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
- Activate crisis team (PR, Legal, CEO, relevant department head)
- Issue holding statement (acknowledge, don't speculate)
- Secure all internal communications (no unauthorized statements)
- Begin fact-gathering
Hours 2-6: Respond
- Draft full statement using 3C framework
- Legal review (balance transparency with liability)
- Publish on owned channels first, then distribute to media
- Brief customer-facing teams (CS, sales) with talking points
Days 1-7: Manage
- Monitor media reaction to response
- Issue updates as new information emerges
- Respond to media inquiries consistently
- Address social media individually where appropriate
Weeks 2-4: Recover
- Implement corrective actions (not just promises)
- Communicate actions taken
- Re-engage positive narratives
- 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
1---2name: pr-crisis-response3description: Manage PR crises using classification, golden hour response, crisis statement templates (3C framework), and reputation recovery planning. Use this skill when the user faces negative media coverage, a viral complaint, product safety issues, executive misconduct, or any situation threatening brand reputation — even if they say 'we're getting destroyed on social media', 'draft a response to this article', 'how do we handle this PR disaster', or 'prepare for potential backlash'.4---5
6# PR Crisis Management
7
8## Framework
9
10```
11IRON LAW: First Response Within 1 Hour
12
13The first hour after a crisis becomes public is the "golden hour."
14Silence in this window = others control the narrative. A holding
15statement ("We are aware of [issue] and are investigating. We will
16provide an update by [time].") is infinitely better than silence.
17```
18
19### Crisis Classification
20
21| Level | Description | Examples | Response |
22|-------|-----------|---------|----------|
23| **Level 1: Noise** | Minor complaint, limited reach | Single negative review, individual social post | Monitor, respond if needed |
24| **Level 2: Issue** | Growing attention, media interest possible | Multiple complaints on same topic, minor influencer post | Proactive response, prepare statement |
25| **Level 3: Crisis** | Widespread media coverage, significant reputation damage | Product recall, data breach, viral scandal, executive misconduct | Full crisis protocol, C-suite involvement |
26
27### Crisis Response Protocol
28
29**Hour 1: Contain**
301. Activate crisis team (PR, Legal, CEO, relevant department head)
312. Issue holding statement (acknowledge, don't speculate)
323. Secure all internal communications (no unauthorized statements)
334. Begin fact-gathering
34
35**Hours 2-6: Respond**
361. Draft full statement using 3C framework
372. Legal review (balance transparency with liability)
383. Publish on owned channels first, then distribute to media
394. Brief customer-facing teams (CS, sales) with talking points
40
41**Days 1-7: Manage**
421. Monitor media reaction to response
432. Issue updates as new information emerges
443. Respond to media inquiries consistently
454. Address social media individually where appropriate
46
47**Weeks 2-4: Recover**
481. Implement corrective actions (not just promises)
492. Communicate actions taken
503. Re-engage positive narratives
514. Post-mortem: what happened, why, how to prevent
52
53### 3C Crisis Statement Framework
54
55```
56[CONCERN] We are deeply concerned about [specific situation].
57Our thoughts are with [affected parties].
58
59[COMMITMENT] We are taking immediate action:
601. [Specific action 1]
612. [Specific action 2]
623. [Investigation/review underway]
63
64[CONTROL] We have [crisis team/process] in place. We will provide
65updates [when and where]. For questions: [contact info].
66```
67
68### What NOT to Say
69
70| Don't | Why | Instead |
71|-------|-----|---------|
72| "No comment" | Implies guilt or indifference | "We are investigating and will share findings" |
73| "We're sorry IF anyone was offended" | Non-apology, dismissive | "We apologize for [specific thing]" |
74| Blame others | Looks defensive | Take responsibility for your part |
75| Speculate | May be wrong, creates new problems | "Here is what we know so far" |
76| Minimize | Alienates affected people | Acknowledge the seriousness |
77
78## Output Format
79
80```markdown
81# Crisis Response: {Situation}
82
83## Classification
84- Level: 1 (Noise) / 2 (Issue) / 3 (Crisis)
85- Type: Product / Personnel / Operational / External
86- Current media coverage: {scope}
87
88## Holding Statement (< 1 hour)
89{Draft}
90
91## Full Statement (< 6 hours)
92{3C framework draft}
93
94## Talking Points (for CS/Sales)
951. {key message}
962. {key message}
973. {redirect: "For further questions, please contact [PR]"}
98
99## Anticipated Questions & Answers
100| Question | Answer |
101|----------|--------|
102| {likely question} | {prepared answer} |
103
104## Recovery Plan
1051. {corrective action + timeline}
106```
107
108## Gotchas
109
110- **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.
111- **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.
112- **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."
113- **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.
114- **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.
115
116## References
117
118- For social media crisis playbook, see `references/social-crisis.md`
119- For post-crisis reputation rebuilding, see `references/reputation-recovery.md`
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