Crisis Communication in Newsletters

Just saw Target CEO Brian Cornell's all-staff email addressing company challenges. As someone who's spent years advising execs on crisis comms, I just have one question: What was the point? He admits "silence from us has created uncertainty" (correctly identifying the problem) but then immediately creates more uncertainty (by not actually articulating a solution to said problem). Instead of explaining WHY leadership went silent during critical company challenges or what they were deliberating behind closed doors, he skips straight to vague reassurances. In my opinion, this is a pretty fundamental communications failure because transparency without context is just another form of opacity. The email positions Target as a passive victim ("things are happening TO us") rather than an active decision-maker ("we made choices that had consequences"). Consider: > Target has had 11 straight weeks of declining foot traffic > They've rolled back DEI initiatives, triggering boycotts > They've been hit with significant tariff impacts Yet NONE of these are directly addressed in the email. Instead, 40,000 employees get a nothing-burger email with vague references to values being "non-negotiable" and products being "second to none" (while customers are literally shopping elsewhere). Here's what probably happened: Someone in the C-suite said "We need to say SOMETHING!" and this vague, purpose-free email was the result. The perfect example of what happens when the goal is "send an email" instead of "solve a problem." If I were advising you Brian, here's what I would have told you: 1. Get specific. Name the actual issues (DEI rollbacks, declining sales, tariffs, declining consumer confidence) directly instead of vague references to "headlines and social media." 2. Own your decisions. Say "we made this choice because..." not "things are happening around us." 3. Skip the robot speak. "Our values are non-negotiable. Period." sounds defensive, it does not confident. 4. Share a real plan. Not just "you'll hear from us more" but exactly how and when. What's on the roadmap? Is there a roadmap? 5. Keep it simple. An email written by a patchwork of people and lawyers and IR teams will never sound authentic or clear. What would you have told Brian in this scenario?

“Another Boeing plane has crashed…” That headline didn’t just inform the world. It shook it. Airlines grounded fleets. Passengers canceled bookings. Families waited in grief. And in those painful moments, everyone turned to Boeing — waiting for reassurance, compassion, and clarity. But what they received instead was silence, technical statements, and corporate coldness. ⸻ 💬 The Dialogue That Never Happened Imagine if Boeing’s CEO had stood before the world and said: 👉 “We are devastated by this tragedy. Our deepest condolences go to the families who lost their loved ones. We take full responsibility to uncover the truth, fix it, and make sure this never happens again. Every passenger’s life matters. We will not rest until trust is restored.” Instead, the company issued vague technical explanations about “software updates” and “pilot procedures.” The difference? One statement speaks to the heart. The other hides behind jargon. 📉 The Fallout of Silence Boeing didn’t just lose billions in market value. They lost something far more precious: trust. • Passengers felt unsafe. • Governments demanded groundings. • Airlines questioned contracts. • Employees lost pride. A global brand that once symbolized safety became a symbol of fear. And the leadership lesson? 👉 In crisis, your communication is your reputation. ⸻ When tragedy strikes, the human brain looks for three things immediately: 1. Reassurance (Pathos): “Do you see my pain? Do you care?” 2. Clarity (Logos): “What exactly happened? Am I safe?” 3. Responsibility (Ethos): “Can I trust you to fix this?” ⸻ Here’s a 3-step Crisis Communication Framework every CEO must remember: 1. Acknowledge Emotion (Pathos): • Show empathy immediately. • Example: “We are heartbroken by this tragedy. Lives were lost. Families are grieving.” 2. Share Facts Clearly (Logos): • State what you know, what you don’t know, and what you’re investigating. • Example: “The incident involves [details]. Investigations are ongoing. Safety checks are underway globally.” 3. Commit to Responsibility (Ethos): • Show accountability and promise change. • Example: “We take full responsibility. Here’s how we are fixing it: [specific steps].” ⸻ ✅ Do’s & ❌ Don’ts of Crisis Communication ✅ Do’s • Respond quickly. Speed signals responsibility. • Lead with humanity. Speak to emotions first, facts second. • Be transparent. Say what you know and admit what you don’t. • Take responsibility. Even partial acknowledgment builds trust. • Be consistent. Updates must be regular, not one-time. ❌ Don’ts • Stay silent. Silence is filled with rumors. • Use jargon. “Software anomaly” means nothing to grieving families. • Deflect blame. Saying “pilot error” erodes credibility. • Downplay loss. Even one life lost must be honored. • Overpromise. “It will never happen again” sounds hollow if unproven. ⸻ 💡 The Bigger Leadership Lesson Crisis doesn’t just test your company. It tests your character.

Your crisis communication plan is useless if you built it backwards. Most organizations start with what THEY want to say. Big mistake. Real crisis communication starts with a simple question: “Who needs to know what, when, and how?” Not your board. Not your PR team. Not your CEO. The people whose lives hang in the balance. Here’s what nobody wants to admit: There’s no such thing as “the general public.” That phrase is lazy thinking disguised as strategy. The “general public” is actually: → Parents picking up kids from school → Shift workers who missed the morning briefing → Elderly residents without smartphones → Non-native speakers in your community → People with disabilities who need different formats → Night-shift nurses just waking up Each group needs different information. Different timing. Different channels. I’ve watched crisis responses crash and burn because communicators got trapped in corporate-speak while families waited for answers. While employees wondered if they still had jobs. While communities needed to know if they were safe. Your audience isn’t a demographic. They’re real people facing real fear. They don’t care about your brand reputation right now. They care about their kids getting home safely. Their mortgage getting paid. Their neighborhood staying intact. The best crisis communicators I know? They can name their audiences. They know where Mrs. Chen gets her news. They get that teenagers won’t check email. They remember that third-shift workers are asleep during your 2 PM press conference. Three questions that should drive every crisis message: → What do they need to survive this moment? → What do they need to make the next decision? → What do they need to rebuild trust? Start with your audience. End with your audience. All of them - specifically. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve seen in crisis communication? Share your story below and let’s learn from each other’s experiences. 👇 The best crisis communicators I know never forget: we’re not managing messages. We’re serving people.

When a major crisis strikes your event—such as a serious injury, death, significant security threat, or major public health emergency—the situation typically unfolds through predictable stages. Being prepared to communicate effectively at each stage is crucial. Here's a clear framework to guide your messaging: Stage 1: Triage & Information Fans urgently need clear, factual updates. Without prompt communication, misinformation spreads fast. • Fan Messaging: Immediately provide clear, factual updates and instructions. • Managing Media: Journalists initially focus on speed, prioritizing facts to publish quickly. Being first with accurate, official information lets you control the early narrative. ___ Stage 2: Empathy & Solutions Fans feel emotional impacts deeply. They want acknowledgment and action. • Fan Messaging: Clearly express empathy and outline specific, actionable solutions. • Managing Media: Reporters seek deeper stories and personal impacts. Provide empathetic spokespersons and practical solutions proactively to shape coverage positively. ___ Stage 3: Optimism & Nostalgia Fans seek reassurance and positive perspectives to rebuild enthusiasm. • Fan Messaging: Offer hopeful, forward-looking content, highlighting past festival experiences and future plans. • Managing Media: Media shifts to stories of recovery and resilience. Proactively pitch positive narratives about your festival’s future plans and community solidarity. _____ Stage 4: Return to Normalcy Even after a crisis passes, accountability matters. Reflect transparently, share lessons learned, and changes made. • Fan Messaging: Share clearly what was learned, changes made, and improvements implemented, demonstrating transparency and accountability. • Managing Media: Investigative journalism typically emerges later, thoroughly examining accountability and preventive measures. Prepare detailed responses and engage proactively to positively influence the investigative narrative. Missteps in crisis communication—like delays, lack of empathy, or inconsistent messaging—can permanently damage your festival’s reputation. Adopting this structured approach helps safeguard and even strengthen your brand. Want to dive deeper? Read on here: https://lnkd.in/gdBNx-bD