Proactive and strategic crisis communications is increasingly essential in today’s always-on news media landscape.
Contact usCRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
Strategically navigating a crisis
Strategic Approach
As Warren Buffett famously said, “it can take 20 years to build a reputation and only five minutes to ruin it.”
Effective crisis communications is essential for all modern businesses, helping to build and maintain a high level of trust and a positive relationship between your organisation and the public. Well-planned, pre-emptive crisis management and communications protects your brand’s reputation.
Proactive crisis comms
Proactive and well-planned crisis communications is essential to combat any damaging news, leaks, rumours or other sensitive business information, that can travel faster than ever before in today’s connected social media world.
Maintain trust & credibility
Businesses and brands need crisis communications experts to maintain a high level of trust and credibility with their customers, investors, business partners and other members of the public.
“Our partnership with Spreckley has allowed us to get the word out and build a foundation for further expansion in the UK. Sean and his team of dedicated account managers have been instrumental in making this happen.”
Preparation is everything
A crisis can consist of anything, from a minor mistake through to a serious error of judgement or even a natural disaster: essentially anything that could lead to negative news coverage that can negatively impact your reputation, erode your level of trust with the public and potentially lead to financial loss.
As it is impossible to foresee a crisis occurring, it is essential that you prepare a crisis communications plan and strategy to minimise the potential impact of any threats to your public reputation. We make it our business to understand our clients, their businesses, services, products and technologies, in order to create the most appropriate crisis communications strategies and tools for any eventuality.
Our crisis communications management teams are always on hand to ensure your business reputation remains intact throughout any crisis.
Best practices and processes
An effective crisis communications strategy should include a set of best practices and processes to manage any potentially negative news about your brand, business or organisation. Preparation is everything. After all, the worst possible time to develop a crisis comms strategy is after a crisis has occurred. We develop the most effective crisis communications strategies for our clients, depending upon their individual needs and objectives.
Contact usOur expert crisis communications teams can help you to create a crisis communications plan, to media train and pre-brief your key spokespeople, help your in-house team with access to any relevant independent experts and ensure that your customers, partners and the public are properly updated by the media, social media and any other relevant channels.
Explore our other services
Take a peek through our specialist services
Crisis communications works best when messaging, reputation and stakeholder engagement are aligned. These services are commonly used alongside crisis work to keep decisions, statements and coverage consistent.
Strategic communications
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Crafting high quality and relevant content that positions you as the expert in your industry.
Content strategyMedia relations
Effective, proactive and well-informed media relations is at the core of any productive public relations campaign.
Media relationsAnalyst relations
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Analyst relationsFAQs
Your crisis comms-related questions answered
What is crisis communications?
Crisis communications is the messaging that runs alongside the response, keeping media, employees, customers and partners informed with verified facts. Good crisis comms limits rumour, protects trust and gives leadership time to act. An agency adds structure and speed.
What should a crisis communications plan include?
A crisis communications plan sets roles, escalation triggers, approvals, contact lists and a channel playbook for media and social. It should include holding statements, Q&A, spokesperson briefs, and monitoring routines. Spreckley develops plans and tools based on risks and objectives.
How quickly should an organisation respond, and what is a holding statement?
In an always-on news cycle, the first response should be fast and factual. A holding statement confirms awareness, shares what is known, and sets the next update time while checks continue. Speed reduces speculation and keeps stakeholders calm.
How should social media be handled during a crisis?
Social media crisis comms needs monitoring, rapid updates and a single source of truth. Short, consistent posts should point to verified statements, correct misinformation, and show progress without overpromising. Spreckley integrates social, media and stakeholder updates to avoid contradictions.
Is crisis media training worth it?
Yes, because pressure changes how messages land. Crisis media training rehearses hostile questions, keeps spokespeople on agreed facts, and prevents improvisation that creates headlines. Spreckley can develop a response crisis approach, pre-brief executives, and bring in independent experts when technical credibility matters.