Crisis Communication Playbook

CRISIS PREPARATION

Risk Identification Matrix

Risk Category	Specific Risks	Likelihood	Impact	Preparedness
Product/Service	Outage, bug, data loss			☐ Prepared
Security	Breach, hack, vulnerability			☐ Prepared
People	Exec departure, scandal, layoffs			☐ Prepared
Financial	Missed targets, funding issues			☐ Prepared
Legal	Lawsuit, regulatory action			☐ Prepared
Reputation	Negative press, social backlash			☐ Prepared
Operational	Supply chain, vendor failure			☐ Prepared

Crisis Response Team

Role	Primary	Backup	Mobile
Crisis Lead	[Name]	[Name]	[Number]
Communications Lead	[Name]	[Name]	[Number]
Legal Counsel	[Name]	[Name]	[Number]
CEO/Spokesperson	[Name]	[Name]	[Number]
Customer Lead	[Name]	[Name]	[Number]
Technical Lead	[Name]	[Name]	[Number]
HR Lead	[Name]	[Name]	[Number]

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CRISIS RESPONSE FRAMEWORK

Severity Assessment

CRISIS SEVERITY ASSESSMENT

SITUATION: _______________________
DATE/TIME IDENTIFIED: _______________________

SEVERITY CRITERIA:
☐ Customer/public safety at risk → Level 4
☐ Significant financial impact → Level 3-4
☐ Major media attention likely → Level 3-4
☐ Legal/regulatory implications → Level 3-4
☐ Executive involvement required → Level 3+
☐ Limited scope, manageable → Level 1-2

SEVERITY LEVEL: ☐ 1-Monitor ☐ 2-Respond ☐ 3-Manage ☐ 4-Escalate

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUIRED:
☐ _______________________
☐ _______________________
☐ _______________________

Response Timeline by Severity

Level 1 - Monitor

Timeframe	Action
0-1 hour	Assess situation, document details
1-4 hours	Monitor for escalation
Ongoing	Prepare statement if needed

Level 2 - Respond

Timeframe	Action
0-30 min	Assess, brief crisis lead
30-60 min	Draft statement, identify spokesperson
1-2 hours	Issue statement, respond to inquiries
Ongoing	Monitor and update

Level 3 - Manage

Timeframe	Action
0-15 min	Assemble crisis team
15-30 min	Situation brief, assign roles
30-60 min	Draft all stakeholder communications
1-2 hours	Begin stakeholder outreach
2-4 hours	Issue public statement
Ongoing	Regular updates, monitoring

Level 4 - Escalate

Timeframe	Action
0-15 min	CEO/Board notification, full team activation
15-30 min	Command center established
30-60 min	External counsel/PR agency engaged
1-2 hours	All stakeholder communications approved
2-4 hours	Proactive media outreach
Ongoing	Continuous monitoring, regular updates

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HOLDING STATEMENTS (PRE-APPROVED)

General Incident

We are aware of [brief situation description] and are actively
investigating. We take this matter seriously and are working to
resolve it as quickly as possible. We will provide updates as we
learn more.

For additional information, please contact [contact info].

Service Disruption

We are currently experiencing [service issue] affecting [scope].
Our team is working urgently to restore full service.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
We will provide updates [frequency/channel].

Status updates: [URL]

Security Incident

We are investigating a potential security incident. Protecting our
customers' [data/privacy] is our top priority.

Our security team is working with [external experts if applicable]
to investigate and address this issue. We will share more
information as our investigation progresses.

If you have concerns about your account, please [action].

Personnel Issue

[Company] has become aware of [general description of issue].
We take matters like this seriously and are conducting
[investigation/review] in accordance with our policies.

We will not comment further at this time [or: We will provide
updates as appropriate].

Customer Data Issue

We have identified an issue that may have affected [description].
We are notifying impacted [customers/users] directly with
specific information about what occurred and what steps they
should take.

[What you're doing to help affected parties]
[What you're doing to prevent future issues]

We sincerely apologize and are committed to maintaining your trust.

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STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES

Customer Communication

Subject: Important Update from [Company] Regarding [Issue]

Dear [Customer/Valued Customer],

We want to make you aware of [situation description].

WHAT HAPPENED:
[Brief, clear explanation - facts only]

WHAT WE'RE DOING:
• [Action 1]
• [Action 2]
• [Action 3]

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
• [Action if needed, or "No action required"]
• [Resources available]

We sincerely apologize for [impact]. [Statement of commitment].

For questions or concerns:
• [Support channel]
• [Dedicated contact if high severity]

We will provide updates [frequency/channel].

[Name]
[Title]

Employee Communication

Subject: [INTERNAL] Regarding [Situation]

Team,

You may be aware of [situation]. I want to share what we know
and what we're doing.

SITUATION:
[Clear, honest explanation]

OUR RESPONSE:
[What leadership/company is doing]

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
[Impact on employees, if any]
[What employees should/shouldn't do]

EXTERNAL INQUIRIES:
All media inquiries should go to [PR contact].
If customers ask, please direct them to [resource/contact].
Do not speculate or share unverified information.

I'll update you [frequency]. If you have questions, [how to ask].

[CEO/Leader Name]

Board/Investor Communication

Subject: [URGENT/CONFIDENTIAL] Situation Update - [Brief Description]

[Board/Investors],

I want to brief you on a situation we are managing.

SITUATION SUMMARY:
[What happened, when identified, current status]

SEVERITY ASSESSMENT:
[Level and rationale]

BUSINESS IMPACT:
[Financial, operational, reputational assessment]

RESPONSE ACTIONS:
[Key steps being taken]

COMMUNICATION PLAN:
[Who's being told what and when]

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS:
[Any legal/regulatory implications]

I will provide updates [frequency]. Please contact me directly
with questions.

[CEO Name]
[Contact info]

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MEDIA RESPONSE PROTOCOL

For Incoming Media Inquiries

MEDIA INQUIRY INTAKE

Reporter: _________________
Outlet: _________________
Deadline: _________________
Questions: _________________

RESPONSE DECISION:
☐ Provide statement (use approved statement)
☐ Offer interview (brief spokesperson first)
☐ Background only (agree terms first)
☐ Decline to comment (use approved language)
☐ Refer to official statement/website

APPROVED RESPONSE:
[Insert response or statement reference]

DELIVERED BY: _________________ DATE/TIME: _________________

Media Holding Responses

Situation	Response
Not ready to comment	"We're aware of [situation] and gathering information. We expect to have more to share [timeframe]."
Won't comment	"We don't comment on [speculation/personnel matters/legal issues]."
Can't confirm	"We can't confirm those details. What I can tell you is [approved facts]."
Need more time	"I want to give you accurate information. Can I get back to you by [time]?"

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POST-CRISIS RECOVERY

Recovery Communication Timeline

Phase	Timing	Communication
Resolution	Immediate	"The issue has been resolved" + summary
Explanation	24-72 hours	What happened, what we learned
Prevention	1-2 weeks	Changes being made to prevent recurrence
Follow-up	30 days	Long-term improvements, commitment

Crisis Debrief Template

CRISIS DEBRIEF

INCIDENT: _________________
DATE: _________________
SEVERITY: _________________

TIMELINE:
[When identified]
[Key response milestones]
[When resolved]

WHAT WORKED WELL:
•
•
•

WHAT COULD IMPROVE:
•
•
•

STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK:
[Any feedback from customers, media, employees]

PROCESS CHANGES:
[Specific changes to make]

COMMUNICATION UPDATES:
[Updates to statements, templates, protocols]

FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS:
| Action | Owner | Due Date |
|--------|-------|----------|
| | | |

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