This is how social media crisis management should (and shouldn’t) be done: 5 lessons from good (and bad) real-life examples

No one wants it to happen, but sometimes brands catch negative attention. Preventing crises should be a top priority, but it’s also important to have a plan for addressing issues when they arise. Thanks to social media, communities have a strong voice online – and that’s a good thing. It also means that social media crisis management is paramount. 

Using real-life examples, we’ve compiled 5 things social media marketers should consider when forming a crisis management strategy. We hope you’ll never have to use it, but it’s best to be prepared! 

What is a social media crisis?

A crisis on social media is a rapid spread of negative sentiment about your brand based on an unfortunate event, controversial ad or brand action, or a bad customer experience. If not handled properly, it can damage a company’s profits, customer relationships, and reputation. So, crisis communications in the age of social media are important to get right! 

5 lessons from social media crisis examples

In the spirit of improving, we’ve compiled 5 lessons from good and bad examples of social media crisis management. Incorporate these in your crisis management plan for social media and be well-prepared for any sticky situation.  

1. Respond quickly and show empathy 

One lesson brands have learned the hard way is the importance of empathizing with customers and quickly responding to a potential crisis. Not doing so can prolong and escalate the effects of negative publicity. 

For example, Kellogg’s didn’t address controversial comments made by their CEO, which resulted in many community members boycotting the brand. In February 2024, Gary Pilnick appeared on CNBC to discuss Kellogg’s campaign promoting cereal for dinner. He spoke about the affordability of cereal, which he felt was important given the current economy.

His comments were not well received. On social media, many mentioned the obvious – sugary cereal should not replace a balanced meal. People also felt the campaign was insensitive since it used a family’s poor financial situation as a reason to buy its products. Plus, many pointed out that cereal prices are generally on the rise while boxes appear to be getting smaller.

Kellogg’s stayed silent instead of reacting to the negative attention and showing understanding for its customers. Soon #BoycottKelloggs was trending on TikTok, and an unfortunate comment grew into a larger crisis. 

What can we learn from this social media crisis?

Information travels fast on social media, so response time in a crisis is crucial. Kane Communications Group says customers remember how brands make them feel during a crisis. It’s important to handle situations quickly and with humility to control the narrative and avoid negative attention spiralling out of control.  

2. Be transparent 

People appreciate honesty. Many brands avoid transparency and face consequences. Today, customers call out companies for controversial, inconsistent, or deceptive communications. So, straightforward social media crisis management is key. 

Oatly is positioned as an open and honest brand despite facing much controversy. With a mission to maximize nutrition and minimize environmental impacts, the vegan oat milk company is under constant scrutiny. 

In 2018, the brand was criticized for selling oat by-products to pig farmers and again in 2020 for partnering with a controversial investor. In both cases, customers called for a boycott, and Oatly maintained timely and honest communication. 

Leaning further into transparency, Oatly developed fckoatly.com, which lists all customer issues with the brand. According to the site, Oatly sees contention as “an inevitable consequence of trying to create positive societal change.” Owning its decisions and being honest keeps the brand focused on the big picture to maintain its reputation. 

What can we learn from this approach to social media crisis management?

Not everyone will agree with every brand action. Even in a crisis, it’s important to take accountability and remain transparent. Staying true to your brand ensures consistent communication, improves trust, and strengthens customer relationships. 

3. Be proactive with concrete solutions 

Proactivity is another key component of effective social media crisis management. Instead of reacting out of obligation, brands can stand out by getting ahead of an issue and implementing effective solutions. 

One great example is Tide’s reaction to the viral Tide Pod Challenge, a dangerous trend that saw teens ingesting Tide pods between 2017 and 2018. Tide had to convince participants to stop the laundry detergent-eating trend.  

Tide proactively launched a social media campaign stating the obvious – detergent should be used for laundry only; eating it is dangerous. Matching the viral nature of the trend, the brand enlisted pro footballer Rob Gronkowski to deliver the message and showcase that eating laundry detergent is foolish. 

Going a step further, Tide also worked with YouTube and other social media sites where the challenge videos were being posted to have them removed. 

Instead of staying silent or releasing a generic corporate statement about the online challenge, Tide was proactive with productive solutions tailored to the right audience. In addition to ending the trend, the brand’s actions showed concern for its customers’ safety and well-being. 

What can we learn from this social media crisis?

Successful social media and crisis communication should include effective solutions, not empty promises or generic statements out of obligation. The extra effort will pay off in brand sentiment and customer loyalty. 

4. Think before you act and consider diverse perspectives

Sometimes social media crisis management sends an important reminder: think before acting. To avoid biases, companies must consider diverse perspectives.  

H&M failed to do this, and it cost them. In 2018, one of its ads included an image of a Black child wearing a sweater with the phrase “Coolest monkey in the jungle.”

The brand faced major backlash. Online, customers, content creators, and celebrities expressed outrage about the culturally insensitive image and suggested boycotting H&M. The brand’s revenue and stock took a hit and some physical stores were vandalized due to the incident. 

H&M immediately removed the image from its website and social media and pulled the shirt from stores. It also released public apologies, conducted diversity and inclusion training, appointed a diversity leader, and evaluated internal processes to investigate how the image was approved. The brand reacted quickly, but damage was done, and it could have been avoided. 

What can we learn from this social media crisis?

The biggest lesson from this social media crisis management example is to include diverse perspectives in internal processes – before a crisis even arises. If you do find your brand in crisis, seek out the appropriate training and resources to ensure the situation never repeats itself.

5. Get creative   

Never underestimate the power of creativity. While it can be challenging in a crisis, considering a unique perspective can help turn a bad situation into a powerful brand moment.

One of the best examples of social media crisis management comes from KFC. In 2018, after making supplier changes, the unthinkable happened: KFC ran out of chicken. The blunder resulted in the closure of most of its UK stores and a lot of backlash including 53,000 mentions on social media alongside trending hashtags #ChickenCrisis and #KFCCrisis.

Instead of crafting a typical corporate apology, KFC owned the situation with creativity and used humour to deliver its message. They created an ad showcasing an empty bucket of chicken with KFC rearranged to spell “FCK” above an honest explanation of the situation and how it was being handled. 

The ad led to 700 press mentions, reached 219 million social media users, and received multiple marketing awards. Moreover, it helped KFC escape the crisis without any lasting reputation damage. In fact, its brand impression score increased by one point. The campaign was so successful some speculated the chicken shortage was a publicity stunt.

What can we learn from this social media crisis?

Crisis communication on social media can be outside the box. Sometimes it’s OK to embrace a crisis and have fun with it. KCF did many things right in this situation, but its creativity helped resolve the issue without damaging its brand. 

How to handle a crisis on social media

To respond swiftly and thoughtfully, it’s important to have a social media crisis management plan before an incident. Based on our examples of crisis management on social media, here are some things to consider: 

1. Monitor social media comments and brand mentions regularly to identify potential crises. 
2. Establish social media guidelines for external communications, an approval process that includes diverse perspectives, a comment policy, and how to identify a crisis. 
3. Form a crisis response team. 
4. Pause scheduled posts and other external communications to avoid adding fuel to the fire. 
5. React quickly and with empathy to manage the impact. Respond to comments and mentions to control the narrative and make people feel heard.  
6. Thoughtfully consider the situation to decide how and where to respond (this is your chance to be creative). 
7. Offer concrete solutions instead of a generic apology. 
8. Be transparent and take accountability as much as possible.
9. Continually monitor social media to assess the effectiveness of your response. 
10. Update your internal team so everyone knows the situation and how it’s being handled.
11. Evaluate and update internal policies and your crisis management plan after an incident to address areas for improvement.

Social media crisis management FAQs 

In case you still have questions about social media crisis communication, here are some related FAQs. 

How can a social media managers identify a social media crisis?

To identify a crisis, monitor your social channels, reviews, and brand mentions.  Not every negative comment or review turns into a crisis, one-off issues happen and should be handled appropriately. 

Generally, a crisis occurs when there’s a major shift in conversations about your brand and a large volume of negative attention. When bad attention spirals out of control, utilize your social media crisis management plan. 

What are the potential triggers for a social media crisis?

Potential triggers for a social media crisis can include controversial advertising, insensitive comments from leadership, a bad customer experience, misinformation, and other company actions. 

Summary: the role of social media in crisis management

Using these lessons from examples of social media crises handled properly and poorly, you’re ready to create a comprehensive strategy for social media crisis management. With a plan in place, you can rest easy knowing if something does happen you’re well prepared. 

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