Who’s In Charge? Building Your Crisis Management Team And Planning For A Response

Your CEO’s executive assistant answers a call from a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, asking to speak with the CEO following some negative headlines. Should the assistant put her through? 

Your brand’s Instagram account floods with vicious DMs a few short hours after a product recall. Your social media manager has never dealt with this before. How should they respond?

A modern PR crisis requires so much more than damage control from the marketing team and a few TV appearances from the CEO. They require preparation, fast action, and a well-oiled machine of team members who understand their responsibilities, individually and collectively.

It’s a team effort from start to finish. Here’s a breakdown of who should be involved.

Team Leader: Orchestrating the Response

In any crisis, the person at the helm needs to be decisive, confident, and a skilled communicator. Whether it’s the CMO, PR Director, or Marketing Director, this leader is responsible for officially declaring that a crisis is underway and mobilizing the team. One of their key responsibilities is delegating tasks and ensuring that the right people are in the right roles to mitigate the situation.

This person may also draft and distributes public messages, and most definitely oversees their creation, ensuring that the tone is calm, proactive, and consistent with the brand’s voice.

Communications Team: The Voice of Reason

While the “Team Leader” makes the executive decisions, the communications team is responsible for delivering the right messages to the public. Between press releases, media statements, and executive talking points, strong, authentic writing is key.

They should also monitor media coverage and public sentiment, often in real-time, to gauge how the situation is unfolding and adjust messaging accordingly.

Spokespeople: The Faces of the Operation

In the heat of a crisis, the media—and your stakeholders—want to hear directly from your leadership. Typically, your CEO or another high-level C-Suite executive is the best choice for this role, but depending on the nature of the crisis, you may need a specialized spokesperson. For instance, if there’s a data breach, your Chief Information Officer (CIO) may be the ideal choice to explain the technical details.

In all cases, spokespeople must communicate with transparency and confidence. Consider how Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg handled questions about the Cambridge Analytica scandal. By taking ownership of the company’s missteps and addressing concerns directly, she played a critical role in Facebook’s crisis management efforts.

Social Media Team: The Digital “Front Line”

Social media can act as ground zero during a crisis. Angry customers and curious onlookers will flood your accounts with questions, complaints, and demands for action. It’s crucial to have a dedicated social media communicator who is equipped to handle these inquiries professionally and consistently.

When KFC ran out of chicken in the UK in 2018, they turned a potential PR nightmare into a moment of levity by using their social media channels to offer witty, timely updates, turning customer frustration into sympathy and even brand loyalty. Their apology, which humorously rearranged the letters of the brand to spell “FCK,” is now regarded by many as a masterclass in crisis communication on social media.

Legal Counsel: The Watchdog

Depending on the nature and scale of a crisis, communication may require review from legal counsel. A Chief Legal Officer (CLO) or Chief Counsel can ensure that public statements are reviewed for legal risks, as well as potential liabilities and long-term repercussions.

The Rest of the Field: Crisis Training

In the chaos of managing external stakeholders, it can also be easy to overlook the importance of internal communications. Employees within the company need to be informed about the crisis as well, especially as they may be asked questions by friends, family, and even the media about confidential information.

While not every employee will be directly involved in managing the crisis, it’s essential that everyone in the company is trained on the basics of crisis response. This means knowing how to deflect media inquiries without saying “no comment” and referring them to the appropriate channels. A prepared workforce and unified messaging can make everyone a brand ambassador.

Crisis management is not about scrambling to respond when something goes wrong; it’s about preparing in advance and having a clear structure in place.

Learn more about how to diagnose and defend a crisis and put your team into action at a moment’s notice.