Communicating in a Crisis

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Subject Matter Experts

Communicating in a Crisis

Our Crisis Communications Rapid Response Team is here to help.

Crisis and strategic communications are more important than ever. Our clients, public agencies and projects are all facing the immense challenge of communicating in a crisis. Being able to pivot messaging and strategy can help your project and client communicate during a crisis, while preserving the integrity of the project.

We have assembled an expert group of communications and visualization professionals who have experience in all types of crisis and strategic communications. We are ready to support our company, projects and clients across the country in the areas of crisis communications planning, messaging, strategic planning, online engagement, visualization, thought leadership, media relations, content and more. We realize time is of the essence so our Crisis Communications Rapid Response Team can be ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice.

Strategic Messaging Shane Peck

Alexandra Albert Genevieve Rubrecht

Media Relations Shane Peck Jasmine Thompson Darrel Cole

Stephanie Eisenberg

Integrated Communications Brittani Kaim Kit Powis

Advanced Engagement Kevin Alvarado Lisa Saldin

Genevieve Rubrecht Crisis Communications

Shane Peck Laura Toole Richard Parsons Ruben Landa

Construction Communications Alexandra Prentiss Dan Galvin

Government Relations Richard Parsons Ruben Landa Molly Hollister

Advertising and Marketing Kit Powis Brittani Kaim Kelly Scott

Online Meetings Yosef Yip

Lisa Hummel Mark Kauffman

Visualization Solutions Melissa Uland

Robin Christians Our Crisis Communications Rapid Response Team is composed

of staff from the WSP USA Communications & Public Involvement Practice and the Project Visualization group. These teams are experienced in Crisis and Strategic Communications and can mobilize remotely, at a moment’s notice, to support WSP projects, local offices and the clients we serve.

Our Leaders:

Darrel W. Cole, Managing Director, Communications & Public Involvement Practice.  225-678-1076  Darrel.Cole@wsp.com Shane Peck, Deputy Director, Communications & Public Involvement Practice.  312-803-6496  Shane.Peck@wsp.com

Our experts with the Communications & Public Involvement Practice and the Project Visualization group can provide:

• Online Meeting Solutions and Support

• Issues Management

• Strategic Communications Plan Development

• Crisis Communications Plan Development

• Guidance on Best Practices

• Brand Management and Messaging

• Staffing Solutions

• Visualization Solutions

• Graphics and 3D Renderings

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Helping You Stay Connected

Online Engagement and Collaboration Tools to Support Social Distancing

How do you stay connected with your stakeholders if you can’t meet in-person?

Teleconferencing and video conferencing technologies offer robust platforms for conducting public meetings, sharing information, and engaging in real-time. WSP’s Communications and Public Involvement (CPI) Practice is a national leader in public and stakeholder outreach services and specializes in facilitating online engagement.

Public Engagement Online Meeting Tools

The following tools are a sampling of available technologies.

Access Live

Host live events on the phone and online to engage with a large group of people. Participants can join on their landline, mobile device, or online.

Real-time interaction and feedback using polls and question and answer options. Meeting promotion included.

Live Video Content Sharing Max. Participants

 

^Unlimited*

Telephone Townhall

Engage with 1,000+ participants in 60-90 minute meetings featuring question and answer and real-time polling. Comments received become part of public record. Meeting promotion via social media and E-Blasts.

 

^200,000*

GoToMeeting

Host live events on the phone and online to engage with a mass amount of people all at once. Participants can join on their landline, mobile device, or online. Real-time interaction and feedback using polls and question and answer options throughout the event. WSP holds a license for use of this platform.

 

^3,000*

Zoom

Software includes co-hosting, screening, registration and polling. Webinar and breakout groups (AKA zoom rooms) are also available. WSP holds a license for use of this platform.

 

^100*

* Cost varies based on participant levels

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To enhance online public meetings, public surveys and polling tools can be used to gather information, measure public opinion, develop a community vision, and plan for the future.

Interactive Online Survey and Polling Tools

The following tools are a sampling of available technologies.

Understand Public Needs

Provide Innovative

Solutions

Deliver Exceptional

Results

MetroQuest

MetroQuest is an online public engagement tool that utilizes planning techniques to create interactive and educational surveys. Compatible with any device (laptops, tablets, smart phones and kiosks), the platform offers multiple screen templates designed to quickly optimize engagement within five minutes. WSP holds a license for use of this platform.

Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is a tool used to collect live responses during an online or physical meeting by inviting the audience to respond simultaneously by visiting a website or texting a number on their phones. Responses appear in an animated graph or chart embedded in your presentation.

Results update live for all to see. WSP holds a license for use of this platform.

Mentimeter

Add questions and polls to your presentation to create engaging presentations. When you present, your audience uses their smartphones to connect to the presentation where they can answer questions and give feedback in real-time. Share and export results for analysis and compare data over time. WSP holds a license for use of this platform.

Survey Monkey

Survey only tool used to connect with people via email, website, or social media. Templates allow easy creation of surveys and polls.

WSP holds a license for use of this platform.

Communications Strategy

Darrel W. Cole, National Practice Manager Communications/Public Involvement

 225-678-1076 ^ Darrel.Cole@wsp.com

Visual Presentation

Robin Christians, National Practice Manager Project Visualization

 303-390-5926 ^ Robin.Christians@wsp.com

Technology Services

Mark Kauffman, Technical Services Lead Project Visualization

 303-390-5839 ^ Mark.Kauffman@wsp.com

Social Media

Social media can amplify online public meetings and reinforce public engagement, crisis communication plans, and reputation management.

Some of our Success Stories

Reddit, “Ask Me Anything”

California High-Speed Rail Authority.

280

Comments

93%

Upvotes Next Door, Outreach Campaign

San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

867

Neighborhoods

93,000

Houses

75

^% Positive Sentiment MetroQuest, Community Survey

Michigan Mobility 2045, State Long-Range Transportation Plan.

6,300

Participants

Award-winning social media solutions across the U.S. for more than

40

^Clients

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Approach & Tips

PLANNING

— Send out timed agenda in advance

— Allow time for ground rules, open-ended Q&A, action item review

— Conduct a dry run at least one day in advance to test:

— Software/hardware and connections (software updates, charged equipment)

— Screen sharing, interactive media (transitions, optimal display)

— Video camera (well-lit, appropriate background, facial framing)

— Buffer/cache large presentation files (video, animation, images)

— Reboot/restart computer 30-minutes in advance of meeting to release background running programs

— Have a backup plan (for sharing materials and backup equipment

DELIVERY

— Join platform at least 15 minutes in advance of start time

— Designate a moderator/facilitator, a note taker and a dedicated presentation driver

— Place all participants on mute during speaker presentation

— Use online chat / raise hand functions

— Ask appropriate questions (e.g., Is there anyone who cannot see/hear?)

ENGAGEMENT

— Limit group size to 8-10

— Speak at a regular tone/pace; inquire about delays in screen sharing and adjust pace accordingly

— Conduct periodic round-robin roll call to allow everyone to participate

— Use polling tools to engage larger groups

Online web and video conferencing technologies offer robust platforms for conducting meetings and interviews, sharing audio/visual information and data, collaborating in real-time, and supporting communications and connectivity with internal and external stakeholders.

ONLINE VIRTUAL MEETINGS &

COMMUNICATION TOOLS

WSP Agreement

or License

Requires Application Installation

Requires User

Account Transfer Quality Pricing

Adobe Cloud

  

^Best Entitlement

AWS Cloud

  

^Best ^Tier

Box

  

^Best ^Tier

DropBox

  

^Best ^{Free, Tier}

OneDrive

  

^Best Entitlement

WeTransfer

  

^Best ^{Free, Tier}

WSP FTP

  

^Fair ^Free

File Sharing Platforms

Updated: 03/31/2020

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Application/System

Access Live (Broadnet) Unlimited    $950 for 2,500

users/per event Good Good Phone line, Windows,

Mac, Android, iOS             Melissa Uland

Lisa Hummel

Adobe Connect 500    $0.45 per usesr/

per hour Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS   Screen,

Files, Video          Mark Kauffman

BlueJeans Meetings 100    Pricing Best Best Windows, Mac, iOS,

Android, Browser, Chrome Ext., Java, Linux

Skype for Business,

MS Teams & Outlook   Screen,

Files, Video     

Limited    

Google Hangouts 10    Free Good Good Android, iOS, Browser,

Chrome Ext.  (difficult)   Screen         

GotoMeeting 3,000    Pricing Good Fair Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser Outlook   Screen          Mark Kauffman

IBM Ustream 5,000 viewer

hours at $1K/

month    Varies Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser             Olivia Kress

Join.me 10    Varies Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser Outlook            

Lifesize 1,000    Pricing Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser            

MS Teams 10,000+    Office 365

Entitlement Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser Office 365,

Zoom & BlueJeans   Screen,

Files  (blurred

background)         Mark Kauffman

RingCentral 200    Varies Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser             Yosef Yip

Skype 20  

(Win 10)  Free Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS MS Teams   Screen  (blurred

background)         Mark Kauffman

Skype for Business 10,000+    Office 365

Entitlement Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser Office 365   Screen,

Files          Mark Kauffman

Telephone Town Hall 200,000    Varies N/A Good Phone line             Rory McGlasson

WebEx 200    Pricing Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Browser Outlook   Screen,

Files         

ZOOM Meetings 500    Pricing Best Best Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Chrome Ext., Browser Skype for Business, AD,

OneDrive & Outlook   Screen, Files

 (still image

or video)    

Limited     WSP IT

Webinar Application

ZOOM Webinar 10000+    Pricing Best Best Windows, Mac, Android,

iOS, Chrome Ext., Browser

Skype for Business, AD, OneDrive &

Outlook   Screen,

Files          WSP IT

Vimeo Livestreaming 10,000+    $800/annual

(enterprise) Best Best Browser Facebook, YouTube,

Instagram   Screen  Greenscreen         Mark Kauffman

BlueJeans Webinar 10,000+    Pricing Best Best Windows, Mac, iOS,

Android, Browser, Chrome Ext., Java, Linux

Skype for Business,

MS Teams & Outlook   Screen,

Files, Video     

Limited    

GotoWebinar 3000 Some   Pricing Good Fair Windows, Mac, Android,

Files, Video          Mark Kauffman

Webex 40,000    Must Contact

Sales Good Good Windows, Mac, Android,

Files, Video         

ONLINE CONFERENCING/COMMUNICATION TOOLS Configuration & Integration

WEB CONFERENCING

^No.^Su

pported

Users WSP Agreement or Licen

se

Requires Application Installation

Requires User Account

Pricing Video Q

uality &

Playback

Audio Quality OS P

latforms S upported

Other Platform Integration

Experts Recording

Large Public Engagem ent

Content Sharing

Custom Background

& Type

Online Chat Polling

Breakout Rooms Analytics

Mon etize

Branding Add-ins

Whiteboard Tools

Updated: 03/31/2020

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CommentSense Unlimited   Labor only  Allyson Powers

Crowdsourcing Map Unlimited   $3K-$5K  Allyson Powers

Contracting

Opportunities ^Unlimited ^ ^ ^$3K-$5K ^ Allyson Powers

COMMENT

MANAGEMENT

_Max Participants

WSP Agreement or License

Requires Application Installation

Pricing

Experts Requires User

Acco unt Application/System

Facebook Live Unlimited   Free 24-hours      Lindsay

Whelchel Instagram Live (based on followers)^Unlimited   Free Indefinite      Lindsay Whelchel Nextdoor (members in zipcode)^Limited   Free Indefinite   n/a n/a  Yosef Yip Reddit: "Ask Me

Anything" ^Unlimited ^ ^ ^Free ^Indefinite ^ ^ ^n/a ^n/a ^ ^{Yosef Yip}

Snapchat Live Stories (event specific)^Unlmited   Free Indefinite      Lindsay Whelchel

Vimeo Livestreaming Unlimited   $75/month Indefinite      Project Viz

YouTube Livestream 100,000+   Free Indefinite      Yosef Yip

SOCIAL

MEDIA

_Max Participants

Requires Application Installation

Requires User Account Pricing

Dura tion

Live Broad cast

Broadcast Shar ing

Recording Video

Online Chat Exp

erts

CheckBox Unlimited    WSP License Labor only  Medium     Shane Peck

Harvest Unlimited    No license Varies  Medium     Claire Basinki

Konveio Unlimited    No license Varies  Medium     Paul

Bonaventura

MailChimp Unlimited    WSP License Varies  Low     Shane Peck

Mentimeter Unlimited    WSP UK

License Varies  Low     Kevin

Alvarado WSP UK

MetroQuest Unlimited    WSP License Labor Only  Medium     Shane Peck

PollEverywhere Unlimited    WSP License Free  Medium     Shane Peck

Public Input Unlimited    Requires

Facebook $79/ project

per month  High     Sarah Parkins

Survey Monkey Unlimited    WSP

License Free  Low     Melissa Uland

SURVEY/

POLLING

_Max Participants

WSP Agreement or License

Requires Application Instal

lation

Requires User Account Dependencies

Live/Real-time Setup time

Survey /Poll

Ana lytics Pricing

Interactive Events &

Presentations Multilin

gual Exp

erts ONLINE VIRTUAL MEETINGS & COMMUNICATION TOOLS

Public Engagement Online Meeting Tools

Updated: 03/31/2020