A few years ago, one of the main reasons agencies (PR, web and otherwise) were recommending companies enter social media was to establish a community who would respond on your behalf during a crisis (i.e. Southwest Airlines and Kevin Smith) and to have a "place" to respond as well. Fast forward to today, companies are faced with scrutiny from investors, customers, vendors, and everyone else publicly. And everyday companies try their best to ruin their reputations through poor online brand management. So what do you do if you’re faced with a "crisis" of your on and offline brand?

1. (Pre-Crisis) Ensure that online response protocols, sample responses, spokespeople, etc. are included in the organizations overall crisis plan (the plan should be well documented and distributed to key staff). Just like the rest of the crisis plan, run through several test scenarios and practice responses.
2. (Pre-Crisis) Monitor online conversations (using a monitoring service, Google Alerts, etc.)
3. Collect all relevant information to the situation (start date/time, geographical location and concentration of conversations, channels affected – on and offline, velocity of the spreading of the message, accuracy of the statements being made, intent of the person who brought the situation to light, profile information about all people who have contributed to conversation online)
4. Communicate the situation to the internal and external crisis team members (typically includes decision makers, key persons from the business group that was affected, legal counsel, communications team members, those who manage online communications channels)
5. Monitor online mentions
6. Determine response, spokesperson and channel for communication (internal and external – note: employees can often be the most vocal responders and the most frequently forgotten audience so communicate to them quickly, honestly and arm them with the tools they need to do their jobs) and post ASAP. In an online situation frequent, transparent and timely updates that are phrased in a conversational tone are standard expectations of participation online — don’t default to corporate jargon or legalese.
7. Monitor online mentions and evaluate the need for follow-up
8. (Post-crisis) Recap the situation, review and lessons learned
9. Continue to provide value to your online audience and expect the situation to occasionally resurface

In most situations the true long-term damage comes from how organizations respond to the situation, rather than the situation itself.

Dynamit was honored as one of the “Best Places to Work” in 2010 & 2011 by Columbus Business First newspaper and Interactive Agency of the Year. Times are even better in 2012 and we’re hiring a Web/Graphic Designer for our aggressively growing team.

This is an exciting opportunity to work on cutting edge projects for well-known brands in a dynamic, entrepreneurial and highly creative environment. Please email resumes/cover letters and portfolio information (documents or links to online examples) to Gary Moneysmith via gmoney@dynamit.us.

A web/graphic designer on the Dynamit team will:

• Be well versed with Adobe Creative Suite: Strong knowledge of Photoshop, experience with Illustrator and InDesign.
• Have a strong understanding of Usability & Web Trends: Experience with user interface design, knowledge of best practices & examples of this in a portfolio or live site/application design. They will also be up-to-date on web trends and design tactics with examples.
• Have experience in user experience design (UXD) designing application and system interfaces. This experience is crucial for this position.
• Have Basic Programming Knowledge: We’re not looking for a developer here, but the designer should have the ability to design for web with a knowledge of the boundaries and how to design for execution by a programmer.
• Have a Strong Portfolio: We’d like to see much more web work than print.
• Be eager to learn, with a passion for design & the web. The designer should have a strong internal drive for industry knowledge and be committed to furthering the craft.

Experience is important, but personality is key. Our culture is what drives us, and we’re looking to build our team with someone who both fits and contributes to it.

The position is full time at our office in the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package as well as a fun, high-energy, intellectually-stimulating work environment.

Benefits Include

• Competitive salary (compensation will be based on skills and experience)
• Fully paid medical/dental insurance for employees
• Paid parking
• Unlimited vacation time (within reason)
• Office bar + climbing wall — not recommended together

Don’t sit back. If you want to work in a fast paced work environment with great people who love what they do, apply today.

About Dynamit
Dynamit is a digital agency based in the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio. We work with clients and brands on digital initiatives that include strategy, design, user experience and development. We influence communication and commerce. Client work includes Hilton Worldwide, Charley's Grilled Subs, McGraw-Hill, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), E-Z-GO, American Electric Power (AEP), Columbus College of Art & Design and the Ohio State Medical Center (OSUMC) to name but a few.