Crisis communication: what to do in the first 48 hours

Every business eventually faces a moment when something goes wrong in public: a viral complaint, a product problem, a data issue, an accident or an employee dispute. How you handle the first 48 hours often decides how long the story follows you.

Hour 0 to 2: get the facts and the team

• Decide who’s in charge. One decision-maker, one spokesperson.
• Gather what you know, and what you don’t know yet.
• Bring in legal advice early if there’s any legal risk.
• Tell staff not to comment publicly and where to send media enquiries.

Hour 2 to 6: say something

Silence is the most common mistake. When you say nothing, others fill the gap.

A short holding statement should:

• Acknowledge the issue
• Show concern for anyone affected
• Say what you’re doing right now
• Promise an update and give a time

It doesn’t need every answer. It needs to be honest.

Hour 6 to 24: handle media and social media

• Respond to journalists promptly, even if only to say when you’ll have more.
• Post the statement on your own channels so people find your version.
• Reply to the most visible comments calmly and point to your statement.
• Don’t delete critical comments unless they break platform rules. It usually makes things worse.

Hour 24 to 48: update and act

• Share what you’ve learned and what you’re changing.
• If you got something wrong, apologise clearly. A real apology names the problem and the fix.
• Keep updating on the schedule you promised.

After the crisis

• Review what happened and what you’d do differently.
• Follow up with people who were affected.
• Rebuild with accurate, positive stories over the coming months.

Prepare before you need it

The best crisis plans are written on a calm day. A simple playbook with roles, contacts and draft statements for likely scenarios saves hours when it matters.

If you’d like help preparing, or you’re facing a situation now, see our crisis communication service.