A bad news cycle moves in hours. We've watched thousands of them build and break from the inside — so we know where a story is going before it gets there, and how to change the ending.
A senior team on the phone within the hour, with a first move that steadies the situation instead of feeding it.
Language drafted for the first 60 minutes that buys time and takes ground — never a non-answer that reads as guilt.
Before anything breaks, a mapped playbook for the situations most likely to hit your business, ready to run.
Direct, calm engagement with the reporters on the story to correct the record and slow the spread.
Aligned messaging for investors, partners, employees, and community so no channel becomes the next leak.
The plan for after — the coverage and proof points that rebuild the narrative once the acute phase passes.
The first response sets the frame for everything that follows. We give you a clear head, a written plan, and a steady hand while the pressure is highest.
We establish the facts, the exposure, and where the story is heading — fast, and without the spin.
A clear position and a first statement out the door while it still shapes the frame, not after.
We work the narrative back to solid ground and rebuild the reputation the incident put at risk.
Most crisis shops guess at how a newsroom will react. We don't — we run one. We know what a reporter needs to move off a bad narrative, what a non-answer looks like from the other side, and how to give the truth a fair shot at the headline.
For existing clients, immediately, because we already know the history, the spokespeople, and the reporters who will call. For new engagements we can stand up a war room the same day. The first hour is spent establishing facts and posture, not drafting the response — that discipline is what separates a bad day from a bad quarter.
Almost always, if the reporter is on deadline: silence becomes "did not respond to a request for comment," which readers read as guilt. If the story is small and not yet moving, the answer can be no, because a response can make it larger. Someone who watches how stories spread should make that call, not the person the story is about.
Yes, on a project basis. The work is more effective inside an ongoing relationship, which is why we recommend crisis planning as part of any full-service engagement, but we take standalone crisis mandates when the situation warrants it.