in this crisis plan regarding increased levels of patulin in Dole’s 100% apple juice that would then result in the immediate recall of all bottles within the state of Virginia. You are responsible for returning the form to your administrator by May 10, 2010 in order to be properly prepared for when the simulations are to take place. We will then rehearse this crisis plan along with others every six months on the first Wednesday of the proper month. An e-mail will be sent a week prior to these rehearsals in order to ensure that everyone is aware that they are only tests but must be taken seriously none the less. <br />Sincerely, <br />David A. DeLorenzo<br />Preside of Dole Food Company Inc.<br />I have thoroughly read the following contingency plan and believe that if required I am able to handle the outlined crisis a best as possible. <br />_________________________________ ________________<br />Name (print) Date<br />_________________________________ _________________<br />Signature Date<br />REHERSAL DATES<br />This crisis communication plan for increased levels of the bacteria patulin in Dole’s 100% apple juice will be practiced every six months. The dates for the next five years are recorded below. <br />2010:<br />Wednesday, May 5<br />Wednesday, November 3<br />2011:<br />Wednesday, May 4<br />Wednesday, November 2<br />2012:<br />Wednesday, May 2<br />Wednesday, November 7<br />2013:<br />Wednesday, May 1<br />Wednesday, November 6<br />2014:<br />Wednesday, May 7<br />Wednesday, November 5<br />PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES<br />Purpose:<br />Identify possible threats and crises <br />Minimize risks posed by those threats and crises <br />Provide employees with a set of guidelines so as to minimize uncertainty and confusion in a time of crisis<br />In the event of a crisis, this will speed the response time and improve overall effectiveness. <br />Objectives:<br />To be seen by the public as a company that cares about its customers and employees<br />To communicate accurately and effectively during crisis<br />To ensure we are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our customers and employees<br />To make certain we understand the causes of crisis and take measures to prevent them in the future<br />To ensure our customers are satisfied with our serves<br />LIST OF POSSIBLE CRISES <br />Below is a list of all the possible crises that could occur within Dole Food Company Inc.<br />Flood<br />Hurricane<br />Earthquake<br />Fraud<br />Embezzlement<br />Tornado<br />Suicide<br />Shooting<br />Employment (underage, illegal immigrants, etc.)<br />E-coli in bagged lettuce<br />Squatters on banana plantations<br />Employees stealing products<br />Bomb threat<br />Patulin in bottled apple juice<br />Dole’s labeling being misleading<br />The list above are all crisis that could possibly occur within Dole Food Company Inc., however during this plan we have chosen to focus on only one of the abovementioned crises for this particular plan :<br />,[object Object],LIST OF KEY PUBLICS<br />Dole Food Customers<br />Dole Food Employees<br />Executive Team<br />Board of Directors<br />Corporate Officers<br />Media<br />Shareholders<br />Competitors<br />Chiquita Brands International, Inc.<br />Del Monte Foods Company<br />Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.<br />Government Officials<br />Public Officials<br />Surrounding Communities<br />Financial Partners<br />Community Leaders<br />Legal Representatives<br />Union Officials<br />PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFYING KEY PUBLICS<br />It is very important to notify all the key publics as soon as a crisis is learned about. In order to be a successful leader in a time of crisis a leader must remember to communicate early and often. This means that these publics must be notified immediately that increased levels of patulin have been found in Dole’s 100% apple juice and must be given updates as frequently as possible with any further information regarding the subsequent recall and any other discoveries made. <br />Internal Publics <br />Employees<br />Executive Team<br />Board of Directors <br />Corporate Officers<br />Shareholders<br />These internal publics should always be notified first before the other publics. However, depending on the seriousness of the crisis, sometimes only critical personnel are notified first and then following the critical personnel all other employees will be notified shortly after. It is vital that these internal publics be notified prior to external publics because these publics are the ones who keep this company running smoothly and have much of their time and effort invested in the company’s future. A press release should be sent out to the internal personnel outlining the who, what, when, where and why (if known) of the incident. The board of directors will receive a phone call, via satellite phone, as well as a e-mail because it is imperative that they hear of this issue as soon as possible because they are the ones with the decision making power in a situation such as this. <br />External Publics<br />Customers<br />Media<br />Competitors<br />Government Officials<br />Public Officials<br />Surrounding Communities<br />Legal Representatives <br />Union Officials <br />Community Leaders<br />Financial Partners<br />Since the amount of External Publics is much larger than internal, the external publics will need to be reached by different means of notification. These external publics will be notified through the media, press briefings, press releases, town meetings and forums. Dole Food’s will also put additional information regarding the crisis on our web site www.dole.com and will be updated as soon as any further information is gathered. <br />CRISIS COMMUNICATION TEAM<br />This is a following list of the Crisis Team that must be contacted immediately in a chance of a crisis. The team consists of Dole’s Corporate Officers, Board of Directors and Public Relations team. David A. DeLorenzo is to be the first contacted via satellite phone. He is the president of Dole Food Company Inc. and is in charge of calling the next on the list of Corporate Officers, these lists will go on in the order listed below. He is also responsible for then calling Elaine Chao who will call Andrew Conrad and continue in this phone tree manner. Finally, David A. DeLorenzo is also responsible for calling Bill Stuart to start the phone tree through the Public Relations Team. <br />Work PhoneCell PhoneHome PhoneE-mailCorporate OfficersDavid A. DeLorenzoPresident-Dole Food 410-555-2324410-555-5541703-555-5591ddelorenzo@dole.comDavid H. Murdock Chairman and CEO410-555-5551410-555-5542703-555-5592dmurdock@dole.comJoseph S. Tesoriero Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President 410-555-5552410-555-5543703-555-5593jtesoriero@dole.comJean-Christophe JuilliardExecutive Vice President of General Counsel410-555-5553410-555-5544703-555-5594jcjuilliard@dole.comJohn T. Schouten Executive Vice President of Strategy, Development and Planning410-555-5554410-555-5545703-555-5595jschouten@dole.com C. Michael CarterCorporate Secretary of the General Counsel 410-555-5555410-555-5546703-555-5596ccarter@dole.comYoon H. HughChief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller410-555-5556410-555-5547703-555-5597yhugh@dole.comDanko StambukSenior Vice President of Manufacturing 410-555-5557410-555-5548703-555-5598dstambuk@dole.comRoberta WiemanExecutive Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations410-555-5558410-555-5549703-555-5599rwieman@dole.comBill MeehanSenior Vice President of Real Estate410-555-5559410-555-5550703-555-5560bmeehan@dole.comJennifer Volgue Senior Vice President of Finance 410-555-5560410-555-6767703-555-4545jvolgue@dole.comBoard of DirectorsElaine Chao410-555-5518410-555-5568703-555-5609echao@gmail.com Andrew Conrad410-555-5519410-555-5569703-555-5610aconrad@gmail.comDennis Weinberg410-555-5520410-555-5570703-555-5611dweinber@gmail.comDavid Murdock Jr.410-555-5521410-555-5571703-555-5612djmurdock@gmail.comSherry Lansing410-555-5522410-555-5572703-555-5613slansing@gmail.comDonald T. Nicolaisen410-555-5523410-555-5573703-555-5614dnicolaisen@gmail.comThomas H. O'Brien410-555-5524410-555-5574703-555-5615tobrien@gmail.comClarence Otis, Jr.410-555-5525410-555-5575703-555-5616cotis@gmail.comHugh B. Price410-555-5526410-555-5576703-555-5617hprice@gmail.comPublic RelationsBill StuartExecutive Director 410-555-5531410-555-5581703-555-5622bstuart@dole.comDr. Ramesh RaoAssistant Director 410-555-5532410-555-5582703-555-5623rrao@dole.com Dr. Pamela Tracy410-555-5533410-555-5583703-555-5624ptracy@dole.comDr. Naomi Johnson 410-555-5534410-555-5584703-555-5625njohnson@dole.com<br />MEDIA SPOKESPERSON<br />In the case that high levels of the toxic bacteria patulin are found in Dole’s 100% apple juice resulting in the immediate recall of all bottles in the state of Virginia, it is important the spokesperson be knowledgeable about all components that may affect this crisis. Because patulin has been found to be life threatening in laboratory mice and scientists believe it will have the same effects in humans, David H. Murdock, Chairman and CEO will be the head spokesperson for the recall of Dole’s 100% apple juice due to increased patulin levels. He will be assisted by Roberta Wieman, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, as well as John T. Schouten, Executive Vice President of Strategy, Development, and Planning. In a case were expert opinion is needed these officials should call on professionals rather than attempting to answer questions with risk of losing credibility. Bill Stuart, Executive Director of Public Relations will be with these spokespeople at all times to ensure effective communication. Spokespeople should utilize concise language, pleasant demeanor and an appearance that is rational, concerned and empathetic. <br />EMERGENCEY PERSONNEL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS<br />Below is a list of Emergency personnel and political officials to be contacted in the event of a recall of Dole’s 100% apple juice due to increase levels of the bacteria patulin in bottles distributed across Virginia. They are trained to handle real life crises:<br />Colonel W. Steven Flaherty<br />Virginia State Police Department <br />Cell: 703-888-9910<br />Work: 703-999-1021<br />Home: 703-444-5555<br />E-mail: sflherty@VSPD.com<br />Connor Griffin Foote<br />City of Richmond Fire Department<br />Cell: 557-555-6789<br />Work: 404-555-6233<br />Home: 557-555-3264<br />E-mail: ConnorG@CRFD.com<br />Deputy Jon Matthew Washko <br />District of Columbia Police Department<br />Cell: 571-555-2543<br />Work: 202-555-4987<br />Home: 202-555-6342<br />E-mail: JMWashko@DCPD.com<br />Joel Sebastian Temme<br />District of Columbia Volunteer Fire Department<br />Cell: 571-555-0089<br />Work: 202-555-5542<br />Home: 202-555-6743<br />E-mail: JST@DCFD.com<br />Tina Fey<br />Mayor of District of Columbia<br />Cell: 703-555-8922<br />Work: 202-555-6511<br />Home: 202-555-8832<br />E-mail: TFey@DistrictColumbia.gov<br />KEY MEDIA<br />Below is a list of key media contacts that are to be invited to press briefings or made aware of press releases. Listed are general media who can reach key publics. <br />Claire B. GwaltneyMary E. Glass<br />Fox News Program ManagerThe Richmond Times Dispatch <br />Cell: 555-234-2343Cell: 545-6789-9999<br />Work: 555-565-2347Work: 787-999-0909<br />Home: 555-222-3454Home: 804-666-0000<br />E-mail: c.gwaltney@fox.comE-mail: m.glass@RTD.com<br />Tammy S. Pinkston<br />CBS News Program Manager<br />Cell: 555-343-4542<br />Work: 555-456-9382<br />Home: 555-999-8765<br />E-mail: t.pink@cbs.com<br />Al P. Herman<br />ABC News Program Manager<br />Cell: 555-386-4569<br />Work: 555-398-5963<br />Home: 765- 444-9999<br />E-mail: al.p.he@abc.com<br />Octavia A. Rush<br />USA Today News Section<br />Cell: 555-392-5932<br />Work: 555-391-4839<br />Home: 555-391-4839<br />E-mail: o.rush@usa.com<br />Eugenia T. Fitzgerald<br />The Washington Post Business Section<br />Cell: 555-482-5839<br />Work: 555-382-9592<br />Home: 676- 786-8888<br />E-mail: e.fitzgerald@wash.com<br />SPOKESPEOPLE FOR RELATED ORGANIZATIONS<br />Below is a list of spokespeople for related organizations. These people can be contacted if necessary in the case of an emergency.<br />Harold Thomas<br />Chiquita Brands<br />Cell: 222-810-4343<br />Work: 222-810-8737<br />Home: 222-810-9345<br />E-mail: H.Thomas@chiquita.com<br />Carrie Kessler<br />Del Monte Foods<br />Cell: 777-456-7398<br />Work: 568-836-5938<br />Home: 834-859-2847<br />E-mail: C.Kessler@dmonte.com<br />Randy Harris<br />Fresh Del Monte Produce<br />Cell: 367-743-6738<br />Work: 834-437-3232<br />Home: 756-784-9873<br />E-mail: R.Harris@dmontepro.com<br />David McCann<br />Fyffes<br />Cell: 501-837- 8473<br />Work: 501-905-7962<br />Home: 847-837-1490<br />E-mail: D.McCann@fyffes.com<br />Crisis Communication Center<br />If a recall of Dole’s 100% apple juice distributed within Virginia was needed due to increased levels of the toxic bacteria patulin, all of the critical and non-critical crisis team members are to convene at the Westlake Village, California headquarters. All employee and verified crisis responders have a key to this building and have permission to use the facilities as necessary. <br />Alternate Locations<br />If for some reason the Westlake Village, California headquarters are unavailable, here is a list of alternate locations where the crisis team and necessary employees should reconvene to set up the next steps to be taken in order to address the recall of Dole’s entire 100% apple across the state of Virginia. In the event that Dole’s headquarters is unavailable, the crisis team will move to the conference center at the Hyatt in Westlake Village, California. We have permission from the hotel to use this building as our headquarters for as long as necessary pending available space. In the event that the Hyatt is in use in the time of crisis, the headquarters will be move to the Four Seasons also in Westlake Village, California. Contact information for the both hotel managers is listed below. These are the only places the headquarters should be stationed, as we have been granted special permission to use them and they both provide excellent settings for media interviews. <br />Hyatt Westlake Plaza <br />808 S. Westlake Blvd.<br />Westlake Village, California 91361<br />Bobby Yoder <br />Cell: 543-847-9752<br />Work: 324-453-3245<br />Home: 239-346-2347<br />E-mail: byoder@hyatt.com<br />Four Seasons Hotel<br />2 Dole Drive<br />Westlake Village, California 91362 <br />Stacy Righter <br />Cell: 323-434-3424<br />Work: 134-435-4868<br />Home: 843-432-4857<br />E-mail: srighter@fourseason.com<br />EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES<br />In most cases the crisis communication team will be located at Dole’s headquarters in Westlake Village, California. Therefore, all equipment and necessary supplies are stored in conference rooms and closets. If a situation should arise and the crisis communication team cannot convene at Dole’s headquarters and the team is move to either the Hyatt or the Four Seasons, each location has been provided with a list of pre-gathered materials needed. This list is provided below. Also, a list of materials that should be gathered by the crisis team and taken to the new site is listed below.<br />Pre-gathered materials at the site:<br />,[object Object],Chairs<br />Surge protectors<br />Extension cords<br />Wireless routers<br />Walkie talkies<br />Food and water<br />Printers<br />Copy machine<br />Fax machine<br />Cameras and film<br />Podium<br />Stage<br />Microphone and amp<br />Television and radio<br />Telephone book<br />Telephones<br />Bulletin board<br />Chalk/ dry erase board<br />Clip boards<br />First-aid kit<br />Things brought by Crisis Team:<br />Personal laptop with broadband connection<br />Copy of crisis plan<br />Change of Clothes<br />Employee Identification Cards<br />Critical Documents- keep these accessible and all together so they can be retrieved quickly in the event of an emergency<br />Company letterhead, pens, pencils<br />PRE-GATHERED INFORMATION<br />The following information will be pre-gathered and stored at the Hyatt and Four Seasons Hotel in case of an emergency. Crisis responders should refer to this information as needed. <br />Previous 5 years Annual report<br />All Food and Drug Administration regulations regarding acceptable levels of patulin in apple juice<br />File of all previous press briefings and press releases<br />Reactions to recalls<br />Dates of equipment inspections<br />Diagrams on the equipment makeup<br />List of regulations Dole requires workers to follow in order to prevent increased levels of patulin in apple juice<br />Press kits full of information regarding the crisis<br />Figures regarding how many could’ve been affected<br />Background information on similar companies and reports regarding recalls they have encountered<br />Layout or Blueprints of all possible Crisis Centers mapped out with designated areas for certain departments<br />Company fact sheet<br />WEBPAGE<br />Dole Food Company’s Webmaster, Harrison Wright, will be constantly updating the website with information about the crisis. The link to the website, as well as Wright’s contact information is listed below. <br />www.dole.com/crisiscommunication<br />Harrison Wright<br />Cell: 555-666-7890<br />Work: 676-444-9090<br />Home: 333-888-9999<br />E-mail: h.wright@dole.com<br />WEBSITES AND RELATED LINKS<br />Food and Drug Administration<br />www.fda.gov<br />Center for Disease Control and Prevention<br />www.cdc.gov<br />KEY MESSAGES<br />Key messages must be short, concise, and specific and explain Dole’s stance on the crisis at hand. They are to be repeated multiple times to the specific key publics and should contain the most important information. Key messages usually contain William Benoit’s Typology of Crisis Response Strategies or Ware and Likugel’s Rehetorical Strategies of Apologia. <br />,[object Object],Compensation- Reduce offensiveness by reimbursing victims. An example of a key message using compensation is: “Those customers who have been affected by the increased patulin levels are advised to seek medical attention. Dole Food Company, Inc. will pay for the required blood test in order to prove increased patulin levels.” It is important to use compensation as a strategy in conveying the key messages because it shows that Dole is willing to reimburse victims of this crisis and shows that the company understands their customer’s feelings and inconveniences.<br />,[object Object]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/dolecrisisplan-110223174000-phpapp02/85/dole-crisis-plan-1-320.jpg)
![Differentiation- Reduce the offensiveness of the company’s actions by dissociating the current event. An example of this would be: “Dole would like to stress that this incident is very atypical for our company.” This strategy proves to the customer that Dole has always been and will always be a trustworthy provider of apple juice and other fresh food products. TRICK QUESTIONS<br />It is important to remember that the media can often times ask trick questions in order to try and crack the story. Many public spokespeople have fallen victim to these trick questions and it is important to be aware and prepared for these types of inquiries. First and foremost, remember that the only people who should be addressing the media are the ones appointed for that position and have been outlined in this crisis plan with appropriate contact information and chain of command. However, for those addressing the media, it is important to remain calm and try not to become defensive when receiving questions that you may not be fully prepared to answer. Remember to never speculate about the crisis at hand and to stay honest and truthful when responding to questions. <br />,[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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Dole crisis plan
- 3. Dole prides itself on following all FDA regulations regarding acceptable levels of patulin in bottled apple juice. Following strict apple picking regulations will prevent patulin levels over 50 micrograms per kilogram.
- 4. Do you have reason to believe that there is patulin in other Dole products that contain apple juice?
- 5. No, because Dole follows strict apple picking regulations there is no reason to believe that any other product has been affected. Also, Dole relies on the tests conducted by the Food Standards Agency to make sure our products are within acceptable ranges regarding patulin levels. I would like to stress that this incident is very atypical of Dole Food Company Inc.
- 6. Why does Dole rely on a third party agency to conduct the necessary testing to detect unacceptable levels of patulin?
- 7. To put it simply, Dole does not have the necessary resources to conduct these tests. The tests require a lot of time and money. However, since our costumer’s safety is number one, we rely on the Food Standards Agency to service as a form of checks and balances. We will continue to utilize their services because they are doing a great thing for public safety.
- 8. How will you notify daycares?
- 9. Again, all customers who have purchased Dole’s 100% apple juice are encouraged to check our website or call the hotline 1-800-DOLE to ensure that their bottles are not in the affected batch.
- 10. How will you gain your customers trust back?
- 12. store apples in a cool environment
- 13. check apples regularly for an signs of rot or mold and remove those apples immediately
- 14. wash equipment carefully after use
- 15. during the dormant season, remove and destroy all diseased wood and decayed fruits
- 17. Bi- annual background check of all Dole Food employees
- 19. Stay informed of aging equipment and possible malfunctions
- 20. Weekly inspections of apple trees
- 21. Weekly pruning of trees to ensure air penetration
- 22. Bi-annual checks of communication technologies
- 24. 1 2 3 4 5
- 25. Comments:
- 26. I understand my role in notifying the crisis communication team members.
- 27. 12345
- 28. Comments:
- 29. My contact information provided in this crisis communication plan is accurate.
- 30. YesNo
- 31. Comments:
- 32. I feel comfortable conducting a press briefing.
- 33. 12345
- 34. Comments:
- 35. As a whole, I think this crisis communication plan is effective and will be beneficial to Dole Food Company Inc.
- 36. 12345
- 37. Comments: