When a crisis strikes, the way an organization communicates can have a lasting impact on its reputation, customer trust, and long-term success. While every situation is different, public relations professionals and business leaders generally agree that how a company responds in the first hours and days can shape public perception for years.
Presence News asked communications and media professionals a simple question:
What is the biggest PR mistake companies make during a crisis?
Here is what they had to say.
Sarah Federman, PhD
Associate Professor of Conflict Resolution, Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego
Company: https://www.sandiego.edu/ & https://www.sarahfederman.com
According to Sarah Federman, PhD, one of the most common mistakes organizations make is centering themselves instead of those who have been harmed.
Federman explained that companies frequently focus on their own challenges, legal exposure, or reputational concerns rather than demonstrating that they fully understand the impact of their actions on others. She believes effective crisis communication should prioritize those affected, explain how the organization intends to repair the harm, and outline concrete steps to prevent similar situations in the future.
She pointed to historical examples, including the French National Railways (SNCF) discussing its own World War II victimhood instead of focusing on Holocaust victims during conversations about deportations. She also referenced Ariane de Rothschild‘s public responses regarding her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, arguing that too much emphasis was placed on distancing herself rather than acknowledging the victims and the impact of Epstein’s actions.
Federman also cautioned against immediately handing a crisis over to lawyers and public relations teams before fully understanding what occurred. Instead, she recommends first conducting a thorough, community-level assessment by speaking directly with those affected. That approach, she says, helps organizations communicate with greater authenticity and reduces the risk of appearing disingenuous.
Anna Maksymenko
Founder & Marketing Director, Maxima Agency
Company: https://maximaagency.com/
For Anna Maksymenko, the biggest mistake is waiting too long to communicate.
She recalled working with a company that experienced a product issue on a Friday afternoon. By the time the organization released a carefully reviewed statement on Monday, journalists had already published stories, social media conversations had accelerated, and customers had formed their own conclusions.
Maksymenko believes many leaders delay communication while waiting for complete information and legal approval. While understandable, she argues that silence during a crisis is often interpreted as guilt or indifference.
She also noted that organizations frequently fall into the trap of explaining themselves before acknowledging the concerns of those affected. Audiences generally want accountability first, followed by context.
Her advice is straightforward: communicate quickly, share verified facts, openly acknowledge what remains unknown, and clearly explain the steps being taken to resolve the situation. In her experience, companies that recover most effectively are those that engage early and communicate transparently.
Carlos Correa
Chief Operating Officer, Ringy
Company: https://ringy.com/
Carlos Correa believes one of today’s emerging PR risks is overreacting to artificial online outrage.
He noted that leadership teams can be overwhelmed by waves of negative social media activity that may appear genuine but are sometimes amplified by coordinated bot networks and automated accounts.
Correa described an example involving an established restaurant brand that halted a corporate rebranding effort after facing an online boycott campaign. Subsequent reporting, he noted, suggested that a significant portion of the accounts participating in the online activity were not authentic. He argued that reacting too quickly to manipulated online conversations can lead companies to make costly business decisions before verifying the legitimacy of public sentiment.
To address this challenge, Correa recommends that organizations incorporate bot detection and social listening technology into their crisis communications strategy. By identifying unusual posting patterns and coordinated messaging, companies can better distinguish authentic customer concerns from manufactured campaigns and make more informed communications decisions.
Shawn Mintz
Chief Executive Officer, MentorCity
Company: https://www.mentorcity.com/
Shawn Mintz believes organizations often make the mistake of protecting the company before addressing the concerns of those affected.
He said that remaining silent, responding defensively, or relying on overly polished corporate messaging can deepen public frustration because stakeholders primarily want accurate information, accountability, and reassurance that the issue is being taken seriously.
Mintz recommends responding promptly with verified information, avoiding speculation about unknown details, and continuing to provide updates as new facts become available.
He added that rebuilding trust requires more than words. Organizations must demonstrate through their actions that they are following through on the commitments made during their public communications.
Dora Bloom
Chief Revenue Officer, iotum
Company: https://www.iotum.com/
Dora Bloom believes one of the most damaging public relations mistakes organizations can make during a crisis is speaking with certainty before all of the facts are known.
According to Bloom, making definitive statements too early can cause a company to appear defensive, disconnected from public concerns, or lacking transparency. If new information later contradicts those initial statements, it can further erode credibility and public trust.
Instead, she recommends responding with a calm and measured approach by acknowledging the concerns being raised, sharing the verified information that is currently available, explaining that additional investigation is underway, and continuing to provide timely updates as more facts become known.
Bloom says this type of transparent, ongoing communication helps organizations demonstrate accountability while maintaining credibility throughout the course of a crisis.
Will Yang
Head of Growth, Chronicle Technologies
Company: https://chroniclelegal.com
Will Yang believes the biggest public relations mistake companies make during a crisis is remaining silent in the hope that the problem will resolve itself before customers notice.
According to Yang, customers almost always discover that something has happened, and it is often the lack of communication—not the original mistake—that causes the greatest damage to trust.
Drawing from his experience at Albert, Yang recalled an early billing system issue that affected a small number of schools. His initial instinct was to quietly resolve the problem before notifying customers. However, several schools learned about the issue on their own, and he found that the delay in communication damaged goodwill more than the billing error itself. In his view, customers are generally willing to forgive honest mistakes, but they are far less forgiving if they feel information has been withheld.
Today, Yang says he prefers to notify clients as soon as an issue affects their account, even if the conversation is uncomfortable. He believes it is better to proactively explain a problem and the steps being taken to address it than to allow customers to discover it independently and question what else may not have been disclosed.
A Common Theme
Although each expert approached the question from a different perspective, several consistent themes emerged.
Organizations that communicate effectively during a crisis tend to:
- Put affected individuals before corporate image.
- Respond promptly rather than allowing silence to shape public perception.
- Be transparent about what is known and what is still being investigated.
- Verify information before reacting to online pressure.
- Reinforce public statements with meaningful actions.
As crises continue to unfold in real time across social media and digital news platforms, experts suggest that authenticity, accountability, and timely communication remain among the most valuable tools available to any organization seeking to preserve public trust.
