How to Communicate Through Crisis.

When I was living in San Francisco in my twenties, I witnessed a motorcycle accident on a busy city street. I heard the screech of tires, watched the bike slide across the road, and saw the rider slam into the asphalt.

And … I froze.

I didn’t immediately run to the rider’s aid. I didn’t make note of who hit her or their license plate number. I didn’t run to a café to call 911. For far too many seconds, I just stood there. Unable to do anything.

I’m not proud of this, but apparently it’s not all that uncommon. It’s what some bodies do in moments of extreme crisis. There are those of us who go rigid, stopped right in our tracks. (Unfortunately, I was in that camp.) There are others who react superfast—their reflexes sharpened. (Fortunately, there were others in this camp.) Either way, most of us are going on raw instinct rather than logic in a crisis.

This feels like what’s happening now on a larger organizational level, at least in the U.S. Many of our clients and colleagues face a simmering and ongoing crisis, punctuated by moments of extreme anxiety. From a climate-hostile government to anti-DEI activists to DOGE cuts everywhere, organizations have threats of existential proportions to grapple with these days—which can make marketing and communications seem like the least important of issues.

And so we’re seeing a lot of freezing right now—communications plans on hold, content marketing backburnered. While this is a natural survival instinct in a time like this, it isn’t a logical response. When organizations back away from their storytelling—especially when it’s related to their core values and purpose—audiences notice. And they’ll quickly fill the silence with their own stories, which are often rife with misinformation and assumptions. 

The key is to unfreeze, bolster your communications plan, and regain control of your narrative. For insights and strategies on how to do this, I spoke with Jennifer Cloer, PR executive and founder of Story Changes Culture, about best practices in crisis communications. These strategies apply whether you’re in an acute moment of crisis or just treading water in this slowly boiling ocean we’re all navigating right now.

Own Your Message

“The primary principle of crisis communications is to act fast and be responsive, so you can get out in front of the issues.”

Don’t Take the Bait

“Get a message out that shares your point of view, but then don’t be baited into responding to every single comment online.”

Rise Above The Chaos

“Leaders who have a clear vision and can think long term are going to be able to lead their organizations through this turmoil—and thrive.”

P.S.

In case you were wondering about the fate of the motorcyclist, she was wearing leathers and a helmet and was mostly okay. By the time I unfroze myself and joined the small crowd of helpers surrounding her, she had only one question: Is my bike okay?