What to do if your business is facing a public relations crisis

When a business realises it is facing a public relations crisis, the instinct is usually panic. Messages are drafted too quickly, opinions start flying internally, and someone inevitably suggests “just putting something out” to make it go away. In reality, this is often the moment when reputational damage accelerates rather than stabilises.

A PR crisis does not always arrive with national headlines or legal letters. In many cases, it begins quietly, a viral post, a misunderstood comment, a misleading screenshot, a customer complaint that gains unexpected traction. Knowing what to do in those early moments can determine whether the situation fizzles out or becomes something far harder to control.

This guide explains what actually matters when a business faces a PR crisis, what to avoid, and how experienced crisis professionals assess situations before any public response is made.

What actually counts as a PR crisis

Not every negative comment or angry post is a crisis. One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is treating routine criticism as an emergency.

A situation usually crosses into crisis territory when one or more of the following are present:

• Allegations that question ethics, safety, legality, or integrity
• Rapid sharing beyond your existing audience
• Media interest or journalist enquiries
• Reputational damage that could affect partners, staff, or revenue
• Screenshots, clips, or claims that are difficult to disprove quickly

If none of these are happening, silence or limited monitoring is often the correct response.

Why most business responses make things worse

Inexperienced responses tend to follow the same pattern. They are emotional, rushed, defensive, and written internally by people who are personally invested in being understood rather than strategically protected.

Common mistakes include:

• Overexplaining and adding unnecessary detail
• Responding to every comment publicly
• Issuing apologies before facts are established
• Allowing multiple people to post or reply
• Treating social media outrage as representative of the wider public

Once a statement is published, it cannot be retrieved. Every word becomes material for screenshots, reinterpretation, and further backlash. Doing nothing temporarily is often safer than doing the wrong thing quickly.

The first 24 hours, what actually matters

Contrary to popular belief, most crises do not require an immediate public response. What matters most in the first 24 hours happens behind the scenes.

This includes:

• Establishing what has actually happened
• Identifying who is involved and what evidence exists
• Monitoring how far the situation is spreading
• Assessing legal, contractual, and regulatory risk
• Locking down internal communications

At this stage, visibility is more important than voice. Many crises escalate because businesses speak before they fully understand what they are responding to.

Social media silence vs response

One of the most common questions businesses ask is whether silence looks guilty. In reality, silence often looks neutral to the vast majority of people who are not actively involved in online discourse.

Public responses tend to be most effective when:

• Media enquiries are active
• Claims are demonstrably false and spreading rapidly
• Stakeholders require reassurance
• Safety or legal compliance is questioned

When backlash is contained to comments or reposts within a small online group, responding publicly can draw attention to something that would otherwise burn out on its own.

Experienced crisis teams look at reach, velocity, audience type, and media crossover before recommending any public statement.

Managing internal pressure during a crisis

Another overlooked element of crisis management is internal pressure. Staff, investors, partners, and friends often urge immediate action, usually based on emotion rather than strategy.

Clear internal communication is essential. Everyone involved should understand:

• Who is authorised to speak publicly
• What is being monitored
• What is not being addressed and why
• How staff should respond if contacted externally

Allowing internal disagreement to spill into public messaging is one of the fastest ways to lose control of a situation.

When professional crisis support becomes necessary

Not every business needs professional crisis PR support. However, there are clear indicators that external expertise is required.

These include:

• Media enquiries from national or trade press
• Allegations involving criminality, discrimination, or misconduct
• Coordinated online harassment or false claims
• Legal complexity or parallel investigations
• Significant financial or reputational exposure

Crisis PR differs from traditional PR. It focuses on containment, risk reduction, and long-term reputation protection rather than visibility or promotion.

How crisis professionals assess a situation

Professional crisis consultants do not begin by drafting statements. They begin by assessing risk.

This typically involves:

• Mapping how the story could evolve
• Identifying worst-case scenarios
• Understanding legal constraints
• Analysing who actually matters in the audience
• Deciding whether public engagement helps or harms

In many cases, the most effective crisis work is invisible. When done well, situations resolve quietly, without escalation or long-term damage.

The long view, reputation is not rebuilt overnight

Businesses often underestimate how long reputation recovery takes. Even when a crisis appears to pass quickly online, the digital footprint can linger through search results, screenshots, and archived posts.

Long-term reputation management may involve:

• Search result suppression and correction
• Controlled media engagement
• Strategic silence over time
• Rebuilding trust with key stakeholders

Quick fixes rarely exist, but steady, informed strategy almost always outperforms reactive responses.

Finally

Facing a public relations crisis is deeply uncomfortable, especially for businesses that are not used to scrutiny. The temptation to defend, explain, or respond emotionally is understandable, but it is rarely effective.

The most successful crisis outcomes are driven by restraint, clarity, and experience. Knowing when not to speak is just as important as knowing what to say.

For businesses navigating online backlash, reputational threats, or public scrutiny, calm assessment and strategic decision-making remain the most reliable tools available.