People will not listen to what happened and why it happened until you've gotten past the emotionalism of the moment. The only way to get past the emotionalism is to sympathize or empathize with the people who have been affected. Rule Nine Take the first 24 hours very, very seriously. You may do all the right things, but the perception of your company and how you manage the crisis is shaped in the first 24 hours. Begin your crisis management plan right now by doing the things you need to do to build your reputational assets.
Corporate reputation does matter in a time of crisis.