What is Digital Crisis Management?
Digital crisis management is a strategic approach to identifying, mitigating, and resolving issues that can harm a brand’s online reputation. This strategy is a brand’s weapon against digital crisis like campaign backlashes, negative customer reviews, or viral social media controversies that tarnish or destroy a brand’s reputation.
If you have experienced a digital crisis or you want to prevent this from happening to your brand, then this piece will guide you through:
- Why You Need a Digital Crisis Management Plan
- 7 Steps to Protect Your Brand Online
- Case Studies of Successful Brands in Digital Crisis Management
Why You Need a Digital Crisis Management Plan
Social media companies engineer their platforms that will make content shareable. According to Statista, internet users sent 41.6 million messages and shared 2.1 million photos in just a minute. These staggering numbers prove that people are wired to share information, plus the enabling of social media sites. Because of this, topics of any kind can go viral instantly.
While virality can benefit a brand, a poorly managed online campaign can lead to severe financial losses, decreased customer loyalty, and permanent damage to the brand’s reputation. Here are some reasons why your brand needs a digital crisis management plan:
- Swift Damage Control: A well-prepared crisis management plan allows brands to respond quickly and mitigate damage by having pre-drafted responses, defined roles, and transparent handling procedures.
- Protecting Brand Reputation: A proactive crisis plan helps manage and control the narrative, ensuring the brand’s reputation is preserved as much as possible.
- Maintaining Customer Trust: A digital crisis management plan enables brands to communicate effectively, keep customers informed, and demonstrate accountability, which can sustain or even build trust during a crisis.
- Financial Stability: A structured plan minimises financial fallout by reducing the time needed to address the crisis and swiftly recover business operations.
- Learning and Adapting for the Future: A crisis management plan that includes post-crisis review procedures allows brands to assess their response, improve, and better prepare for future challenges. This adaptability strengthens the brand’s resilience over time.
7 Essential Steps to Protect Your Brand Online
The importance of digital crisis management cannot be overstated. Now that you know how important it is to your brand, here are the seven steps to protect your brand online and manage a digital crisis.
Step 1: Develop a Crisis Management Plan
Digital crisis can take many forms, such as data breaches, viral complaints, or PR missteps. When a critical situation arises, a clear crisis management plan can equip you and your team to act quickly and confidently, minimising the negative impact on your reputation, restoring good customer relationships, and preserving your financial health. Here are the key components of a crisis management plan that you must prepare before a digital crisis occurs.
- Crisis Response Team: This team often includes marketing, public relations, customer service, legal and IT leaders, and other dedicated personnel responsible for managing the crisis. Each member has a defined role, such as monitoring social media, addressing customer inquiries, or communicating with stakeholders.
- Communication Plan: The communication plan ensures the brand’s message is consistent, empathetic, and transparent across platforms. It also outlines protocols for responding to customers, stakeholders, and the media, preventing mixed messages and maintaining trust.
- Predefined Protocols: Protocols detail when to activate the crisis plan, how to escalate issues, and when to reach out to third-party experts if needed. Predefined protocols eliminate guesswork, ensuring a smooth and coordinated response.
To help your brand create a digital crisis management plan, here are some crisis planning softwares including their key features and price ranges.
| 软件 | 主要功能 | Price Range |
| Noggin |
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| Everbridge |
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Aside from these tools, your brand must be prepared for digital crisis by having communication templates ready. Below are some of the templates that you can use:
Internal Team Notification
Customer Email Notification
Case Study: JetBlue Airways
Image source: Crisis Communication Blog by Timothy Coombs
One brand that successfully managed a digital crisis with a solid plan is JetBlue Airways. In 2007, severe winter weather left passengers stranded on planes for hours. JetBlue’s proactive crisis plan included the following:
- Released a public apology
- Reimbursed the passengers (full refunds, compensations, and round trip free vouchers)
- Devised better service plans
- Evaluated their operating process
- Created a formalised structure
In addition, JetBlue implemented its “Customer Bill of Rights,” which became a model for crisis resolution in the airline industry. By having an organised crisis response plan, JetBlue was able to retain customer loyalty and even enhance its reputation as a brand that prioritises transparency and customer satisfaction.
JetBlue’s example underscores the value of a proactive, well-structured crisis management plan in maintaining brand reputation and customer trust during a crisis.
Step 2: Monitor Online Channels Constantly
Nowadays, communication travels fast. A single negative comment can immediately spiral into a major crisis. Therefore, brands must constantly monitor their online channels to detect early warning signs, engage in timely damage control, and prevent issues from escalating.
Timely intervention prevents the spread of negativity and demonstrates the brand’s commitment to customer service and accountability. In some cases, responding quickly can even turn a potentially damaging event into an opportunity to build trust by showing that the brand genuinely cares about its customers’ concerns.
Here are the tools you can use for social listening and online reputation management to help your brand monitor online channels so you can respond swiftly. Below the table is a more detailed discussion of each tool.
| Tool | 主要功能 | Price Range |
| Hootsuite |
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| 品牌观察 |
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| Google Alerts |
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Hootsuite for Social Media Management and Monitoring
Hootsuite is a powerful tool for social media management, providing real-time updates and insights across multiple platforms. By centralising the monitoring of channels like X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, Hootsuite enables teams to efficiently track conversations, mentions, and trends in one place.
Key Features for Crisis Management:
- Real-Time Multi-Channel Monitoring: In a crisis, brands must quickly detect mentions and responses across all platforms. Hootsuite’s dashboard allows teams to monitor brand-related activity on various channels simultaneously, helping brands catch early signs of a crisis.
- Sentiment Analysis: Hootsuite provides sentiment analysis to gauge customer attitudes in real-time. Sudden changes in sentiment—such as a spike in negative mentions—can indicate a developing issue, allowing brands to investigate and respond proactively.
- Crisis Response Coordination: Hootsuite supports team collaboration, enabling crisis management teams to work together on responses in a streamlined manner. Permissions and roles help ensure messages are carefully crafted and approved before going live, which is vital during high-stress situations.
- Scheduling and Analytics: Scheduling allows teams to prepare pre-approved crisis messaging that can be deployed instantly if a crisis unfolds. Additionally, analytics provide insight into how audiences respond, enabling adjustments.
Brandwatch for AI-Powered Social Listening and Sentiment Analysis
Brandwatch is a comprehensive social listening tool powered by advanced AI. It is designed to track brand mentions, sentiment, and trends accurately. Due to its robust analytics, real-time alerts, and trend detection capabilities, it’s especially suited for digital crisis management.
Key Features for Crisis Management:
- Advanced Sentiment and Trend Analysis: Brandwatch’s AI technology enables in-depth sentiment analysis and trend detection, allowing brands to catch early signals of dissatisfaction or unrest. This capability helps brands spot potential crises before they become widely visible.
- Customisable Dashboards and Alerts: Brandwatch’s dashboards can be customised to highlight specific keywords, locations, or customer groups. Automated alerts notify teams of spikes in negative mentions, allowing immediate action. In a crisis, this responsiveness can be invaluable in deploying preemptive communication.
- Historical and Comparative Analysis: Brands can use Brandwatch to analyse past crisis data, helping to identify trends and patterns that may repeat in future events. This historical perspective can guide crisis preparation, enabling a more tailored response plan.
- Cross-Platform Integration: Integrations with other social media and web platforms enhance Brandwatch’s reach, offering insights from various sources, including review sites, news outlets, and blogs.
Google Alerts for Basic Online Reputation Tracking
Google Alerts is a free tool that notifies users when specified keywords, such as brand names, appear online. Though it’s limited in features compared to tools like Hootsuite and Brandwatch, it provides a simple way to track mentions without significant cost.
Key Features for Crisis Management:
- Keyword-Based Monitoring: Google Alerts lets brands set up alerts for specific keywords to receive notifications when new content that includes those terms appears. This can be useful for monitoring the brand name or particular products, giving early insights into potential issues.
- Configurable Notification Frequency: Brands can choose how often they receive alerts, whether in an instant, daily, or weekly, depending on the urgency of their needs. During a crisis, instant alerts allow brands to stay on top of any emerging issues in real-time.
- Cost-Free Access: Google Alerts is a free tool that is easy to set up and accessible to brands with limited budgets. It is ideal for small businesses looking to monitor their reputation without investing heavily in monitoring software.
Case Study: Target
Image source: Target
A few years ago, Target, an international retail giant, detected an unusual spike in negative social media mentions around a particular product launch. Through social listening tools, they quickly identified that customers were upset about a perceived lack of availability.
Recognising the issue, Target immediately issued a statement explaining the demand for the product and reassuring customers that restocking was underway. By acknowledging the problem, empathising with customers, and providing a solution, Target could de-escalate the issue, prevent customer dissatisfaction from growing, and maintain trust.
Step 3: Respond Quickly and Transparently
In a digital crisis, time is of the essence. Speed and transparency are critical to mitigating the crisis’s effects and maintaining customer trust. This step, often called the “golden hour” of crisis response, is essential for preventing issues from escalating uncontrollably.
According to Kim Polley, “In the world of emergency medicine, the ‘Golden Hour’ refers to the critical 60 minutes after a traumatic event when immediate intervention can save lives. A similar concept exists in the domain of crisis communications.” Within this period, a brand must address the issue quickly to prevent the spread of rumours and misinformation that can eventually harm its reputation.
Aside from releasing a response quickly, you must learn how to create a transparent and sincere message. Here’s how you can do it:
- Acknowledge the Problem: Recognise the issue and assure the audience that the brand is aware and working on it. This acknowledgement prevents the perception that the brand is “hiding” from its problems.
- Take Responsibility: If the crisis stems from the brand’s actions, it’s often best to take ownership of the problem, which enhances trust. If the situation calls for it, I sincerely apologise.
- Outline the Solution: Offer a basic plan or outline of the steps the brand is taking to resolve the issue. A timeline or estimated resolution period can reassure customers and help manage expectations.
- Communicate Progress: Regular updates keep customers informed and mitigate frustration if the resolution process is prolonged.
Case Study: Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Crisis
Image source: Allen Ofafa
One of the most cited examples of a quick, transparent crisis response is Johnson & Johnson’s handling of the Tylenol tampering incident in 1982. After learning that bottles of Tylenol had been tampered with, leading to fatal poisonings, Johnson & Johnson responded immediately.
The brand halted production, issued customer warnings, and cooperated with the media to keep the public informed. Johnson & Johnson’s response was swift and transparent—they admitted the problem, worked with law enforcement, and recalled millions of bottles to ensure customer safety.
This proactive approach allowed Johnson & Johnson to retain customer trust. The brand emerged from the crisis with a strong reputation for integrity and responsibility. Their response is an enduring example of how speed and transparency can turn a potentially disastrous situation into an opportunity to demonstrate brand values.
Step 4: Control the Narrative
One critical step in a digital crisis is to control the narrative. This effort entails shaping how the public perceives the issue and influencing the conversation around it, ultimately minimising reputational and financial damage.
Controlling the narrative starts with transparency and becoming forthright about the situation. This effort means explaining the issue while framing it in a way that redeems the brand’s integrity, reinstates commitment to customers, and emphasises the brand’s ability to manage situations. Here are some ways to go about it:
- Website Updates: Updating the website with a dedicated page for crisis information allows customers to find the latest information directly from the source. Brands can include FAQs, details on resolving the issue, and steps for affected customers. A well-organised, regularly updated crisis page demonstrates transparency and helps prevent misinformation.
- Social Media Posts: Social media enables immediate, real-time communication, which is invaluable in a crisis. By regularly updating social channels with honest, concise messages, brands can reassure customers and stakeholders that they are addressing the issue. Social platforms also allow for customer interaction, where brands can address questions or concerns directly.
- Press Releases: For crisis with significant public or media attention, press releases provide a formal avenue to communicate with the press and the broader public. Press releases are beneficial for delivering the brand’s position and timeline of events, helping to ensure accuracy in news coverage.
Case Study: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall
Image source: Forbes
In 2016, Samsung experienced a crisis with its Galaxy Note 7, which highlighted Samsung’s effective narrative control. After reports of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones overheating and catching fire, Samsung proactively addressed the crisis. The brand did the following to take back the crisis:
- Announced a global recall of the devices
- Publicly acknowledged the issue
- Released an apology to the customers
- Provided frequent updates and engaged with the media
Because of these efforts, Samsung was able to retain some control over the story. The company also used official channels to inform the public, setting up a dedicated section on its website for the device’s FAQs, safety instructions, and return instructions. Samsung’s response wasn’t perfect, but the brand’s transparency and communication efforts demonstrated that they took the issue seriously, ultimately helping to rebuild trust.
Step 5: Engage Your Audience and Build Trust
Let’s say that you are currently in a digital crisis. At this point, you have acknowledged and managed the issue. The next step is actively engaging with your audience to rebuild trust and reinforce the brand’s values. Here are some ways to regain trust among your audience:
Engage Empathetically
Empathy is powerful in digital crisis management because it reminds your audience that your brand is more than a corporate entity and that there are real people who genuinely care. Here’s how you can create an inclusive, person-centred messaging:
- Express Understanding: Phrases like “We understand how important this is for you” or “We know this situation may be frustrating” can resonate with affected individuals.
- Apologise Sincerely: If the brand is at fault, a genuine apology is essential for mending customer relationships. Phrasing such as, “We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,” goes a long way in showing responsibility.
- Provide Assistance: Offering proactive support to affected customers, such as helplines, dedicated support channels, or compensation, shows a willingness to make amends.
Maintain Ongoing Communication
After releasing your initial responses, you must inform your audience to ensure transparency and reflect your dedication to resolving the problem. Here are some ways to maintain ongoing communication:
- Progress Updates: Share frequent updates on the status of the resolution process. Even if no substantial progress has been made, reassuring the audience that ongoing efforts show commitment to resolving the crisis.
- Answering Questions and Concerns: Open channels like social media and customer service portals to answer individual questions and concerns. Listening and responding thoughtfully can alleviate customers’ frustration and reinforce trust.
- Providing a Timeline: If possible, set realistic expectations about when the issue will likely be resolved. This helps manage customer patience and prevents unnecessary anticipation.
Case Study: Chipotle’s response to the E.coli Crisis
Image source: Bloomberg
Chipotle’s handling of its 2015 E. coli outbreak is a well-known example of successful audience engagement post-crisis. The outbreak severely impacted Chipotle’s reputation, but the company took significant steps to rebuild trust. In response to the crisis, Chipotle implemented stringent food safety protocols, retrained staff, and publicly committed to higher standards for food safety.
To communicate these improvements, Chipotle engaged in an ongoing communication strategy. They ran advertisements explaining their new protocols, regularly updated customers about food safety changes, and offered free meals to encourage customers to return. Chipotle engaged directly with concerned customers through social media, addressing questions and clarifying their new procedures.
This ongoing engagement with the audience and transparency in addressing the crisis helped Chipotle restore customer confidence. Their proactive actions and consistent messaging contributed to a gradual recovery in their reputation and sales.
Step 6: Learn from the Crisis and Adapt
After addressing a digital crisis, your next step is conducting a comprehensive post-crisis analysis to ensure your brand is better prepared for future incidents. You must not let a learning opportunity go to waste. Embrace the crisis as an opportunity to learn and grow that can transform a negative experience into a valuable asset for a brand’s resilience.
Here are some ways to learn from the crisis and how to adapt:
Conducting a Post-Crisis Analysis
As with the other campaigns, you must conduct a debriefing when things settle down. A thorough review of the crisis and the brand’s response is essential to uncovering what went well and what could have been handled differently. The goal is to assess the effectiveness of the response, communication strategy, and operational procedures.
The post-crisis analysis should cover the following:
- Response Timing: How quickly was the issue identified and addressed? Were there delays, and if so, what caused them?
- Communication Effectiveness: Did customers receive clear, timely, and transparent communication? How was the tone and timing of responses perceived?
- Public Perception: Was the brand able to control the narrative effectively? Did public sentiment improve or worsen due to the brand’s handling of the crisis?
Updating Crisis Management Plans
After the post-crisis analysis, your team must review your crisis management plans and check for improvement. Updating a crisis plan might include the following:
- Refining Protocols: Adjust response protocols to ensure faster reaction times and improve team coordination. For example, stricter response time goals can be set or a more flexible escalation process can be implemented.
- Enhancing Communication Templates: Modify or add templates to better address the specific nature of potential crisis, such as data breaches or product recalls.
- Improving Technology and Tools: Consider upgrading monitoring tools or investing in more robust communication software. Brands might benefit from incorporating tools like AI-driven sentiment analysis, which can more accurately detect early signs of crisis.
- Expanding Training: Offer additional training sessions to ensure team members are well-prepared to execute the updated crisis management plan. Practising simulations of crisis scenarios can also build confidence and preparedness.
Step 7: Invest in Reputation Repair and Recovery
Many digital crisis result in significant reputation damage. Therefore, effective reputation repair and recovery is essential to regain your audience. This step involves a strategic blend of PR, marketing, and consistent engagement to demonstrate that the brand has learned from the crisis, has improved, and is committed to becoming better for its customers. Here are some ways to repair your reputation:
Positive Brand Building Efforts
Once the brand has communicated its response, ongoing brand-building efforts are crucial. Social media, partnerships, and influencer marketing are vital in positively reshaping the brand’s image.
- Social Media Campaigns: After a crisis, using social media to share customer success stories, positive reviews, or brand achievements helps shift the focus back to the brand’s strengths. A consistent stream of content that showcases the brand’s proactive initiatives also aids in winning back customer confidence.
- Collaborations and Partnerships: Partnering with respected brands or influential personalities can enhance the brand’s credibility. When influential figures or well-regarded brands vouch for a business, it lends weight to its reputation and reassures customers.
- Influencer Marketing: Influencers who align with the brand’s values and have a loyal audience can help humanise the brand post-crisis. Partnering with influencers to promote positive experiences, product quality, or community initiatives makes a significant impact, as followers trust these authentic endorsements.
Launching Reputation Recovery Campaigns
Targeted reputation recovery campaigns are strategic efforts to re-engage customers, restore brand image, and build long-term credibility. Some strategies for recovery campaigns include:
- Customer Appreciation Initiatives: A customer-focused campaign, such as special discounts, events, or loyalty rewards, conveys appreciation for customer loyalty and helps mend relationships.
- Educational Campaigns: By sharing educational content related to the crisis, such as safety protocols, sustainability practices, or product improvements, brands can build trust by demonstrating a commitment to quality.
- Public Apologies and Brand Values Campaigns: A well-crafted public apology campaign reiterating the brand’s values, mission, and dedication to quality can effectively convey that the brand has changed for the better.
Case Study: Toyota’s Reputation Recovery
Toyota’s handling of the 2009-2010 recall crisis, where unintended acceleration in its vehicles led to widespread recalls, provides a valuable example of successful reputation recovery. After identifying and addressing the issue, Toyota invested heavily in reputation management by:
- Engaging in Media and PR Campaigns: Toyota launched comprehensive advertising and media campaigns highlighting the brand’s quality assurance practices and commitment to safety, reestablishing public trust.
- Apology and Reassurance Campaigns: The company issued public apologies and reassurances directly from its CEO, demonstrating empathy and a dedication to customer safety.
- Strengthening Safety Standards: Toyota also implemented and advertised enhanced safety measures and monitoring processes. This commitment to safety became integral to Toyota’s brand message moving forward.
常见问题
What is digital crisis management?
Digital crisis management is responding to online crisis, such as social media backlash, data breaches, or adverse publicity, to protect a brand’s reputation and customer trust.
Why is a digital crisis management plan essential?
It enables brands to react quickly and consistently, minimising damage by managing issues effectively before they escalate
How quickly should brands respond during a digital crisis?
Ideally, within the first hour, known as the “golden hour,” to control the narrative and prevent misinformation from spreading.
What tools help monitor for potential digital crisis?
Tools like Hootsuite, Brandwatch, and Google Alerts track online mentions and sentiment, helping brands catch early warning signs of a crisis.
How can a brand restore its reputation post-crisis?
Engaging with customers transparently, running positive brand-building campaigns, and addressing concerns openly to rebuild trust.
