“We had a major campaign launch scheduled, but within 24 hours, we shifted focus to supporting parents affected by the fires—sponsoring any parent who was impacted by this for the remainder of their feeding journey. We didn’t stop to calculate ROI. We acted. Consumers recognize real action over performative messaging,” Chappell explained.
Eden Zeilo, head of marketing at Sienna Naturals, echoed this sentiment: “We saw backlash against brands that posted ‘our hearts go out’ statements without doing anything tangible. Consumers are looking beyond words—they expect brands to step up.”
Building brand advocates for long-term trust
Crisis response is stronger when employees and loyal supporters are part of the conversation. Carlye Thornton, digital strategy specialist, culture and communications at Southwest Airlines explained how employee advocacy strengthens crisis response. “We empower employees with key messages so they can serve as informed brand ambassadors. Their voices often carry more weight than corporate statements.”
Brown supported this point, emphasizing the power of an engaged online community. “With a social media following of more than 400 million people, we have a network that self-polices misinformation,” she said. “The trust we establish daily helps when we need to correct false narratives.”
Navigating social media’s role in crisis response
With platforms like TikTok and Instagram becoming primary news sources, crisis management teams must adapt their strategies to meet audiences there. “Gen Z often turns to social media before Google for information,” explained Zeilo. “Brands must be proactive in addressing misinformation directly on these platforms.”
