Day 4: Navos PR

We spent almost a full work day at Navos today, doing a crisis communication project. 

When we arrived, they briefed us on a case (a case study from America, not one of their projects, because they didn't have one ready for us to brainstorm).

We then split up into three groups and had about four hours to do a situation analysis, SWOT analysis and create a presentation for a client.

The case study we looked at was the Domino's Pizza food contamination videos which went viral on YouTube in 2009. 

(If you don't remember hearing about this crisis, check out this link.)


I've participated in situational and SWOT analyses before, but this was a pretty unique experience, working with students who were not all public relations majors and may not have ever done this kind of analysis and planning before.

My group wrapped up our analysis before lunch, so we came back with about an hour and a half to prepare a presentation.

We wanted to be more memorable than just talking about our plans in a powerpoint, so I pulled out my PR writing memories and we put together a media release and a media advisory (for our planned press conference) to accompany the presentation we created.

Navos interns also joined our groups, so we could have a German participant and get another perspective on the crisis and our analysis of it.

This was a really cool way of incorporating the study abroad aspect of our trip with this assignment, as we talked back and forth about how Americans and Germans view, remember, and expect a variety of things.

We presented our results to some of the Navos consultants who work with international and crisis communications.

Receiving feedback from these experts was great; they obviously have insight into the fields they're working in, while also adding coming at the same issue from entirely different cultural backgrounds from experts in the United States.

After our presentations, some of the Navos group took us to a rooftop, garden bar, where we hung out and talked more about our different experiences, lives, goals, interests, educational systems, etc.

I'm glad this trip includes several days of exploring Berlin and drinking in the culture and experiences, but I honestly would be more than happy to stay at Navos for a couple weeks to interact with these fascinating and friendly people who have a lot of insight into the field I'm entering soon.

Interacting with the people at Navos was a great experience.


Full from eating at the Burgermeister under Schleisisches Tor station.
The Purple Writer