case studies
Crisis communication
Intel® Extreme Masters 2020 events without an audience
Creation and implementation of crisis communication during a pandemic
Explore the full project case study
Intel® Extreme Masters Katowice is a must-see on the map for any e-sports fan. It is also the jewel in the crown of the world's most important e-sports competition, and winning the main tournament in Counter-Strike Global Offensive is every player's dream. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world come to the IEM tournaments and the IEM Expo. The 8th edition of the event took place in 2020, but it turned out to be quite different from the previous ones. Less than 14 hours before the gates were to open, the Silesian Governor revoked the decision on public participation in the event.
Several hours before the start of the event, all the elements are buttoned up to the proverbial last button. Most of the competitors and fans, who have come from all over the world, are already on site. The stands at the IEM Expo, are ready to welcome visitors.
The organisers of the event - ESL Poland - were aware of the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic, so preventive measures were taken in advance. ESL Poland set up two special teams.
The first, focusing on monitoring the epidemiological situation, liaising with services such as sanitary services and local authorities. Its tasks also included monitoring the health of competitors, participants or business guests. Hand disinfection points were set up at each entrance to the event area, the temperature of those arriving was measured and the number of medical staff was increased.
The second team acted as the crisis staff - made up of PR, marketing and SoMe specialists at ESL Poland and agency d*fusion, co-responsible for creating and implementing crisis communication.
the strategy developed
Public
Relations
Influencer Video Marketing
Competition
Event
Social Media
purpose
EIM is a fully secure event created for and by esports enthusiasts
Avoiding traffic chaos
ESL followed all procedures and was able to ensure the safety of visitors
A key task identified in the strategy was keeping the media and stakeholders reliably informed about preparations for the event and safeguarding the event against risks arising from epidemics. Representatives of ESL Poland were in constant contact with the media and provided full information on the potential impact of the outbreak on the organisation of IEM, based on previously developed crisis scenarios. Every communication about the event emphasised the fact that the event is safe and prepared to receive a large number of guests, and that the organisers are in constant contact with the local administration, sanitary authorities and will follow all WHO guidelines.
One month prior to the event, the crisis document (The organiser, together with the PR agency, decided to prepare a communication plan for the event, which included the procedures for activities and communication scenarios, and which included information on the activities to be undertaken and the potential impact of the epidemic on the organisation of the event. As the situation was changing dynamically in the last days of February 2020, the organiser, together with the PR agency, decided to prepare a an additional document with a summary of 40 questions and answers, exclusively on the epidemiological situation.
activities
- Establishment of the crisis unit
- Contact with supporters
- Contact with the media
Decision to prohibit the participation of the public was reported on the Twitter account of the Silesian Voivodship Office at 19:26, some 14 hours before the opening of the event. The organisers were put on notice. Within 15 minutes it was collected crisis staff, which promptly prepared and distributed ESL Poland's official company position in several language versions. The agency and ESL's communications department responded to stakeholder questions on an ongoing basis. The main objective was to avoid communication chaos and, in particular, a situation where crowds of fans could gather in front of the entrance to the event. On the other hand, information noise could have discouraged journalists from attending the event and could have contributed to panic among all those present in Katowice at the time. This objective was achieved at 100%. On the opening day of the event, only a dozen or so confused fans turned up, and those with press accreditations entered the event area unhindered.
From the first day of the event, the stakes were no longer about whether the event would take place, as all IEM 2020 tournaments were played as planned, but about disappointed fans and ESL's image crisis. Communication strategy involved contact with fans and journalists and emphasised ESL's willingness to deliver the event above and beyond the mandatory requirements in a pandemic emergency. The message was clear - ESL had completed all procedures and was able to ensure the safety of visitors. The decision to cancel the event was up to ESL.
Contact with the media took place through all possible channels. ESL staff also met with fans, gathering at various venues around Katowice. During them, fans received gadgets and had the opportunity to talk to stars of the e-sports scene.
effects
- The success of the communication strategy adopted is evidenced by the fact that no negative material has appeared in the context of ESL Poland blaming the company for the fact that IEM 2020 was held without fan participation. The topic was widely reported in the media, especially the fact that the decision to hold the event without fans was taken far too late and without consulting ESL Polska
- Between the announcement of the event in September 2019 and 12 March 2020, there were 4,551 media reports about the event, generating a reach of 33.6 million and over £16 million. AVE
- From 27 February (the day the Governor announced his decision) to 12 March 2020, there were 859 publications about the IEM, which reached 12.5 million people and had an advertising equivalent of more than PLN 2.8 million (IMM data), none of them negatively
- In addition, as part of the crisis recovery activity, the agency arranged extensive publications with ESL's CEOs in key business titles such as Puls Biznesu - the main cover story - and Business Insider. In each of the interviews, ESL's Chief Operating Officer Krzysztof Pikiewicz touched on key topics for the company, such as: the record-breaking viewing figures for the IEM tournament (over 240 million viewers); the company's global investment in Katowice, the Production Hub for the EMEA region; and the positive prospects for the development of e-sports on a global scale, which ESL has been creating for the past 15 years.
