PR Crisis Management

Framework

IRON LAW: First Response Within 1 Hour

The first hour after a crisis becomes public is the "golden hour."
Silence in this window = others control the narrative. A holding
statement ("We are aware of [issue] and are investigating. We will
provide an update by [time].") is infinitely better than silence.

Crisis Classification

Level	Description	Examples	Response
Level 1: Noise	Minor complaint, limited reach	Single negative review, individual social post	Monitor, respond if needed
Level 2: Issue	Growing attention, media interest possible	Multiple complaints on same topic, minor influencer post	Proactive response, prepare statement
Level 3: Crisis	Widespread media coverage, significant reputation damage	Product recall, data breach, viral scandal, executive misconduct	Full crisis protocol, C-suite involvement

Crisis Response Protocol

Hour 1: Contain

1. Activate crisis team (PR, Legal, CEO, relevant department head)
2. Issue holding statement (acknowledge, don't speculate)
3. Secure all internal communications (no unauthorized statements)
4. Begin fact-gathering

Hours 2-6: Respond

1. Draft full statement using 3C framework
2. Legal review (balance transparency with liability)
3. Publish on owned channels first, then distribute to media
4. Brief customer-facing teams (CS, sales) with talking points

Days 1-7: Manage

1. Monitor media reaction to response
2. Issue updates as new information emerges
3. Respond to media inquiries consistently
4. Address social media individually where appropriate

Weeks 2-4: Recover

1. Implement corrective actions (not just promises)
2. Communicate actions taken
3. Re-engage positive narratives
4. Post-mortem: what happened, why, how to prevent

3C Crisis Statement Framework

[CONCERN] We are deeply concerned about [specific situation].
Our thoughts are with [affected parties].

[COMMITMENT] We are taking immediate action:
1. [Specific action 1]
2. [Specific action 2]
3. [Investigation/review underway]

[CONTROL] We have [crisis team/process] in place. We will provide
updates [when and where]. For questions: [contact info].

What NOT to Say

Don't	Why	Instead
"No comment"	Implies guilt or indifference	"We are investigating and will share findings"
"We're sorry IF anyone was offended"	Non-apology, dismissive	"We apologize for [specific thing]"
Blame others	Looks defensive	Take responsibility for your part
Speculate	May be wrong, creates new problems	"Here is what we know so far"
Minimize	Alienates affected people	Acknowledge the seriousness

Output Format

# Crisis Response: {Situation}

## Classification
- Level: 1 (Noise) / 2 (Issue) / 3 (Crisis)
- Type: Product / Personnel / Operational / External
- Current media coverage: {scope}

## Holding Statement (< 1 hour)
{Draft}

## Full Statement (< 6 hours)
{3C framework draft}

## Talking Points (for CS/Sales)
1. {key message}
2. {key message}
3. {redirect: "For further questions, please contact [PR]"}

## Anticipated Questions & Answers
| Question | Answer |
|----------|--------|
| {likely question} | {prepared answer} |

## Recovery Plan
1. {corrective action + timeline}

Gotchas

• Speed vs accuracy trade-off: In hour 1, prioritize speed with a holding statement. In hours 2-6, prioritize accuracy with the full statement. Never sacrifice accuracy for speed in the full statement.
• Social media crises escalate in minutes: A viral TikTok or PTT post can reach millions before your crisis team assembles. Pre-written holding statements for common scenarios save critical minutes.
• Internal leaks are the second crisis: Employees sharing internal discussions on social media compounds the problem. Brief all staff: "All external communication goes through PR."
• Taiwan media cycle: Taiwan's 24-hour news channels (TVBS, SET, CTV) and online outlets (ETtoday, UDN) amplify stories rapidly. The PTT → news outlet pipeline means a PTT hot post becomes TV news within hours.
• Apology culture varies: In Taiwan/Japan, a sincere public apology (including bowing) is expected and effective. In the US, apologies are often viewed as liability admission. Calibrate to cultural context.

References

• For social media crisis playbook, see references/social-crisis.md
• For post-crisis reputation rebuilding, see references/reputation-recovery.md