SITUATION CRITICAL

SIM USA missionary Nancy Writebol was one of the first American missionaries to contract the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia, Africa. Once
diagnosed, events quickly unfolded, leaving the organization and its staff scrambling to come up with a plan to deal with the overwhelming
barrage of media inquiries. Without immediate action, SIM USA was facing a potential public relations nightmare – and its reputation was
on the line.

ICC LEAPT INTO ACTION TO DEFEND SIM USA’S REPUTATION

• Issued immediate pressrelease to “clear the air” and get the facts out
• Organized press conferences to respond directly to media questions
• Arranged media interviews
• Sent out media advisories to stay on top of the unfolding situation
• Developed opinion pieces for print media
• Managed video and photo releases

THE RESULTS

• Elevated SIM USA’s brand image and successfully protected the organization’s reputation
• Turned a potentially devastating storyline into positive media coverage for SIM USA, boosting public awareness of the organization’s work and role in Africa — 30,000 positive media mentions, with equivalent ad value of $300 million
• SIM doctor on cover of Time magazine’s “Persons of the Year” issue