How an organisation communicates during a crisis often matters more to its long-term reputation than the crisis event itself, yet many organisations lack a genuine crisis communication plan until they urgently need one. This course builds practical skills for crisis communication planning, response and stakeholder management under genuine pressure.
65%of organisational reputational damage stems from poor crisis communication, not the crisis itself
3xfaster recovery for organisations with tested crisis communication plans
160+professionals trained by Matsh in this programme
Common challenges this course addresses:
- Your organisation lacks a genuine crisis communication plan beyond a generic template
- You are unsure how to communicate transparently during a crisis without creating additional legal or reputational risk
- You struggle to coordinate consistent messaging across multiple stakeholder groups during a crisis
- You have never actually tested your crisis communication plan under realistic pressure
- You are uncertain how to manage media inquiries and social media during a fast-moving crisis
This course builds practical crisis communication skills that protect reputation and stakeholder trust under genuine pressure.
Who Should Attend
📢
Communications Professionals
Those directly responsible for organisational crisis communication.
👔
Senior Leaders
Executives who serve as spokespersons during organisational crises.
📋
Risk and Compliance Staff
Those building organisational crisis preparedness.
🌍
NGO Programme Managers
Those managing communication during field-level crises.
🏢
HR Professionals
Staff managing internal communication during organisational crises.
🚀
Founders and Executives
Leaders needing genuine crisis communication capability.
What You Will Leave With
Practical tools applicable immediately.
✓Crisis communication planning, building a genuine plan beyond a generic template
✓Transparent communication techniques, communicating honestly without creating additional risk
✓Stakeholder coordination skills, maintaining consistent messaging across multiple audiences
✓Media management techniques, handling media inquiries confidently during fast-moving situations
✓Social media crisis response, managing real-time public communication effectively
✓A tested crisis communication plan, genuinely rehearsed, not just documented
What Participants Report
From follow-up surveys 60 days after the programme
70%built or significantly improved their crisis communication plan after the course
62%conducted their first crisis communication simulation exercise
160+professionals trained across all cohorts
"We had a crisis communication plan sitting in a folder that nobody had ever actually tested. Running our first simulation exposed gaps in roles and messaging that we fixed before ever facing a real crisis."
Head of Communications, financial services sector
Programme Outline
1
Crisis Communication Planning
Why this module matters: A genuine crisis communication plan, built and tested before a crisis occurs, is what separates organisations that recover quickly from those that suffer lasting damage.
- Building a genuine crisis communication plan beyond a generic template
- Identifying likely crisis scenarios specific to your organisation
- Establishing clear roles and decision-making authority during a crisis
2
Transparent Communication Under Pressure
Why this module matters: Communicating transparently during a crisis, without creating additional legal or reputational exposure, requires specific, practised skill.
- Balancing transparency with legal and reputational considerations
- Crafting messages that acknowledge concern without overcommitting
- Practising difficult crisis communication scenarios directly
3
Stakeholder Coordination and Media Management
Why this module matters: Consistent messaging across multiple stakeholder groups, and confident media management, prevent the fragmented communication that damages trust.
- Coordinating consistent messaging across employees, customers, media and the public
- Handling media inquiries confidently during fast-moving situations
- Managing spokesperson selection and preparation
4
Social Media Response and Personal Application
Why this module matters: Real-time social media communication requires distinct skills from traditional media management, and this final module builds a tested, applied plan.
- Managing real-time social media communication during a crisis
- Monitoring and responding to public sentiment during fast-moving situations
- Testing and refining your organisation's crisis communication plan
Course At a Glance
| Duration | 3-5 Days |
| Format | In-person and online |
| What's Included | Workbook, practical toolkit, certificate of completion |
Common Questions
Does the course include practical crisis simulation exercises?
Yes. Structured crisis simulation exercises are a core part of the course, since testing a plan under realistic pressure is essential to genuine preparedness.
Is this course relevant for organisations without a dedicated communications team?
Yes. Many participants come from organisations without dedicated communications staff and need practical crisis communication capability regardless of team size.
Related Courses
Ready to Protect Reputation With Genuine Crisis Communication Skills?
Build practical, tested crisis communication capability before you need it.
Register Now