A Slam Dunk on a National Stage: Lessons Learned off Court

Copyright (c) 2009 Karen Friedman Enterprises, Inc.

Villanova University basketball guard Scottie Reynolds had just plunged a last-second basket to give the Wildcats a stunning 78-76 victory over Pittsburgh, sending the ecstatic team to their first NCAA Final Four season-ending tournament in 24 years when the phone rang. It was my university communications colleague who said "let's be prepared for all possible scenarios".

You may wonder why a communications director would want to plan for the worst when nothing could be better than the glee of that moment. But this director was far more forward thinking than the campus celebration that spilled into the streets during the wee hours of that Sunday morning. While there was no cause for alarm other than a small fire lit in a trashcan that was quickly extinguished, officials and the surrounding community clearly remembered the raucous celebration that spilled into the streets when Villanova won its championship game in 1985.

The prominent Catholic and Augustinian institution wanted to do everything possible to ensure a safe and responsible celebration should the Wildcats move to the final championship game. While most of the problems occurred off campus which is under police jurisdiction, the university communications team wanted to put a proactive plan together to clearly communicate its expectations for civilized festivities without dampening the euphoria.

What transpired during the following days is an excellent example of how to maximize opportunities to balance and communicate messages, create goodwill among numerous audiences and enhance your reputation even when everything is already going your way.

They started by gathering the kitchen cabinet. Much like a political campaign which regularly meets with close advisors dubbed the kitchen cabinet, this group included communications professionals, spokespeople and emergency management personnel who got together to strategize messages, actions and determine the best way to have a two-way dialogue and seek input from media, police and neighbors so everyone could work closely together.

REACH OUT By reaching out to key stakeholders, you build loyalty, trust and make others feel that you value their opinions. University officials consistently met and communicated with law enforcement so the lines of responsibility on and off campus were clearly defined and security operations including traffic control were organized. By working hand in hand, they were able to coordinate operations, stay sensitive to community concerns and strengthen the "celebrate responsibly" mantra.

EXPECTATIONS It was critical to temper excitement with expectations when creating messages. Spokespeople were repeatedly quoted saying how excited they were, but always tempered that message with a reminder for students to put their best foot forward in this age of instant and social media. University policies and expectations were repeatedly communicated through traditional channels as well as websites and social networks.

MESSAGE MANAGEMENT We spent the better part of the day and then some developing and fine tuning core messages that could be communicated across all audiences. This included what to expect in terms of security and policy, sensitivity and respect for the surrounding neighborhoods and what would be happening every step of the way before and after the game. E-mails and phone calls were promptly addressed. University officials from the coach to the president took to the airwaves including joking with morning radio jocks all in the spirit of "go team". PROBLEM PREVENTION To discourage students from leaving campus, the university provided a central venue for post-game celebrations. The information was repeatedly communicated to all stakeholders through numerous channels and media was invited to attend participate.

ASK MEDIA FOR THEIR HELP If you've ever been to a rally, protest or large event, you'll notice that people often "mug" for the television cameras especially when the lights go on. Crowd control, already a concern, can quickly get out of control and Villanova wanted to minimize the use of camera lights, but was advised telling the media how to do their job was not the best approach. Instead, they set up a conference call with all the television news directors in town to share logistics, seek input and help the stations get great coverage of local activities. In reality, because this was the big story in town, Villanova was already in the driver's seat and could have dictated the coverage without input. But the two-way street proved a win-win as the university honored a request for a live broadcast location closer to the venue and the media worked with officials to minimize disturbances.

TOUGH TALK While some spokespeople make answering tough questions look easy, looking good is the art of being well prepared. At Villanova, key spokespeople thought through responses to questions such as: "Do you anticipate problems like in 1985?" Anyone's gut response might be to say something like "1985 is 1985 and what happened then happened", but that focuses on the past when the goal is to help people understand what preparations are taking place now. It is more effective move messages forward by responding: "we are taking numerous steps to do everything possible to ensure a safe celebration including..." and then share what is being done.

FOLLOW UP In the end, the Wildcats lost to North Carolina and did not move on to the championship game. Even so, Villanova staffers were available bright and early the next morning to accommodate any media request that came their way. Not only did they get good basketball coverage, but benefited from other stories that showcased the academic expertise of the institution.

Villanova's website says it is a place where compassionate minds are nurtured. By working as a team and taking all audiences into account, their compassionate nature clearly shined bright.