Successfully navigating a national social media crisis
Company
Bethany Christian Services is a global nonprofit that offers foster care, adoption and refugee services, and which has provided support to unaccompanied children crossing the U.S. border since 1990.
PROJECT
In May 2018 when the Trump Administration enacted a Zero Tolerance border policy, Bethany began working with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to place separated children in temporary foster homes in Michigan and Maryland. Lambert supported the organization through coordinating media efforts surrounding the topic to shed light on the dire situation at the border.
Amidst the positivity surrounding Bethany’s work with separated children during Zero Tolerance, noted documentarian, film producer and Michigan native Michael Moore sent out an inflammatory tweet on stating that Homeland Security had “kidnapped” these children with the help of organizations like the “Betsy DeVos-funded joint” Bethany Christian Services. Lambert transitioned from awareness and advocacy surrounding Zero Tolerance to issues and crisis management to protect Bethany’s reputation.
Lambert successfully navigated the social media crisis and ensuing backlash through strategic counsel and a variety of tactics meant to address specific questions and concerns, while highlighting the positive work Bethany was doing and denouncing the Zero Tolerance policy.
TACTICS
Lambert coordinated media efforts surrounding the topic, including a cover story in The New York Times which was the spark that ignited national (and international) media attention, which led to several months of public relations efforts requiring advocacy and issues management expertise.
The initial push of proactive media outreach resulted in securing interviews for Chris Palusky, Bethany’s president/CEO, with media heavyweights, including CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, AP and ABC World News Tonight. These interviews elevated Bethany’s profile as a leader, raised visibility for vulnerable children in crisis and drove website traffic, ultimately raising awareness for its programs. Lambert was regularly arranging interviews with Bethany representatives, and families who were caring for the separated children—giving an inside look into the fear these children were encountering.
Lambert counseled Bethany to craft a series of documents and execute tactics that would directly answer inquiries, including an FAQ outlining Bethany’s goals and timeline for reunification of the separated children with their families. Lambert also helped Bethany craft several social media responses to threats as well as op-ed articles arguing against the placement of children in detention centers from media outlets across the country.
To navigate the social media crisis and ensuing backlash due to the Michael Moore tweet, Lambert implemented tactics meant to address specific questions and concerns, while highlighting the positive work Bethany was doing and denouncing the Zero Tolerance policy. These tactics included a major press conference with the organization’s president/CEO during the height of national and international media scrutiny around Zero Tolerance and at a time when Bethany was one of the only voices directly involved in the crisis that was willing to speak on the record.
RESULTS
Lambert’s work with Bethany resulted in more than 450 positive media clips with 1.24 billion media impressions.
