Crisis management
As a crisis management and PR agency, we know that protecting your reputation requires both proactive planning and rapid response.
Whether you’re preparing for a potential issue or managing an unfolding situation, we help organisations communicate confidently, minimise reputational damage, and maintain stakeholder trust.
PR Crisis Planning
No organisation is immune from a crisis, and some sectors face greater risks than others. The way an organisation communicates during a crisis can have a lasting impact on its reputation. Yet many businesses only seek professional support once a situation has begun to escalate.
We help organisations prepare before problems arise by developing bespoke crisis communication strategies. Our process includes identifying potential risks, assessing vulnerabilities, and creating clear communication protocols so your team can respond quickly, consistently, and with confidence when it matters most.
Who Needs a Crisis Plan?
While any organisation can face a crisis, robust crisis planning is particularly important for:
- Construction, manufacturing and other high-risk industries where serious workplace incidents may occur.
- Manufacturers whose products could cause injury or require a recall, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, toys, automotive and furniture businesses.
- Healthcare organisations where operational or human error could impact patient welfare.
- Businesses handling large volumes of personal data that may be vulnerable to cyber incidents or breaches.
- Organisations responsible for accommodation, catering or public environments, including hotels, restaurants, leisure operators, facilities management companies and social housing providers.
Staff Communication During a Crisis
One of the biggest risks during a crisis is unauthorised communication with the media.
Well-intentioned employees can unintentionally worsen a situation by speaking to journalists without approval or by sharing information “off the record” without understanding the implications.
We help organisations establish clear media handling procedures and train staff on how to respond appropriately when approached by journalists.
Rapid Response
Not every crisis comes with preparation time.
When journalists are asking difficult questions and reputational risks are growing, we can provide immediate support. Our team will help you assess the situation, prepare key messages, anticipate challenging questions and manage communications to prevent further escalation.
Spokesperson Media Training
Effective media handling can significantly reduce reputational damage during a crisis.
Our media training equips senior leaders and designated spokespeople with the skills to communicate clearly, calmly and confidently under pressure.
Through practical exercises and realistic interview scenarios, we help your team stay in control of the message when scrutiny is at its highest.
Post-Crisis Reputation Recovery
Our support doesn’t end when the immediate crisis is over.
We work with clients to rebuild confidence, restore credibility and strengthen stakeholder relationships through strategic communications programmes that help organisations recover and move forward positively.
Media Monitoring
You can’t effectively manage a crisis if you don’t know what’s being said about your organisation.
Our media monitoring service tracks coverage of your brand across the media landscape, enabling you to understand how issues are developing, measure sentiment and identify emerging reputational risks before they become larger problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
A crisis plan allows your organisation to respond quickly and effectively when an issue arises. Having trained spokespeople, agreed processes and pre-prepared messaging can significantly reduce reputational damage compared with trying to develop a response under pressure.
We typically respond within an hour during normal business hours. For urgent situations, we recommend calling us directly on 0845 625 0820 rather than emailing.
Our media training covers:
- Developing effective key messages.
- Refining and testing those messages.
- Introducing key messages naturally during interviews.
- Simulated media interviews and pressure testing.
- Soundbite development and delivery techniques.
A holding statement is a pre-approved response prepared in anticipation of media interest. It enables your organisation to respond quickly while key facts are still being established, helping you avoid appearing unprepared or resorting to a “no comment” response.
Many people mistakenly believe that “off the record” means information cannot be reported.
In reality, the definition can vary, and not all journalists interpret it in the same way. Sharing information on this basis can be risky and should usually be avoided unless guided by experienced communications professionals.