A programmer for two major cable channels retained Cone to prepare for a crisis growing out of a contract dispute with a major cable company.
This long-running dispute had reached a stalemate, and the programmer was planning to cut off its networks for this cable company. The result would have made screens “go dark” for these channels in two million homes in a major metropolitan area.
Cone recommended a revised strategy that would keep the programming on while the client went public with the facts of the dispute, asking customers for support in seeking a settlement from the cable company. The revised strategy empowered consumers rather than making them “bystander victims” of a business battle.
Cone helped prepare a campaign that included advertising and direct marketing as well as development of a crisis website, an electronic newsletter template, and public and media relations plans aimed at making the programmer's case. Preparation included media training of executive spokespeople and use of viewer research conducted for the client on the popularity of its channels.
This aggressive campaign was presented in a CEO to CEO meeting between the two companies just 48 hours before we were prepared to execute. This resulted in the cable company quickly changing position and settling the long-running contract dispute.
Because of the revised strategy, solid planning, and high-level interaction, the crisis was resolved without “firing a shot” and without turning consumers into victims. It’s a good example of the fact that “the best crisis management is crisis preparedness and prevention.”
