When trouble strikes, many business executives focus their crisis communication solely on damage control—minimizing fallout, addressing immediate concerns, and moving on as quickly as possible. But the most successful brands recognize that these moments aren’t just about survival. They represent an opportunity to strengthen customer trust, reinforce brand values, and come out stronger than before.
Businesses looking to capitalize on the opportunities presented by crises, whether big or small, can do so with the right strategies. This article explores several key methods for turning negative publicity into occasions for brand-building.
Crisis Communication Goes Beyond Damage Control
Crises happen to every business. In fact, the longer a company is in operation, the more likely they’ll experience a major crisis that requires communication with their customers. Whether it’s a product that needs recalling, a public relations issue, or something deeper, these issues require proper management to help the company come out the other side.
While trouble is never completely unavoidable, there are several key steps for managing a crisis:
- Assess the Damage. Conduct a thorough review of what happened, taking note of the extent of the impact—financial, reputational, and operational. Then, identify and prioritize areas that need attention.
- Communicate Transparently. Address the priority stakeholders in the situation with clear, honest, and timely updates. This includes executives, employees, customers, and possibly a legal team.
- Resolve Immediate Issues. Take swift action to mitigate further harm, such as compensating affected customers, fixing operational failure, or reinforcing cybersecurity when data is compromised.
- Support Staff Members. Employees should be briefed on the crisis and trained how to respond to customer concerns. Furthermore, they should be reassured about the company’s plans to address the problem.
- Evaluate and Improve Crisis Management Plans. Once the dust has settled, analyze what went wrong and update protocols to prevent future issues.
These are all important steps in any crisis response plan. However, going one step further can make a huge difference in the outcome: leveraging crisis communication to rebuild customer trust. This takes a brand past the first stage of cleanup and into the light of opportunity.
But how does this happen? The following four strategies, as demonstrated by the case studies included, have been used by many businesses to great success—even after potentially devastating events.
Own the Narrative
Sometimes, a company’s first reaction to a crisis will be to stop the flow of information. This is a fair strategy, as it’s important to prevent rumors and misinformation from spreading. However, once the details have been nailed down, crisis communication benefits the most from honest, timely, and clear updates. By taking responsibility, businesses show customers that they’re ready to do what it takes to come to a satisfying, ethical resolution. Additionally, businesses can use public relations strategies to frame the retellings to show the best of the company in a creative or clever way.
Although it may seem fitting to wait until all the facts are known before going public, this is often not a good place to stay. Delaying communication too long can come across as an attempt to cover up mistakes or delay justice. This can do just as much to harm a business’s reputation as the crisis itself.
Case Study: Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol Recall
One well-known case of an appropriately-managed episode of crisis communication is the Johnson & Johnson recall of Tylenol products in the 1980s. In Chicago, Illinois, a number of Tylenol bottles were found to contain cyanide-laced capsules—placed there by some unknown agent.
When calls started coming in that people were dying from what they thought were harmless pain pills, the company jumped into action. They assembled a response team, immediately recalled 31 million bottles, issued public warnings, and cooperated fully with authorities investigating the incident. In doing so, they found two additional tampered bottles before they made it into consumers’ hands and saved lives.
Furthermore, by demonstrating their commitment to transparency and taking control of the public narrative—framing themselves as a fellow victim of this heinous crime—they built long-term consumer trust. In fact, their quick action became a gold standard for crisis management.
Key Crisis Communication Takeaway: Be Proactive
No matter what the problem, crisis communication works best when the company is proactive about their response—not reactive or reclusive. Clearly explain to customers and the public what happened, what actions are being taken, and how people will be protected moving forward. This high level of integrity can only reflect well on the business that employs this strategy.
Turn Apologies Into Actions
As the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. While a well-crafted apology is essential in crisis communication, this alone isn’t enough to mitigate the damage done. Customers expect businesses to back up their statements with meaningful actions. This demonstrates that they not only understand what went wrong, but are also taking steps to ensure a similar situation doesn’t happen again.
Depending on the crisis, this strategy could look very different from one scenario to the next. Sometimes, it means firing the employee who incited the incident. Other times, hiring new team members or starting fresh initiatives could provide the follow-up needed. It takes a careful approach—and a bit of creativity—to make a quality plan for the future. But once the plan is in place, it’s just as important to share that information with the public as anything else.
Case Study: Starbucks’ Bias Training Initiative
In 2018, two Black men met at a Starbucks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a business meeting. When they arrived, an employee called police and reported these customers for trespassing. This led to arrests, days-long protests, and accusations of racism. Overall, it wasn’t a good look for the coffee company.
Starbucks responded to the crisis with public communications saying that they would do their part to make things right. They closed more than 8,000 of their stores and hosted extensive racial bias training programs for employees. Although there was plenty of negative feedback from the public, they certainly took steps toward cultivating a better company culture and holding themselves accountable.
Key Crisis Communication Takeaway: Follow Through
Although a case could be made that this was a one-off incident and the company wasn’t responsible for the crisis, Starbucks decided to take that extra step. By following through on their promise to do better, they demonstrated a conscious commitment to improving the world. This resonated with much of the public and reinforced the brand as a positive—or at least well-meaning—organization.
Engage with Customers to Rebuild Confidence
Crisis communication is all about the customer. As such, it’s good to remember that this is still a demonstration of brand identity. Sometimes, potential customers may only pay attention to a brand—or even get a first impression—during a crisis. Thus, depending on the situation, it can prove very beneficial to lean into that brand identity even during a crisis.
Ultimately, a crisis can serve as a chance to engage with new and returning customers. Taking advantage of this opportunity in clever, creative, and on-brand ways can produce fantastic results that more than offset the damage done.
Case Study: KFC’s “FCK” Campaign
Here’s another great case study from 2018—this time from across the pond. Due to a “logistical snafu” with deliveries, as many as 800 out of about 900 KFC locations in the UK had to close their doors because they had no chicken to serve.
While this seems like a nightmare scenario, KFC took a “cheeky” approach to its crisis communication. The company ran full-page newspaper ads depicting an empty chicken bucket. But instead of showcasing the traditional KFC logo on the front of the bucket, they cleverly rearranged the letters to spell “FCK.” This was followed by a short apology and explanation for the public.
What could have been catastrophic turned into a public relations party. News organizations ran with the story. The public had a field day. By taking full responsibility and having fun at their own expense, they forged a fresh memory for their customers—and likely saw a spike in business once their supply was back in stock. Additionally, the company did so without dragging their supplier’s name through the mud. This demonstrated authenticity, transparency, and a lighthearted nature that charmed customers everywhere.
Key Crisis Communication Takeaway: Keep It Authentic
Although consumers expect professionalism from the companies they purchase from—even companies as light and fun-loving as KFC—they understand more than anyone that crises happen. Maintaining authenticity and transparency is critically important in crisis communication. Certainly, simple honesty is better than cover-ups and pointing fingers. By engaging with customers, this strategy shows that a business is relatable, human, and customer-focused, as well as professional.
Leverage the Crisis to Reinforce Brand Values
Similarly, some crisis scenarios can be used to further demonstrate a brand’s commitment to its own values. This can help remind customers why they chose this brand in the first place. Whether it’s because they enjoy the product, support the company’s initiatives, or simply resonate with their identity, crisis communication can be an excellent place to highlight these key points and reinforce its philosophical foundations.
Case Study: Patagonia’s Proactive Recall
Patagonia is an American company that sells outdoor clothing, equipment, and food around the globe. Their dedication to environmental activism and sustainable materials is part of their core brand identity, as well as their integrity. So when they discovered that some of the sun-protective clothing they sold didn’t meet their highest standards for UV protection, they voluntarily recalled the products and replaced them with better ones—even though they didn’t receive any complaints from customers. In fact, the recalled clothing still offered very good and even excellent sun protection as claimed. The issue was that it didn’t meet Patagonia’s own expectations.
This recall could be seen by some companies as completely unnecessary. However, by upholding their own integrity to this level, their customers and fans found all the more reason to support them. Ultimately, they demonstrated that they fully stood behind their mission to provide high-quality products—even at the cost of their own profits.
Key Crisis Communication Takeaway: Showcase What the Brand Stands For
In the end, crises reveal what a person’s—or company’s—true character is. Therefore, crisis communications present a chance for a brand to showcase what they stand for. By taking a proactive approach to ensure that products and services align with the core mission, a business can demonstrate their commitments on a deeper level than everyday operations can provide. That makes this a powerful strategy for coming back after a crisis.
There’s No Such Thing as Bad Publicity (with Good Communication)
Crises may be inevitable, but they don’t have to be catastrophic. With the right crisis communication strategy, businesses can transform moments of adversity into powerful opportunities for strengthening customer loyalty and reinforcing brand identity.
Of course, the best crisis communication plans go well beyond damage control. They build trust, demonstrate integrity, and prove a company’s commitments to its customers and stakeholders. This can define its reputation for years to come. Therefore, brands that approach such challenges with transparency, accountability, and a customer-first mindset won’t just recover—they’ll thrive.
