Latest / Social Media Marketing with Fexingo: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Platform Strategy / How Brands Use Social Media for Crisis Communication
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this moment every social media manager dreads — you wake up, check your phone, and there it is. A thread on Twitter with thousands of replies, all pointing at your brand. And it's not good. Luna: Right. That knot-in-your-stomach feeling. I've been there. But what separates the brands that come out stronger from the ones that spiral? Lucas: Exactly. Today we're talking about crisis communication on social media, and I want to ground it in a specific case. Back in February this year, a mid-size outdoor apparel brand called PeakFlow — not a household name but well-loved in hiking circles — had a supply chain failure. A batch of their waterproof jackets started delaminating after a few months of use. Customers were furious. Luna: I remember that. It started with a single YouTube review, then migrated to Twitter and Instagram. Within 48 hours, it was everywhere. Lucas: Right. And PeakFlow's initial response? Silence for almost 12 hours. Then a one-line tweet saying 'we're looking into it.' That's the wrong play. In a crisis, the clock doesn't start when you have all the facts — it starts when your audience knows something's wrong. Luna: So what should they have done? I've heard of the 'listen, pause, respond' framework. Does that apply here? Lucas: Totally. And let's break it down. Phase one is listen — but not just monitoring mentions. You need to assess the velocity and sentiment. Are people sharing personal stories, or is it a coordinated attack? In PeakFlow's case, it was genuine customer frustration. Phase two, pause — but a strategic pause, not radio silence. You acknowledge within an hour, even if you're just saying 'we see this, we're gathering facts, we'll be back with an update by X time.' That buys you breathing room. Luna: And you have to set the expectation for when you'll respond. Otherwise people keep refreshing and getting angrier. Lucas: Exactly. So PeakFlow eventually did that — about 18 hours in, which is too late. But when they did update, they went with a video from their VP of Product, speaking unscripted, no tie, sitting in the warehouse. That was smart. Authentic, not polished. Luna: The video got over a million views on Instagram. I think it worked because it felt human. But wasn't there also a backlash for taking so long? Lucas: There was. And it's a lesson: you can recover from a slow start, but you've got to over-invest in transparency afterward. PeakFlow ended up offering full refunds and a redesigned jacket to everyone affected. But the real win was how they handled the comments. They turned their Instagram feed into a live FAQ — answering every single question in the replies, even the angry ones. Luna: That's a huge operational lift. I've seen brands use 'dark posts' — unlisted Facebook posts — to test responses before publishing them publicly. Did PeakFlow do that? Lucas: Actually, they didn't, but they should have. Dark posting is one of those tactics that crisis teams rely on more and more. You draft three or four versions of a response, run them as targeted ads to a small segment, and see which one gets the least negative reaction. Then you publish that one organically. It's like A/B testing for your reputation. Luna: That's smart because once you post, you can't unpost. And in a crisis, every word gets scrutinized. Lucas: Right. The other thing is, don't delete negative comments. That's the fastest way to turn a spark into a wildfire. You only delete if it's spam or harassment. Otherwise you engage. PeakFlow did that well — they left every complaint visible and responded publicly. That built trust. Luna: I think of Patagonia's approach too. They had a quality issue with a zipper line a few years ago, and they used Instagram Stories to walk through the repair process. They turned a crisis into a content series. Lucas: That's a masterclass. They didn't just fix the problem — they made the fix visible. And they tied it to their core value of durability. So the crisis actually reinforced their brand identity. Not every brand can do that, but the principle holds: use the crisis to demonstrate your values in action. Luna: So what about the smaller brands that don't have a Patagonia-size budget? What's the minimum viable crisis playbook? Lucas: Great question. Step one: have a pre-approved crisis response template. Not the text, but the process — who signs off, what channels you use, how fast you respond. Step two: designate one person as the voice. Inconsistency from multiple accounts is confusing. Step three: acknowledge before you have the full story. A simple 'We hear you and we're investigating' buys you goodwill. And step four: follow up with actions, not just words. If you promise a fix, show the fix. Luna: And one thing I'd add: don't go dark after the crisis subsides. Keep posting your regular content. Some brands get scared and go quiet for weeks. That makes it seem like you're still in damage control. Lucas: Yeah, that's a mistake. The algorithm actually punishes you for low activity, so you end up making it harder to get your positive message out. Better to resume normal posting within 24-48 hours, even if you pepper in crisis-related updates. Luna: Speaking of algorithms and algorithms, I've been thinking about how these conversations we have on the show — like this one on crisis communication — they often spark ideas that listeners actually apply. And if today's episode saved you a headache or gave you a framework you'll use, honestly, if it was worth a coffee to you, you can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's a small way to keep these episodes ad-free and coming. Lucas: Totally. We don't do sponsors, we don't do ads, and that's because of listeners who chip in. So if you've ever taken a tip from this show and used it, consider it. Now, back to crisis playbooks — I want to talk about one more tactic that's underused: the pre-crisis 'reputation bank'. Luna: What's that? Lucas: It's the idea that you build social capital before you need it. Brands that regularly engage with their community, respond to comments, share behind the scenes content, they have a reservoir of goodwill. When a crisis hits, people are more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt because they've seen the human side of the brand. Luna: So crisis communication isn't just a reactive skill — it's a proactive investment. Lucas: Exactly. The brands that survive crises best are the ones that were already loved. Not because they're perfect, but because they were present. And that's something any brand can start doing today. Luna: Alright, let's wrap with one actionable takeaway: if you're a social media manager, tonight, draft a one-sentence crisis acknowledgment post for your brand. Save it in a draft. You might never use it, but if you need it, you'll be glad it's there. Lucas: Great advice. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. See you next time.