Crisis Communication Plan – Fire Bros.
Project Type: Professional Work / Crisis Management
Context:
Fire Bros., a multi-million dollar cannabis farm and brand, faced potential reputational threats on social media regarding product quality. A rapid, organized response was essential to protect brand trust, reassure customers, and minimize negative impact on sales and partnerships.
Objective:
Develop a comprehensive crisis communication plan to:
Quickly identify and respond to emerging issues.
Maintain transparency with stakeholders (customers, media, investors).
Protect brand reputation and foster trust.
Provide clear roles and responsibilities for internal teams during a crisis.
Scope:
The CCP addresses:
Social media backlash (negative reviews, complaints, misinformation)
Media inquiries and coverage
Internal communications (employees, partners, suppliers)
Outcomes/Metrics:
Reduced negative sentiment during social media spikes.
Rapid response time (target: under 24 hours for minor issues).
Maintained or recovered customer trust (measured by engagement, repeat purchases, follower sentiment).
Provided documented workflow for internal teams to reference during future crises.
Key Competencies Demonstrated:
Strategic crisis communication planning
Social media monitoring and rapid response
Stakeholder-focused messaging
Risk management and brand protection
Professional writing and template creation for multiple platforms
Crisis Communication Strategy:
1. Early Detection & Monitoring
Implement social listening tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social) to track brand mentions.
Set alert thresholds for negative sentiment spikes or trending complaints.
2. Response Protocol
Level 1: Minor complaints or rumors → Respond within 24 hours with polite, factual information.
Level 2: Moderate issue affecting multiple customers → Draft a public statement, engage on social media, escalate to management.
Level 3: Major incident (e.g., product safety concern, viral misinformation) → Activate full CCP, involve PR team, legal review, CEO statement if needed.
3. Message Design
Core principles: transparency, empathy, and consistency.
Example templates for different scenarios:
Product concern: “We hear your concerns. Our team is investigating and will provide updates within 24 hours.”
Viral misinformation: “We want to clarify the facts…”
Social media, website, and email channels coordinated for consistent messaging.
4. Audience & Stakeholders
Internal: Employees, management, suppliers.
External: Customers, media, investors, regulators.
Tailored messaging per stakeholder group for clarity and reassurance.
5. Roles & Responsibilities
Crisis Manager: Oversees plan execution, approves messages.
PR Lead: Drafts statements, coordinates media inquiries.
Social Media Manager: Monitors platforms, posts approved responses, tracks sentiment.
Legal/Compliance: Reviews messaging to minimize liability.
6. Post-Crisis Analysis
Evaluate response effectiveness (response time, sentiment improvement, engagement metrics).
Identify lessons learned and update the CCP for future preparedness.