Why Crisis Responses Go Wrong (And How To Get It Right)

Crisis responses often follow a predictable pattern, and no wonder it’s a disaster.

We’ve seen it play out time and time again — all five steps of what not to do in a crisis, followed like a script. And it never ends well.

From government agencies to household-name brands, it often begins with the belief that “maybe it will all blow over.” But it rarely does.

Crisis management requires swift, strategic action, and when key principles are ignored, the situation can escalate quickly. In this article, we’ll examine the common mistakes that turn crisis into major failures and offer a roadmap for more effective, resilient responses.

The 5 Stages of a PR Disaster:

Let’s break it down:

1. “Maybe it will all blow over.”
The wishful thinking phase. The hope that silence will smother the fire. It rarely works — especially in today’s 24/7 social media world. Waiting often makes the problem worse.

2. “How dare anyone criticise? We’re the victims!”
The defensiveness sets in. Instead of listening, organisations often blame the public or media — which only adds fuel to the fire.

3. “Please leave our Facebook wall out of it.”
Cue the panicked scrubbing of negative comments, disabling replies, or going offline. This is usually seen as evasive and it never sits well with the public.

4. “What will this do to our brand?”
The moment of realisation. Reputational damage is now front and centre, but by this time, public perception has already taken a hit.

5. “We accept that our lawyers will draft a heartfelt non-apology.” And here’s the kicker. Legal advice often sanitises statements into emotionless, cold responses. These “non-apologies” can make matters even worse, eroding trust completely.

**Here’s what should happen instead:**

From the moment a crisis hits, your crisis response or critical incident management plan — integrated with a crisis communications plan — should be activated. This plan should be easily accessible to your team through a secure app or platform, available 24/7.

But before action, you must answer a crucial question:
🔹 Who decides what level of crisis this is?
🔹 Is it truly a crisis or a high-level issue?

An informed decision here is key. A crisis response proper plan will guide you through this assessment and tell you what to do next.

Let’s take an example. A major retailer recently faced backlash after a poorly worded promotional email appeared tone-deaf in the wake of a national tragedy. The initial silence made headlines. Comments piled up. Then came a vague, legal-sounding response: no clear apology, no accountability, no human touch. Their mistake wasn’t just the email — it was the response.

Now imagine they had a crisis response plan. A trained team. A clear communications framework. Instead of eroding public trust, they could have shown leadership, empathy, and control.

Here’s the good news: This is preventable.

We work with executive teams to prepare them through realistic simulations, media training, and crisis comms planning. We help you recognise the red flags early, and respond with confidence, clarity, and control.