{"id":2522,"date":"2026-10-29T11:08:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T09:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abeceda-komunikacije.hr\/crisis-communication-examples-that-saved-or-destroyed-a-brand\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T11:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T09:08:27","slug":"crisis-communication-examples-that-saved-or-destroyed-a-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abeceda-komunikacije.hr\/en\/crisis-communication-examples-that-saved-or-destroyed-a-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"Crisis communication – examples that saved (or destroyed) a brand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by: Nika Petkovi\u0107, PR Account Junior, not ChatGPT<\/i><\/p>\n

Crisis communication is key to maintaining trust in a brand when a situation occurs that can threaten its reputation. While a problem can be resolved through regular business processes, a crisis becomes publicly relevant and can affect brand perception, customer relationships and business operations.<\/p>\n

During a business crisis it is difficult to remain \u201elevel-headed\u201c, which is why a crisis plan is prepared when there is no crisis. Although every situation is different, the basic principles of crisis communication remain the same: quick response, consistency, empathy, verified information and a willingness to learn after the crisis is over.<\/p>\n

No brand is immune to a crisis. It can arise for various reasons, from problems in the supply chain to an ill-considered marketing campaign. However, the way a brand reacts often determines whether the crisis will further damage its reputation or become an opportunity to strengthen its relationship with the audience. <\/span><\/p>\n

Below we present examples of brands that showed how proper crisis communication can help preserve reputation, as well as a case in which the brand\u2019s response further deepened the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Crisis communication using KFC as an example: how to admit a mistake and regain trust<\/b><\/h2>\n

One of the most well-known examples of successful crisis communication happened to the KFC brand in the United Kingdom. Around 720 locations temporarily closed their doors because the delivery service had operational problems, which left the restaurants without chicken.<\/p>\n

The situation was serious. In addition to dissatisfied customers, franchisees also faced problems, with as many as 80 percent affected by the crisis, as well as employees of the locations who did not receive wages during that period.<\/p>\n

KFC reacted quickly and followed the basic principles of crisis communication. Instead of looking for someone to blame, they took responsibility, apologized to the public and openly communicated the development of the situation. They emphasized that they use fresh chicken and explained that this was precisely why they decided to temporarily close the restaurants.<\/p>\n

On their channels, they regularly informed customers about the situation, while using humor that suited the circumstances. The most famous moment of the campaign was a full-page advertisement<\/a> in The Sun and The Metro newspapers. In the photo of an empty bucket, they changed the brand name from \u201eKFC\u201c to \u201eFCK\u201c, or a message that can be translated as \u201eWe messed up\u201c.<\/p>\n

With this move, KFC did not try to downplay the problem, but acknowledged it in a way that matched the brand\u2019s tone. <\/span>Humor was used as a tool to connect with the audience, not to avoid responsibility.<\/b><\/p>\n

The campaign was covered by the media and social networks, with around 700 media posts. According to brand perception data, public sentiment, which fell to -17 percent at the peak of the crisis, recovered to +31 percent after the campaign.<\/p>\n

KFC demonstrated several important lessons in crisis communication: admit the mistake, do not hide information, show empathy and communicate what is known. After the crisis the brand continued operating, and sales stabilized by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

When crisis communication fails: the example of Peloton<\/b><\/h2>\n

Crisis communication is not only about reacting after operational problems. Sometimes a crisis can also be caused by the way the audience interprets a certain brand message. <\/span><\/p>\n

Peloton was one of the fastest-growing fitness brands when it released an advertisement <\/a>in which a husband gives his wife a Peloton bike. In the advertisement the woman records her progress over the course of a year and shares her experience of using the product.<\/p>\n

Part of the public perceived the campaign negatively. Instead of seeing it as a message about health and self-confidence, they interpreted the advertisement as a portrayal of pressure on women to change their bodies. The scenes in which the woman exercises early in the morning and late at night were particularly criticized. <\/span><\/p>\n

The audience began asking questions such as: \u201eWhy does she work out at so many different times?\u201c and \u201eWhy is that kind of relationship between partners portrayed?\u201c. What the brand intended as a story about personal progress, part of the audience saw as a message about unrealistic expectations.<\/p>\n

The problem for Peloton was not in the product characteristics, but in the broader meaning that the audience associated with the advertisement:<\/span><\/p>\n