Case Studies: Early Warning on Issues

Situation:

The Corporate Communications function of a major player in beverages worldwide found itself continuously confronted with threatening stories in terms of health, obesity, and environmental issues such as packaging and recycling.

In order to be aware of, and to anticipate such potentially damaging issues and stories, for both external Media Relations and internal communications management, the client identified the need for an international alert/early warning service. This service would report on issues before they reached influential media, or as soon as possible after they appeared.

Solution:

Report International initiated and manages a continuous alert service, focusing on threats and trends by sector that are relevant for the client. Roughly 100,000 mainly online sources are tracked on a daily basis. From these sources, somewhere between 300 and 400 articles are selected for daily analysis. The content-driven analysis generates brief, concise narrative reports that number between one and three per day, depending on the perceived urgency of emerging issues.

Benefit:

The client is able to anticipate and manage emerging issues – e.g. incorrect information in the press can be corrected; sensitive information can be qualified in good time; reactions to media stories can be adequately prepared; and senio management are made aware of issues where appropriate.