Fonterra’s handling of the baby formula scandal shows how vital it is that organisations have both a crisis communication plan and staff equipped with effective media training skills. The first mistake seems to have been the company’s failure to have planned for such a disaster. A crisis communication plan should predict potential crises and have all the materials and key points needed to communicate with stakeholders in each scenario drafted and ready to go at a moment’s notice. This involves preparing...

The media training skills of Labour Leader David Shearer improved significantly when he announced the new policy of excluding foreigners from buying houses in New Zealand. Regardless of the pros and cons of the policy, Shearer came across far better in the media than he usually does. From a media training perspective, there were two reasons for this. Firstly, his body language was consistent with what he was saying. He often has an effective message to get across, but because he...

For Coke’s anti-obesity campaign to grow the company’s reputation, its spokespeople will need to improve their media training skills. That's because whenever Coke comes under intense media scrutiny, their spokespeople need to know how to ensure the subsequent news coverage highlights the good things they are doing, including this campaign. Earlier in the year these skills were woefully inadequate. The company attacked a Judge’s view that excessive Coke consumption may have contributed to the death of an Invercargill woman. From a...

Launching his bid for another term as Auckland Mayor, Len Brown has shown some impressive media training skills that are often absent among political campaigns. He has narrowed his campaign down to a three-point message. Announcing his run, Brown said he would focus on three important pillars. These are, transport, affordable housing and keeping rates low. From a media training perspective, this is what every candidate should do. It’s also what every political party should do at a General Election. It...

The breaking of the David Shearer coup rumour story this week by an 18-word tweet shows that media training skills are now more necessary than any time in history. That’s because anyone can post whatever they like on social media sites while reporters are constantly trolling Twitter and Facebook for interesting stories. That means anyone or any organisation could become the ‘news of the day’ whether they like it or not. This is why media training has now become a necessary...

Bob Parker is someone who needs very little media training advice, but during a press conference he gave yesterday, he committed a major media training mistake. While answering questions from journalists about the standing down of council CEO Tony Marryatt, he had his hands in his pockets. This is not a good look for a high profile leader. It can make you look as if you’re not taking the topic seriously. While I’m sure that was not the case here, from...

A Labour MP who went ‘off the record’ and told a TV3 reporter that David Shearer would lose the support of his Caucus if his party’s poll ratings don’t soon improve could do with some media training advice. Our media training clients often ask us about when you should go ‘off the record’. Our advice is generally to avoid doing so. That’s the clearest answer and easiest to follow. This is partly because there are many definitions of what ‘off the...

The Green Party’s policy back down on printing money to help the New Zealand economy appears to have happened because of an important media training technique used by Prime Minister John Key. The best way to get a point across is by using it again and again until it registers with people. We tell our media training clients to focus on a few key points in their media interviews so that those views are the ones used in news stories. If...

The only advice a media training specialist could give Peter Dunne to re-establish his reputation would be to tell all and apologise for whatever he needs to apologise for. But because he will not do that, there is little hope of him ever regaining his reputation as ‘Mr Common Sense’ or ‘Mr Sensible.’ Clearly whatever he is hiding is worth more than his reputation. Is he guilty of the leak but won’t admit it for fear of criminal charges, or is...

Novopay Minister Steven Joyce showed his media training knowledge this week by fronting all media outlets after a report into Novopay was released. This is something all business leaders, school leaders and other politicians should take note of. The report was clearly going to be critical of government officials and ministers as to why and how the Novopay system was implemented. From a media training perspective, for that reason alone it was vital for the government and the National Party in...