Crisis Communication

Crisis Communication

Framework

IRON LAW: Respond in the Golden Hour

The first public response must come within 1 hour of the crisis becoming
public. Silence creates a vacuum that others fill with speculation.
A holding statement ("We are aware and investigating") is better than
no statement. Perfection is the enemy of timeliness.

Three Phases

1. Prevention (before crisis)

• Identify potential crises (risk inventory)
• Prepare holding statements and spokesperson training
• Establish a crisis team with clear roles
• Monitor media and social channels

2. Response (during crisis)

• Activate crisis team
• Issue holding statement immediately
• Gather facts rapidly
• Issue full statement using 3C framework:
  • Concern: Show empathy for affected parties
  • Commitment: State what you're doing about it
  • Control: Demonstrate you're managing the situation

3. Recovery (after crisis)

• Assess damage and lessons learned
• Implement corrective actions
• Rebuild stakeholder trust through actions (not just words)
• Update crisis plan based on learnings

SCCT (Situational Crisis Communication Theory)