Airbnb

Crisis Management Plan

Part 1
 Introduction
This crisis communication plan is a thorough guide for directing communications during a crisis.
The plan includes all the information necessary for managing crisis communications during a crisis
situation, including but not limited to:

Contact information and roles of crisis communication team members

A crisis preparation and prevention plan
A strategy for dealing with the media and public
An identification of likely crises our organization could face
This plan, if executed correctly, will aid in the communication during a crisis, contribute to the
successful management of the crisis in a timely and effective manner, and minimize the potential
damages to our organization.

Table of Contents

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Introduction 2

Team Mission 4

Possible Crises 5

Crisis Communication Team 6

Crisis Preparation and Prevention 7

Media Audit 8

Social Media Strategy 10

Third-party Supporters 12

Immediate Response Checklist 13

Communication Channels Worksheet 14

Key Messages Worksheet 15

Press Release Template 16

Organizational Backgrounder 18

Media Log Sheet 19

Crisis Team Contact 21

Testing and Evaluating Plan 22

Crisis Team Mission

The mission of the Airbnb crisis management plan is to provide detailed information and guidelines
in regards to response and recovery in the event of a crisis or other unplanned interruptions.
Identifying such interruptions early can help our organization minimize the likelihood of crisis
development and assist Airbnb in its continued thriving.

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 Possible Crises

Likely crises your organization could face (categorize these under the crisis types we have
used in class)

Home invasion
Fraud

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 Misrepresentation
System hack (app and website)
Theft
Unethical host- lack of addressing misalignment with organizations core values
could lead to crisis.
Attacks from competing markets (hotels and independently owned B & Bs,
Groupon, Eventbrite)

Unlikely but highly impactful crises you could face

Murder
Assault
Sexual Assault
Organizational misdeeds
Acts of terrorism
Natural disasters
Protection of user's information
Disease outbreak
Hostage situation

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 Crisis Communication Team

Media Relations Manager - Ty Fiesel

Crisis Communication Administrator - Maggie Finn
Crisis Communication Manager - Krista Bilow
Crisis Communication Team Member - Tyler Krivich, bad and boujee
Crisis Communication Spokesperson - Anna Cachares

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 Crisis Preparation and Prevention Plan
It is our goal to take the proper steps and implement preventative measures to be prepared before
a crisis occurs.
Communicate clearly
Keep a strong and intact reputation that reflects the values of Airbnb.
This includes our partners and hosts throughout the world.
Identify all risks within the company to lessen vulnerabilities, and be open to employee
ideas and suggestion.
Take small issues seriously and resolve them appropriately to avoid an issue from turning
into a crisis.
A team will be implemented for environmental scanning through social media, newspaper,
and other outlets of information.

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 Media Audit

Company Contact Name Media Type Email Phone Reach Social Handle
Number

New York Times Matthew Schneier - Twitter matthew.s N/A 11.5K @MatthewSchneier
- National Styles Reporter chneier@n Followers
newspaper ytimes.co
m

Pui-Wing Tam - Twitter pui- N/A 9,062 @puiwingtam

Technology Editor wing.tam Followers
@nytimes.
com

Stephanie Twitter N/A N/A 13.1K @stephronyt

Rosenbloom - Travel Followers
Columnist

CNN - National Anderson Cooper - CNN.com N/A N/A 9.26M @andersoncooper

news outlet CNN Anchor Twitter Followers www.andersoncooper.co
m

Anthony Bourdain - CNN.com N/A N/A 5.44M @Bourdain

CNN Parts Twitter facebook.com/AnthonyB
Unknown Host ourdain

James Williams - Instagram N/A N/A 12.4K @jameswilliamscnn

Travel Series Host CNN.com Followers

Jon Scott - FOX Twitter N/A N/A 37.2K @JonScottFNC

FOX - National News Anchor Followers
news outlet

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 James Rogers - Twitter N/A N/A 5,449 @jamesjrogers
SciTech reporter LinkedIn Followers linkedin.com/in/james-
foxnews.com rogers

Lea Gabrielle - Twitter N/A N/A 25.7K @LeaFOXNews

General Assignment Shepard Smith Followers
Reporter Reporting

Los Angeles Catharine Hamm - Twitter catharine.h N/A 6,051 @CatHamm

Times - Bay area Travel Columnist latimes.com amm@lati Followers
newspaper mes.com

James Reed - Twitter james.reed N/A 2,427 @jreedwrites

Entertainment News latimes.com @latimes. Followers
Editor com

Andrea Chang - Twitter andrea.cha N/A 9,697 @byandreachang

Business Editor latimes.com ng@latime Followers
s.com

General Contact Twitter metro@sfc (415) 777- 400K @sfgate

sfgate.com hronicle.co 6333 - Main Followers
San Francisco sfchronicle.com m Phone
Chronicle - San
Francisco
newspaper
Brandon Mercer - Twitter bmercer N/A 1,100 @bmmercer
Executive Producer sfgate.com @ Followers
sfchronicle.com sfgate.com

Katie Dowd - Senior Twitter kdowd@sf N/A 1,129 @KatieDowd

Producer sfgate.com gate.com Followers
sfchronicle.com

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ABC 7 News - Dan Noyes - Travel Twitter N/A N/A 3,144 @dannoyes
San Francisco reporter abc7news.com Followers
Television News
Outlet

Jonathan Bloom - Twitter N/A N/A 2,692 @BloomTV

Technology Reporter abc7news.com Follower

Laura Anthony - Twitter N/A N/A 3,838 @LauraAnthony7

General assignment abc7news.com Followers
reporter

Social Media Strategy

Airbnb currently has active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and
LinkedIn. The organization also has their website and a mobile app. The amount of followers that
Airbnbs accounts have are:

Facebook: 5,937,013 page likes

Twitter: 21,9420 followers
YouTube: 63,456 subscribers
Instagram: 1.7 million followers
LinkedIn: 348,072 followers

Based on these numbers, it is safe to say that Airbnb hosts, renters, and fans are active users of
social media.

In the event of a crisis, Airbnb will utilize their online social media presence to inform their publics
as efficiently and effectively as possible. Updates about the event will be posted on Airbnbs
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the Airbnb website (airbnb.com).

Facebook
The Airbnb Facebook page will be used to update publics on the situation at hand and direct them
to the Airbnb website for further information. The avatar of the page will remain the same so
followers can recognize the profile of the organization during the crisis. Airbnb will post articles,
press releases, and any updates on the situation on the Facebook page. The Facebook page will be
managed by employees and responses will be issued to any questions, comments, or concerns
posted by fans. All posts are to be monitored, acknowledged and addressed by Airbnb.

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An Event page will be created for the crisis that will generate updates, and be solely used for the
purpose of the situation at hand. Any questions, comments, or concerns about the crisis will be
addressed by Airbnb.

Twitter
The avatar of Airbnbs Twitter account will remain the same. Live tweets and updates will be sent
out through the Twitter account. Due to the 140 character limit, it will be convenient to utilize this
for real time updates as new information about the situation is gathered. If the character count
allows, the Airbnb website will be linked in each post. The Airbnb website will also be posted in the
bio of the account. Responses to questions, comments, and concerns by followers will be issued by
Airbnb.

YouTube
For recognition of the organization, Airbnbs avatar will remain the same as the other social media
accounts. YouTube is a unique platform, and can be used to inform additional followers of the
current situation. Depending on the situation, Airbnbs YouTube account will be used to upload
brief clips of Airbnb employees updating the public on the status of the situation, or to issue
apology statements from the organization. The link to the Airbnb home website will be posted in
the description to direct viewers for additional information.

airbnb.com
airbnb.com will act as the hub for information about the situation. All Airbnb social media accounts
will include the link to the home website. Because Airbnb followers are active on social media,
linking the website to all accounts will drive users to the home website for updates on the
organization and the current situation.
The website will be used as the source for those seeking updates and more information on the
current crisis. Live feeds from the Facebook and Twitter accounts will be linked to the website, in
order for visitors to the page to have constant updates of the situation.

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 Third Party Experts
Airbnb prides itself on the numerous partnerships and community efforts. The following list of
organizations are partners of Airbnb, and should be used as need as third party experts. These
partners can speak to the positive relationships established with and by Airbnb, as well as the
strong, positive reputation this organization upholds.

San Francisco Giants (Hamilton Families)

iKhaya le Langa (Mabel Plaatjies)
Italian curator Federica Sala
Guinness Storehouse (Paul Carty, Managing Director of the Guinness Storehouse)
Make-A-Wish Foundation ( David Williams, President and CEO, Make-A-Wish America)

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 Immediate Response Checklist

The mission of the Airbnb crisis management plan is to provide detailed information and guidelines
in regards to response and recovery in the event of a crisis or other unplanned interruptions.
Identifying such interruptions early can help our organization minimize the likelihood of crisis
development and assist Airbnb in its continued thriving.

Airbnbs most critical publics and themes:

I. Airbnb customers rely on Airbnb to help provide a safe service for them to use when they
travel, whether it be an overnight stay or an activity they are paying for.
II. Airbnb hosts rely on Airbnb to provide them with money for hosting Airbnb customers.
III. Partners of Airbnb such as; Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Francisco Giants, and others, rely
on Airbnb to maintain partnerships both through monetary contributions and by upholding
its reputation to help partners reach goals.
IV. Airbnb employees rely on Airbnb for for job security and ethical working standards.
Crisis communication locations:

I. Crisiss Site will be a location the crisis should be at if possible. Not all team members may
be necessary as other locations will need direction from team members. This location may
be potentially dangerous and team members should follow law enforcement direction if
necessary. Team members should avoid location if it will cause potential personal harm to
their persons.
II. Main Administrative Offices for Airbnb are located at 888 Brannan Street San Francisco, Ca.
4th floor. This main location is where our headquarters are located, and is where important
decisions that will impact all of Airbnb and its publics will be made. Reporters and media
networks will come to this location for information if another location is not specified.
III. Public Relations Offices will manage communication efforts with the media as they receive
them from the Crisis Communication Media Relations Manager, Ty Fiesel. In the instance of
a crisis, this location will also be used as the Crisis Communication Center, as it is equipped
to manage all communication efforts necessary during crises.

Airbnb Task Related Communications Roles

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Crisis Communication Roles Number of members needed and locations

Crisis Communication Manager This person is in charge of the entire crisis

Krista Bilow communication plan and is responsible for the
distribution of information to employees
during a crisis.

Crisis Communication Administrator This person is in charge of setting up all crises

Maggie Finn training for employees and reports directly to
the crisis manager.

Media Relations Manager

Ty Fiesel This person is responsible for handling all
inquiries with the media as well as scheduling
press conferences, and the delivery of
messages through social media, news, etc.

Crisis Communication Team Member

Tyler Krivich This person is an employee designated to the
crisis team. They are responsible for doing any
necessary tasks during a crisis. They report to
the crisis communication administrator.

Crisis Communication Spokesperson

Anna Cachares This person is responsible for representing the
company at all press conferences and will
deliver any necessary information needed.

Communication Channels Worksheet

There are many various communication channels that can be used to address a crisis. The different
channels are used to ensure you are reaching each target audience in an appropriate manner. Each

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 different channel is needed to reach all intended audience members. Below are communication
channels that may be used.
Press conference
Social media
Blogs
Television and radio
News sites

The factors when deciding which channel to use include:

What are the best channels to quickly and efficiently reach our intended audience?
Which channel is the best way to respond to this crisis?

Audience Communication Channel

Local and National Media Press Release

Press Conference

Emergency Officials Phone call

Renters and Guests Phone

Email

Stakeholders Email

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 Key Messages

When a crisis occurs, the beginning minutes and hours make the primary impact. During
this initial period, publics and stakeholders, including the media, form impressions of
Airbnb and how the organization will handle the situation. Because of this, it is important
to state the facts, include key messages, and provide stakeholders with as much relevant
information as soon as possible.

When developing the key messages, take into consideration:

If a situation arises, acknowledge it right away.
Develop and/or refer to a list of questions that could potentially be asked by publics
(partner organizations, media, Airbnb hosts, Airbnb renters, etc.).
Inform media and other public that they will be updated as additional information is
acquired. Follow through with updates to maintain credibility with stakeholders and
publics.

Depending on the severity of the crisis, Airbnb headquarters may reach out to impacted
hosts or renters to obtain additional public statements and key messages.

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 Press Release Template
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date
Contact Name: ______________
Contact Phone Number: _______________ Addresss______________
Contact Email: _______________ (City, St., Zip Code)_______

Headline
Secondary headline (if applicable)
City______ - Lead Of The Story, should quickly answer who, what, where, why, when of story in
30 or fewer words.
Who is affected ______________________________________________________________
What is going on _____________________________________________________________
Where is this happening ______________________________________________________
Why is this important _________________________________________________________
When did/will this happen _____________________________________________________
(more)
Quotes
A quote can be included, provided it is from a predetermined source within Airbnb. The content of
the quote should address situational awareness, empathy towards affected (if applicable) and/or
actions being taken by Airbnb to address situation.
Name of spokesperson ___________________________________
Title of spokesperson ____________________________________

Key Message 1:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
Supporting Point 1.1
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
Supporting Point 1.2
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
Supporting Point 1.3
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________

Key Message 2:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________

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Supporting Point 2.1
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
Supporting Point 2.2
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
Supporting Point 2.3
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________

Additional Information:
For more information, please contact:
Contact name:
Contact title:
Contact email:
Or visit:
www.airbnb.com

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 Organizational Backgrounder

Founded in 2008, Airbnb has established a digital community that provides users the opportunity
to list, discover and book accommodations across the world.

Whether youre looking for an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month,
Airbnb connects people to affordable travel experiences across 191 countries. With an expanding
community and customer service as unique as the locations themselves, Airbnb is the premiere
travel app that allows users to monetize their extra space to an audience that spans the globe.

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 Crisis Contact Sheet

Contact Information Position Description

Crisis Communication Manager This person is in charge of the entire crisis

Krista Bilow communication plan and is responsible for
Kristabilow@gmail.com the distribution of information to employees
815-210-4744 during a crisis.

Crisis Communication Administrator This person is in charge of setting up all crises

Maggie Finn training for employees and reports directly to
Maggie.finn27@gmail..com the crisis manager.
847-971-5098

Crisis Communication Team Member This person is an employee designated to the

Tyler Krivich crisis team. They are responsible for doing
tmkrivich@gmail.com any necessary tasks during a crisis. They
815-263-7511 report to the crisis communication
administrator.

Crisis Communication Spokesperson This person is responsible for representing

Anna Cachares the company at all press conferences and will
acachares@gmail.com deliver any necessary information needed.
708-990-2093

Media Relations Manager This person is responsible for handling all

Ty Fiesal inquiries with the media as well as scheduling
tyfiesel@gmail.com press conferences, and the delivery of
815-993-3806 messages through social media, news, etc.

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Media Log Sheet Date:

Crisis situation:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Crisis location: _____________________________________________________________________________

Details:

Message intended for: _____________________________________________________________________

Date and time of call: ______________________________________________________________________

Caller: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Name and media outlet: __________________________________________________________________

Twitter handle: @__________________________________________________________________________

Deadline of return call: ___________________________________________________________________

Summary of phone call:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Response:
Responder: __________________________________________________________________________________
Date of response: ___________________________________________________________________________
Summary of response:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Any other actions that need to be taken:

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 Testing and Updating the Plan

The chief business affairs and legal officer will take the lead in educating our community about how
and when hosts/guests would get messages from Airbnb in an emergency. Airbnb will conduct at
least one test quarterly of the Airbnb alert system tool, which include email, text messaging,
website, and phone line.

Airbnb will conduct an annual drill of crisis management with participation by members of the
crisis management team. The crisis communications plan will be tested at these times with
participation by members of the crisis communication team.

As part of this process, the chief business affairs and legal officer will schedule media training
sessions for all executive-level leaders. After the initial session to train all executive-level leaders ,
sessions will be scheduled annually for people who are new to the crisis management team. Every
two years, all members will attend a refresher course in media training.

Once a year, we will need to update a number of items contained in this plan. The crisis
communications team leader will update phone lists for its crisis management team and executive-
level leaders, and the crisis communication team. The crisis communication manager along with the
vice president of employee experience will oversee updates and improvements to email lists for
internal audiences.

The media relations manager will oversee updates of media lists and fact sheets.

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