# Crisis Communication — 3-Tier Framework

> A structured approach to brand crisis management. The difference between a crisis that destroys a brand and one that strengthens it comes down to speed, transparency, and preparedness. This framework gives you all three.

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## 3-Tier Severity Classification

| Attribute | Tier 1 — Minor | Tier 2 — Moderate | Tier 3 — Severe |
|-----------|----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
| **Trigger** | Single complaint, minor error, isolated incident | Trending negative coverage, viral social post, product defect | Major press investigation, legal action, data breach, executive scandal |
| **Visibility** | Low — limited audience | Medium — spreading across channels | High — mainstream media, regulatory bodies |
| **Response Window** | 24 hours | 4 hours | 1 hour (acknowledge), full response within 4 hours |
| **Team Activation** | Community manager + manager approval | Crisis team (marketing, PR, legal, CS) | CEO war room (C-suite, legal, board, external PR agency) |
| **Escalation Path** | CM → Marketing Manager | Marketing Manager → VP Marketing + Legal | VP Marketing → CEO → Board (if public company) |
| **Communication Channels** | Direct reply (platform where issue appeared) | All social + email to affected customers | Press release, all social, email, website banner, investor relations |
| **Examples** | Rude employee review, minor shipping delay complaint | Trending #brand hashtag, product recall rumor, employee misconduct video | Data breach, CEO arrest, class-action lawsuit, death/injury linked to product |

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## 72-Hour Crisis Timeline Playbook

### Hour 0-1: Detection & Acknowledgment
- [ ] Identify the crisis source and classify severity tier
- [ ] Alert the appropriate response team (see tier table above)
- [ ] Pause all scheduled social media posts and ad campaigns
- [ ] Issue a holding statement: "We are aware of [issue] and are investigating. We take this seriously and will share updates as we learn more."
- [ ] Assign a single spokesperson (no freelancing)
- [ ] Set up a dedicated internal communication channel (Slack war room, Teams channel)

### Hour 1-4: Assessment & Initial Response
- [ ] Gather all facts — do NOT speculate publicly
- [ ] Identify affected stakeholders (customers, employees, partners, investors, media)
- [ ] Draft tailored messaging for each stakeholder group (see templates below)
- [ ] Legal review of all public-facing messaging
- [ ] Publish first substantive update (what happened, what you're doing, what comes next)
- [ ] Brief customer-facing teams (support, sales, retail) with approved talking points

### Hour 4-24: Active Management
- [ ] Monitor social media and news coverage every 30 minutes
- [ ] Respond to direct inquiries using approved messaging
- [ ] Publish second update with additional details or corrective actions
- [ ] Activate customer outreach if individual harm occurred (email, phone)
- [ ] Document every action taken with timestamps

### Hour 24-48: Stabilization
- [ ] Assess public sentiment shift — is the narrative improving?
- [ ] Publish a detailed account if investigation is complete
- [ ] Announce concrete corrective actions and timelines
- [ ] Begin one-on-one outreach to key stakeholders (major clients, partners, top journalists)
- [ ] Resume normal operations where appropriate (selectively un-pause ads/social)

### Hour 48-72: Recovery Transition
- [ ] Final public update summarizing actions taken and preventive measures
- [ ] Schedule post-crisis retrospective for Day 7
- [ ] Begin monitoring for secondary or resurgent coverage
- [ ] Transition from crisis mode to reputation recovery mode (see `recovery-playbooks.md`)

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## Stakeholder Messaging Templates

### Customers
> **Subject:** An important update from {{company_name}}
>
> Dear {{customer_name}},
>
> We want to address {{brief description of incident}} directly. Here is what we know: {{factual summary}}.
>
> What we're doing about it: {{corrective actions with specific timelines}}.
>
> If you've been affected, {{specific remediation — refund, credit, support contact}}.
>
> We understand this impacts your trust in us, and we are committed to earning it back through our actions. We will continue to share updates at {{URL}}.
>
> Sincerely,
> {{senior leader name and title}}

### Employees
> **Subject:** Internal Update — {{incident name}}
>
> Team,
>
> You may have seen reports about {{incident}}. Here are the facts as we know them: {{summary}}.
>
> Our response: {{actions being taken}}.
>
> **What you should do:**
> - Direct all media inquiries to {{PR contact}}
> - Do not post about this on personal social media
> - If customers ask, use the attached talking points
> - If you have information relevant to the investigation, contact {{internal contact}}
>
> We will share updates in {{channel}} as they become available.
>
> {{CEO/leadership name}}

### Media
> **Official Statement — {{company_name}}**
>
> {{City, Date}} — {{Company_name}} is aware of {{incident description}}. We are taking this matter seriously and have {{immediate actions taken}}.
>
> {{Factual details — only confirmed information}}.
>
> We are {{ongoing investigation/corrective steps}} and will provide additional updates as our review progresses. For media inquiries, contact {{PR contact name, email, phone}}.

### Investors / Board (Tier 3 only)
> **Subject:** Confidential — Incident Briefing
>
> {{Factual summary of incident, business impact assessment, legal exposure estimate, remediation plan with costs, timeline for resolution, next board update date}}.
>
> This communication is confidential and subject to attorney-client privilege where applicable.

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## Internal Crisis Protocol

### Crisis Team Roles

| Role | Responsibility | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|------|---------------|--------|--------|--------|
| Incident Commander | Overall decision authority | Marketing Mgr | VP Marketing | CEO |
| Spokesperson | All external communications | CM | PR Director | CEO / External PR |
| Legal Advisor | Review all messaging, assess liability | On-call | Active | Dedicated |
| Operations Lead | Fix the underlying problem | Support Mgr | VP Ops | COO |
| Comms Coordinator | Draft, route, publish all messaging | CM | PR Team | PR Agency + Internal |
| Monitor | Track coverage, sentiment, volume | Analyst | Analyst + Tool | War room analyst team |
| Documenter | Log every action with timestamps | CM | Designated | Designated |

### Decision Authority Matrix

| Decision | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|----------|--------|--------|--------|
| Social media response | CM (pre-approved templates) | PR Director | Spokesperson only |
| Press statement | N/A | VP Marketing + Legal | CEO + Legal + Board (if public) |
| Product recall / service halt | N/A | VP Ops + Legal | CEO + Board |
| Financial remediation (refunds, credits) | Manager (< $5K) | VP (< $50K) | CEO (unlimited) |
| Paid media pause | CM | Automatic | Automatic |

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## Social Media Crisis Templates

### Initial Acknowledgment (all tiers)
> We're aware of {{issue}} and are looking into it now. We take this seriously and will share an update as soon as we have more information. Thank you for your patience.

### Follow-Up with Details
> Update on {{issue}}: {{what you've learned}}. We are {{actions being taken}}. We'll continue to post updates here. If you've been affected, please reach out to {{support channel}}.

### Apology (when fault is established)
> We made a mistake and we own it. {{What happened}}. {{Why it happened, if appropriate}}. {{What we're doing to fix it and prevent recurrence}}. We're sorry and we're committed to doing better.

### Closing Statement
> Final update on {{issue}}: {{resolution summary}}. {{Preventive measures implemented}}. Thank you for holding us accountable. If you have any remaining concerns, contact {{support}}.

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## Post-Crisis Retrospective (Day 7-14)

### Retrospective Agenda
1. **Timeline reconstruction** — What happened, minute by minute?
2. **Detection speed** — How quickly did we identify the crisis?
3. **Response effectiveness** — Did our messaging land? What was the sentiment shift?
4. **Process gaps** — Where did the protocol fail or slow us down?
5. **Tool gaps** — Do we need better monitoring, faster approval workflows?
6. **Stakeholder feedback** — How did customers, employees, and partners perceive our response?
7. **Action items** — What changes to prevent recurrence and improve response?

### Metrics to Evaluate

| Metric | Target | Actual |
|--------|--------|--------|
| Time to detection | < 30 min | |
| Time to first public acknowledgment | < 1 hr (Tier 3), < 4 hr (Tier 2) | |
| Sentiment recovery (days to baseline) | < 14 days | |
| Media coverage tone shift | Negative → neutral within 72 hrs | |
| Customer churn attributable to crisis | < 2% | |
| Employee sentiment impact | Minimal | |

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## Pre-Crisis Preparation Checklist

- [ ] Crisis communication plan documented and distributed to all team leads
- [ ] Crisis team roles assigned with backup contacts for every role
- [ ] Holding statement templates pre-drafted and pre-approved by legal
- [ ] Media contact list maintained and updated quarterly
- [ ] Social media monitoring configured with crisis keyword alerts
- [ ] Dark site or crisis landing page template ready to deploy
- [ ] Tabletop crisis simulation conducted at least annually
- [ ] All spokespeople media-trained within the past 12 months
- [ ] Customer communication tools tested (mass email, SMS, in-app)
- [ ] Insurance coverage reviewed (cyber liability, D&O, general liability)
- [ ] Relationship with external crisis PR firm established (retainer or pre-negotiated terms)

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> **The cardinal rule of crisis communication:** Speed without accuracy is reckless. Accuracy without speed is irrelevant. You need both. Acknowledge fast, investigate thoroughly, communicate transparently.
