PR 103 3/30 Writing for Crisis Communications

Corporate Reputation Crisis:

Occurs when a company’s

reputation is damaged due to unethical behavior,

leadership misconduct, or operational failures. (Wells

Fargo Fake Accounts, VW Emissions Scandal)

Product Recall and Safety Crisis

Happens when a product

is found to be defective, dangerous, or harmful to

consumers. (Samsung battery explosions)

Executive Scandals and Leadership Crisis

Occurs when a

CEO, executive, or high-profile employee is involved in

unethical, illegal, or inappropriate behavior. (Lululemon’s

founder’s comments.)

Social Media and Viral Crisis

A crisis that spreads rapidly

on social media, often due to insensitive or offensive

posts.

How to handle crisis communication steps

1. Acknowledge the crisis early

2. assemble a crisis response team

3. establish communication protocols

writing goals in crisis

• Inform quickly and clearly

  • Protect the

  organization's reputation

  • Show empathy and

  accountability

  • Maintain consistency across

  channels

  • Prevent misinformation

Core principles of crisis writing

clarity

speed

transparency

empathy

alignment

Natural disaster and humanitarian crisis

Companies are impacted

by or contribute to environmental

disasters.

employee misconduct and workplace culture crisis

Arises when workplace discrimination, harassment, or toxicity becomes

public. (Google, Amazon, Tesla)