PECB Crisis Communication cheat sheet

Crisis communication is the collection, processing and dissemination of information to limit reputational and operational damage during a disruptive event; it is a subset of overall crisis management.

Crisis lifecycle stages (pre-crisis, acute, chronic, resolution) each require a different communication posture: preparedness, holding statements, ongoing explanation, then evaluation and learning.

Stakeholder mapping rule: prioritize audiences by (power/impact on the crisis) x (dependency on your information); employees, affected victims and regulators normally outrank general media.

Holding statement content rule: acknowledge awareness, express concern, state that facts are being verified, name a next update time; avoid speculation and avoid unverified causal claims.

Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) matches response strategy to attributed responsibility: victim cluster (low) favors instructing/informing; accidental cluster favors diminishing; preventable cluster requires apology and compensation.

Crisis communication plan minimum components: activation triggers, crisis team roles, spokesperson designation and backup, stakeholder contact lists, channel inventory, message templates, approval workflow, and testing schedule.

Message discipline rule: one voice, one message - all spokespeople use the same approved key messages; inconsistent statements are the most common source of secondary reputational harm.

Speed-versus-accuracy rule: issue a first statement fast (commonly within the first hour for high-visibility events) but only with verified facts; silence is interpreted as guilt or incompetence.

Social media monitoring rule: treat first-hour volume and sentiment shifts as an escalation trigger; a defined threshold converts monitoring into formal crisis activation.

Golden hour principle: the first official statement should establish empathy, control of the response, and a commitment to update; content accuracy is non-negotiable even when speed is prioritized.

Dark site and pre-approved assets rule: maintain an offline-ready crisis page, holding templates, and spokesperson bios so publication does not depend on the affected infrastructure.

Channel selection rule: use the channel the affected stakeholder already uses; do not rely solely on a corporate website that may be down or unvisited during the incident.

Rumor control rule: address false information explicitly with the correct fact, not by repeating the false claim; repetition increases recall of the misinformation.

Spokesperson selection criteria: functional authority over the incident, credibility with the affected audience, media training, and availability; the CEO is not automatically the right voice for technical incidents.

Internal-before-external sequencing: employees should hear significant news before or simultaneously with external audiences to prevent leaks and preserve frontline credibility.

Legal-privilege tension rule: legal review protects against liability but delays response; agree in advance which statement elements require counsel and which can be released immediately.

Post-crisis evaluation metrics: time to first statement, message accuracy rate, share of voice, sentiment recovery curve, stakeholder reach, and number of corrections issued.

Regulatory notification rule: identify mandatory reporting deadlines (data protection, safety, financial) in advance; these deadlines override reputational timing preferences.

Crisis communication is the collection, processing and dissemination of information to limit reputational and operational damage during a disruptive event; it is a subset of overall crisis management.

Crisis lifecycle stages (pre-crisis, acute, chronic, resolution) each require a different communication posture: preparedness, holding statements, ongoing explanation, then evaluation and learning.

Stakeholder mapping rule: prioritize audiences by (power/impact on the crisis) x (dependency on your information); employees, affected victims and regulators normally outrank general media.

Holding statement content rule: acknowledge awareness, express concern, state that facts are being verified, name a next update time; avoid speculation and avoid unverified causal claims.

Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) matches response strategy to attributed responsibility: victim cluster (low) favors instructing/informing; accidental cluster favors diminishing; preventable cluster requires apology and compensation.

Crisis communication plan minimum components: activation triggers, crisis team roles, spokesperson designation and backup, stakeholder contact lists, channel inventory, message templates, approval workflow, and testing schedule.

Message discipline rule: one voice, one message - all spokespeople use the same approved key messages; inconsistent statements are the most common source of secondary reputational harm.

Speed-versus-accuracy rule: issue a first statement fast (commonly within the first hour for high-visibility events) but only with verified facts; silence is interpreted as guilt or incompetence.

Social media monitoring rule: treat first-hour volume and sentiment shifts as an escalation trigger; a defined threshold converts monitoring into formal crisis activation.

Golden hour principle: the first official statement should establish empathy, control of the response, and a commitment to update; content accuracy is non-negotiable even when speed is prioritized.

Dark site and pre-approved assets rule: maintain an offline-ready crisis page, holding templates, and spokesperson bios so publication does not depend on the affected infrastructure.

Channel selection rule: use the channel the affected stakeholder already uses; do not rely solely on a corporate website that may be down or unvisited during the incident.

Rumor control rule: address false information explicitly with the correct fact, not by repeating the false claim; repetition increases recall of the misinformation.

Spokesperson selection criteria: functional authority over the incident, credibility with the affected audience, media training, and availability; the CEO is not automatically the right voice for technical incidents.

Internal-before-external sequencing: employees should hear significant news before or simultaneously with external audiences to prevent leaks and preserve frontline credibility.

Legal-privilege tension rule: legal review protects against liability but delays response; agree in advance which statement elements require counsel and which can be released immediately.

Post-crisis evaluation metrics: time to first statement, message accuracy rate, share of voice, sentiment recovery curve, stakeholder reach, and number of corrections issued.

Regulatory notification rule: identify mandatory reporting deadlines (data protection, safety, financial) in advance; these deadlines override reputational timing preferences.