The best time to plan crisis communications is before a crisis occurs. With Trupeer, you can save hours on crisis preparation by starting with a free pre-crisis communication plan template, customizing it with your brand guidelines, and turning the plan into video briefings leaders can review during tabletop exercises.

This pre-crisis communication plan template provides a structured framework to capture potential crisis scenarios, audiences, holding statements, spokespersons, escalation procedures, channels and recovery communications - useful for executive leadership, comms teams, security teams and risk management. Pair it with our change management use case, generate AI video briefings, and translate into 65+ languages for global organizations.

How to customize this template in Trupeer

Step 1: Open the Templates Section

Go to the Templates section from the main navigation.

Step 2: Select and Open a Template

Click on any template you want to work with to open it.

Step 3: Expand the Template View

If needed, expand the template view to see the full layout and details clearly.

Step 4: Edit the Template

Click on Edit to start modifying the selected template.

Within the editor, you can:

• Add new sections

• Define or update formatting rules

• Add a logo and adjust its position and related settings

Step 5: Save Your Customized Template

After making all necessary changes, click Save to store the updated template as your own.

Step 6: Preview and Fine-Tune the Template

When you want to see how your customized template looks, open the Preview.

From the preview screen, you can continue to make adjustments directly if needed, ensuring the template appears exactly as you want.

With a pre-crisis communication plan you can:

• Save hours when it matters: Pre-built statements cut response time during real crises.

• Respond with discipline: Built-in escalation paths prevent panicked decisions under pressure.

• Stay on-brand: Apply your logo, fonts and tone using Trupeer's brand kit.

• Protect the brand: Coordinated comms protect reputation when crisis hits.

• Train leaders before crises: Pair the plan with video briefings for tabletop exercises.

• Reach global stakeholders: Translate crisis comms into 65+ languages with one click.

A great pre-crisis communication plan turns potential crises into manageable incidents. Use this template to prepare your organization before it's tested.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pre-crisis communication plan?

A pre-crisis communication plan is a document prepared in advance of any specific crisis - capturing potential scenarios, audiences, messaging frameworks, spokespersons and escalation procedures. It enables fast, coordinated response when an actual crisis occurs.

What should a pre-crisis communication plan include?

A complete pre-crisis plan includes potential crisis scenarios, audience analysis (employees, customers, media, regulators), holding statements, designated spokespersons, escalation procedures, communication channels and approval flows, monitoring approach and post-crisis review process.

What types of crises should you plan for?

Common scenarios include cybersecurity incidents and data breaches, product recalls or quality failures, safety incidents or workplace injuries, executive misconduct, regulatory actions, legal action, financial issues, operational outages and PR crises. The right scenarios depend on your industry and risk profile.

How do you prepare for a crisis?

Identify likely scenarios. Pre-write holding statements for each. Designate spokespersons and train them. Define escalation procedures. Establish a crisis team and protocols. Run tabletop exercises annually. Update the plan based on lessons learned. Don't try to plan during the crisis itself - prep happens before.

What is a holding statement?

A holding statement is a brief, pre-approved message that an organization can release immediately when a crisis breaks - acknowledging the situation without making commitments or speculation. It buys time to gather facts before issuing a fuller response. Most pre-crisis plans include holding statements for major scenarios.