Claude Crisis Communication Plan Prompt
You are a crisis communications specialist who has managed PR crises for companies from startups to FTSE 100.
Category
💼 Business
Difficulty
Advanced
Models
2
Last Updated
2026-06-28
Works with
📄 Example output
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❓ FAQ
⚙️ Fill in your variables
📋 Prompt
You are a crisis communications specialist who has managed PR crises for companies from startups to FTSE 100.
Business: [business type]
Scenarios: [top 3 crisis scenarios — data breach/product failure/viral complaint/executive issue]
Stakeholders: [key stakeholder groups — customers/investors/media/employees]
Team: [team size]
Task: Build a complete crisis management plan:
1. CRISIS CLASSIFICATION MATRIX: Level 1 (minor) / Level 2 (significant) / Level 3 (critical) — with criteria and escalation triggers
2. RESPONSE TEAM: Who owns what in a crisis (roles, not names)
3. COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES for each scenario:
- First 60-minute holding statement
- 24-hour update
- Resolution statement
4. CHANNEL PROTOCOL: What to say where, in what order
5. SOCIAL MEDIA RULES DURING A CRISIS: Do / Never do
6. POST-CRISIS REVIEW: Template for learning from what happened
Business: [business type]
Scenarios: [top 3 crisis scenarios — data breach/product failure/viral complaint/executive issue]
Stakeholders: [key stakeholder groups — customers/investors/media/employees]
Team: [team size]
Task: Build a complete crisis management plan:
1. CRISIS CLASSIFICATION MATRIX: Level 1 (minor) / Level 2 (significant) / Level 3 (critical) — with criteria and escalation triggers
2. RESPONSE TEAM: Who owns what in a crisis (roles, not names)
3. COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES for each scenario:
- First 60-minute holding statement
- 24-hour update
- Resolution statement
4. CHANNEL PROTOCOL: What to say where, in what order
5. SOCIAL MEDIA RULES DURING A CRISIS: Do / Never do
6. POST-CRISIS REVIEW: Template for learning from what happened
CRISIS PLAN: ToolsNova (SaaS, 50K users)
CRISIS LEVELS:
Level 1 (1–2h response): Partial outage, single negative review going semi-viral, minor data question
Level 2 (Immediate, 24/7): Full outage, significant data question, press inquiry, executive complaint viral
Level 3 (All hands + legal): Confirmed data breach, regulatory notice, product failure affecting all users
FIRST 60-MINUTE HOLDING STATEMENT (data issue):
'We are aware of a potential issue with [describe without admitting scope until confirmed]. Our security team is investigating now. We will provide a full update within [max 4 hours]. Contact us at [email] with questions.'
DO NOT: Admit scope before confirmed. Speculate on cause. Promise fix timelines you can't keep.
SOCIAL MEDIA RULES:
✅ Acknowledge within 60 minutes — even just 'we're aware and investigating'
✅ One authoritative channel for all updates
✅ Respond to every comment/mention in the first 6 hours
✅ Be honest about what you don't know yet
❌ NEVER delete negative comments — it escalates every time
❌ NEVER argue publicly with critics
❌ NEVER go silent for more than 4 hours
❌ NEVER post scheduled marketing content during an active crisis
❌ NEVER over-promise recovery timelines
Level 2+: Pause ALL scheduled social content immediately
CRISIS LEVELS:
Level 1 (1–2h response): Partial outage, single negative review going semi-viral, minor data question
Level 2 (Immediate, 24/7): Full outage, significant data question, press inquiry, executive complaint viral
Level 3 (All hands + legal): Confirmed data breach, regulatory notice, product failure affecting all users
FIRST 60-MINUTE HOLDING STATEMENT (data issue):
'We are aware of a potential issue with [describe without admitting scope until confirmed]. Our security team is investigating now. We will provide a full update within [max 4 hours]. Contact us at [email] with questions.'
DO NOT: Admit scope before confirmed. Speculate on cause. Promise fix timelines you can't keep.
SOCIAL MEDIA RULES:
✅ Acknowledge within 60 minutes — even just 'we're aware and investigating'
✅ One authoritative channel for all updates
✅ Respond to every comment/mention in the first 6 hours
✅ Be honest about what you don't know yet
❌ NEVER delete negative comments — it escalates every time
❌ NEVER argue publicly with critics
❌ NEVER go silent for more than 4 hours
❌ NEVER post scheduled marketing content during an active crisis
❌ NEVER over-promise recovery timelines
Level 2+: Pause ALL scheduled social content immediately
🏆
💡 Pro Tips
Best model for this prompt
Claude
Claude (Opus 4 / Sonnet 4)
The first statement is about showing you're taking it seriously, not about having answers you don't have yet
Silence is the most damaging crisis response — even 'we're investigating' is better than nothing for 4 hours
Prepare your templates before you need them — crisis stress makes writing slow and decisions poor
Internal communication (employees, investors) often matters as much as external — brief internal stakeholders before public statements
Defending before understanding — 'We take security seriously' before knowing what happened reads as evasive
Outsourcing the CEO voice in a Level 3 crisis — the most senior person must be visible
Posting 'business as usual' during an active crisis — reads as tone-deaf and goes viral negatively
No post-crisis review — the same crisis will happen again if you don't learn from the first
- When should I involve PR professionals?Immediately for Level 2 or 3 crises. For Level 1, your internal team can often handle it. If any media is involved at any level, involve experienced PR professionals immediately.
- Should I apologise even if we're not at fault?Acknowledge impact without admitting liability. 'We understand this has caused disruption and we take that seriously' expresses empathy without legal admission. All public statements during a crisis should be reviewed by legal counsel.
- How long does a crisis typically last?Social media news cycle: 24–72 hours for most brand crises. Media coverage: 1–2 weeks for significant issues. Long-term reputation impact: months to years, depending on severity and response quality. How well you handle it determines the long-term outcome more than the incident itself.
- How do I handle viral negative reviews?Respond publicly with empathy and a specific resolution offer. Contact the reviewer privately to resolve the issue. Never argue publicly. If the review is false or defamatory, respond once professionally, then pursue private resolution or legal options if necessary.