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When controversy strikes, the CEO takes the heat. But behind the scenes, the real battle begins—one fought by a team few ever thank and even fewer understand.
The Scandal You Saw—And the Team You Didn’t
This week, a tech CEO made headlines for a viral video involving an employee and a... let’s say unconventional concert moment.
The details are easy to find—Newsweek covered it here—but I’m not here to dissect the incident.
I’m here to talk about the people who now have to fix it.
The corporate communications team. The brand marketers. The social media leads. The internal comms professionals.
The people who didn’t cause the problem...but now have to solve it.
Crisis Mode: The Most Unforgiving Job in the Business
When a scandal breaks, these teams get no warning and no grace. Just a blinking cursor in a blank Google Doc and the expectation to somehow:
- Calm the public
- Reassure employees
- Retain customer trust
- And preserve what's left of the brand’s reputation
It’s high stakes, low control, and zero margin for error.
Here are the hard truths, backed by data:
According to PwC’s Global Crisis and Resilience Survey, 96% of companies that experienced a crisis reported improved response capabilities afterward—but only 35% had a formal crisis communication team in place before the crisis hit. Source – PwC Global Crisis and Resilience Survey 2023
And as found by 5WPR (via a PR News summary), organizations with established crisis communication plans resolve crises 30% faster than those without. Source – 5WPR via PR News
"You Never Want to Need Us—Until You Desperately Do"
Harold Burson, founder of Burson-Marsteller, once said:
“Public relations is about performance recognition. You can’t have one without the other.”
In crisis communications, that performance happens under extreme pressure—with no rehearsal.
The best teams don’t just write statements. They shape how history remembers what happened. They don’t just protect executives. They protect every person who works at that company—every job, every paycheck, every customer relationship.
And when they do their jobs well? You barely notice. Which is exactly the point.
The ROI of a Good Apology
In a world where news cycles move faster than leadership approvals, a company’s response time can make or break its future.
According to Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer, a staggering 63% of consumers make buying decisions based on how a brand handles controversial issues, and trust in brands is more important today than it was five years ago.
A strong comms team will know how to:
- Accept accountability without fueling the fire
- Defend the brand without deflecting blame
- Control the narrative without sounding controlling
And in rare cases—like this one—they may even be tasked with crafting a comeback story out of a catastrophe.
The Best Comms Pros I’ve Ever Worked With
At the heart of every well-managed crisis isn’t just a sharp strategist. It’s a deeply decent human being.
The best comms professionals I’ve ever worked with weren’t just good with words. They were good with people.
- They kept calm when leadership panicked.
- They showed up when others hid.
- They asked, “How are you doing?” when it would’ve been easier to focus on the headlines.
- They told the truth, even when it wasn’t convenient.
- They carried weight that wasn’t theirs to hold, and did it without resentment.
They were the first to the fire—and the last to leave.
Because for them, it’s not just about protecting a brand. It’s about protecting people. Rebuilding trust. Helping a team find its footing again.
In a world that celebrates visibility, these are the quiet professionals who still choose to stand behind the curtain, just to keep the lights on for everyone else.
If you’ve ever worked with one of them, you know exactly what I mean.
Here’s the Hard Truth
If you don’t have a strong comms team before a scandal… You won’t have a brand after it.
This is the team that answers the call no one wants to make.
That writes the copy no one wants to approve.
That fixes the damage they didn’t cause.
That defends a brand they might be personally ashamed of in that moment—because their job is to protect the businesse ven when leadership has failed.
Invest in Them Now. Thank Them Later.
If you're a founder, CEO, or executive leader, here's what I hope you'll take away:
- Hire your crisis comms pros before you need them.
- Give them power, not just responsibility.
- Listen to them, especially when you don’t like what they’re saying.
Because when the headlines hit, your brand doesn’t ride on your product or pricing. It rides on how well your team tells the truth—and whether anyone still wants to hear it.
Related: Avoiding Conflict Is Comfortable—Until It Starts Costing You