Surviving the First 60 Days: The Organic Timeline of a Brand Crisis

Almost every creator and small business owner has had a moment where they were not perceived well in the public eye. The high emotions and need to put something out to make a statement to make the bleeding stop can become overwhelming and may not be in your best interest. In traditional crisis management it is believed that a quick response regarding your mishap will make the problem disappear, but this shouldn’t be treated like a rigid checklist.

When you are encountering public outrage there is no correct formula to navigating it, but it is possible to see light at what may seem to be a never-ending tunnel. A crisis is a dialectic process which is a conflict driven communication cycle between an entity and the general public. Since this cycle moves on its own accord, forcing a resolution before the GP has processed the event will negatively affect you.

When researchers went into the field to track how public narratives evolve, they discovered that the traditional playbook is broken. In a study published in the Journal of Public Relations Research, authors Derina R Holtzhausen and Glen F. Roberts tracked a massive institutional crisis to see how responses impacted media coverage over time. During that time, they discovered that public outrage isn’t something that can be fixed overnight.

In a recent blog post, I discussed data-driven strategies that can revive your brand equity. If you would like to read more click here. Now let’s dive into how this same study highlights the how soon your brand can recover from a crisis.

Phase 1: The “Dark Phase” (Months 1-2) – Overwhelming Negative Narrative

So, the story breaks, the blogs are starting to spread their narratives regarding the crisis, and the initial wave of feedback from the public is almost entirely negative. This is the part where audiences and media outlets are in an emotional and highly reactionary state, looking for a target to blame and have zeroed in on the individual or organization.

During this time it’s important to avoid panicking if your early explanations fail to instantly change public sentiment. Data shows that after the first two months, even small gestures to win favorability get swallowed up by negative narratives. Utilize “strategic silence” during this time if your team is unprepared, taking calculated steps to evaluate your shortcomings helps avoid releasing half-baked statements that isn’t sincere.

Phase 2: The “Learning Phase” (Month 3) – Shifting the Battleground

Now that we are past the initial backlash, this phase is where the peak of emotional hysteria passes. The narrative begins to transition from simple vitriol to a more balanced, analytical view. This is where the dialectic shift begins as the brand and its audience go through a learning curve. As the brand begins to figure out the issue, the public finds a more objective way to look at the events that took place.

You have the ability to take your power back by shifting the conversation away from your personality or character and move it to a more abstract, structural level. People love to tear you down, which can be avoided by incorporating bolstering and corrective action. This gives you the chance to show that you have systems and guidelines in place, while still aligning with your foundational values that your audience resonated with before the mishap. This will balance the narrative.

Phase 3: The “Resolution Phase” (Month 4) – Fencing off and Moving Forward

We are over the hump but we aren’t done yet. This is when the story begins to fade, public interest drops, and the media moves to a more positive light. Since you allowed emotions to peak and implemented structure changes, your core message can finally be received well without any excess noise or panic.

This final phase is where you finalize your “separation” strategy by isolating the damage completely. This can look like cutting ties with a problematic supplier or partnership. Data shows that once this phase is reached, the creator or brand can successfully step out to defend its brand equity.

Embracing Complexity over Checklist

Navigating backlash requires patience and an understanding of human timing. Your reputation cannot be fixed overnight because you aren’t a magician (haha!) and you can’t force an audience to forego their cognitive processing cycle. So what’s the takeaway? Ditch those rigid PR checklists and embrace the uncertainty of a crisis, focusing on learning, small interactions with your audience, and riding the curve of the narrative will work best.