PR & Crisis Communications

When a brand crisis erupts, public reactions are driven less by the facts and more by psychology — moral judgment, outrage, identity threat, trust erosion, and the social dynamics that amplify emotion. Behavioural science helps PR and crisis teams understand why people react the way they do, what fuels escalation, and which messages rebuild credibility rather than intensify backlash. By uncovering the cognitive and emotional mechanisms behind public perception, behavioural science enables organizations to respond with clarity, empathy, and strategic precision, turning reactive crisis management into proactive reputation protection.

  • Understanding Outrage & Public Perception

    Understanding Outrage & Public Perception

    Brand Dummy analyzes the psychological drivers of public outrage — including moral judgment, identity threat, and perceived fairness — to explain why certain crises escalate rapidly. This helps organizations anticipate reactions and respond in ways that diffuse, rather than intensify, public emotion.

  • Designing Behaviourally-Informed Crisis Messaging

    Designing Behaviourally-Informed Crisis Messaging

    We apply behavioural framing to craft messages that feel credible, empathetic, and aligned with how people process information under stress. Brand Dummy helps organizations communicate with clarity and emotional intelligence, reducing misinterpretation and rebuilding trust.

  • Mapping Escalation Dynamics & Social Amplification

    Mapping Escalation Dynamics & Social Amplification

    Crises spread through social norms, group identity, and emotional contagion. Brand Dummy identifies the behavioural mechanisms that accelerate or dampen amplification, enabling PR teams to intervene at the right moments with the right tone.

  • Rebuilding Trust After a Crisis

    Rebuilding Trust After a Crisis

    Trust recovery requires more than apologies — it requires understanding how people judge sincerity, accountability, and corrective action. Brand Dummy uses behavioural science to design post‑crisis strategies that restore credibility and strengthen long‑term reputation.

Managing Brand Crises: A Guide to Navigating the Storm

Managing Brand Crises: A Guide to Navigating the Storm

BUSINESS EXPERT PRESS, 2025

In an era of relentless scrutiny and digital volatility, Managing Brand Crises: A Guide to Navigating the Storm offers marketing managers and PR officials a pragmatic, pressure-tested roadmap for protecting brand trust when it matters most. Written by Eugene, a seasoned strategist and educator, this book doesn’t just diagnose reputational risk—it equips leaders to respond with clarity, speed, and integrity. Whether you're facing backlash, misinformation, or internal misalignment, this guide helps you turn turbulence into transformation.

At the heart of the book is the STORM framework, a five-part system designed to help brands assess vulnerabilities, mobilize response teams, and rebuild credibility under fire. STORM stands for Swift Response, Transparent Communication, Ownership of the Problem, Rebuilding Trust, and Monitoring and Learning—each element unpacked with real-world examples, strategic prompts, and actionable tools. It’s not theory for theory’s sake; it’s a toolkit for CMOs, communications directors, and brand custodians who need to make high-stakes decisions under pressure.

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On the psychology of brand crises

Brand Dummy approaches crisis communications by uncovering the psychological forces that shape how people interpret, judge, and emotionally respond to brand missteps. Instead of reacting to surface‑level sentiment, we analyze the deeper behavioural mechanisms — moral outrage, identity threat, fairness perceptions, trust erosion, and social amplification — that determine whether a crisis escalates or stabilizes. By combining behavioural diagnosis with evidence‑based communication strategy, Brand Dummy helps organizations craft responses that feel credible, empathetic, and proportionate, enabling them to de‑escalate public emotion, rebuild trust, and protect long‑term reputation.

  • Behavioural Crisis Diagnosis

    Brand Dummy identifies the psychological drivers behind public reaction — including outrage, perceived harm, and moral judgment — to understand why the crisis is escalating and what emotional needs must be addressed first.

  • Audience Segmentation by Emotional State

    Not all stakeholders react the same way. We segment audiences based on their motivations, identities, and emotional triggers, allowing organizations to tailor responses that resonate with each group rather than relying on one-size-fits-all messaging.

  • Behaviourally-Informed Message Framing

    Brand Dummy designs crisis messaging that aligns with how people process information under stress: clear, accountable, empathetic, and free of defensive framing that can unintentionally inflame backlash.

  • Escalation & Amplification Mapping

    We analyze how narratives spread through social networks, media cycles, and group identity dynamics. This helps organizations intervene at the right moments with the right tone to prevent further amplification.

  • Trust Repair & Long‑Term Reputation Strategy

    Brand Dummy develops evidence‑based strategies for rebuilding trust after the immediate crisis — focusing on sincerity, corrective action, and behavioural signals that demonstrate accountability and long‑term commitment.

How can we help?

  • Crises intensify when people feel morally violated, unheard, or disrespected. Brand Dummy identifies the psychological triggers behind outrage and designs response strategies that acknowledge emotion, reduce escalation, and restore a sense of fairness.

  • Defensive framing, over‑explanation, or misjudged tone can inflame backlash. Brand Dummy applies behavioural framing to craft messages that feel accountable, empathetic, and proportionate — reducing misinterpretation and rebuilding credibility.

  • Employees, customers, media, and online communities often react from different identities and emotional states. Brand Dummy segments audiences by behavioural drivers and tailors communication strategies that resonate with each group’s motivations.

  • Crises amplify through social identity, emotional contagion, and perceived injustice. Brand Dummy maps these behavioural amplification pathways and helps organizations intervene at the right moments to slow or redirect harmful narratives.

  • People judge sincerity based on behavioural cues, not statements alone. Brand Dummy designs long‑term trust‑repair strategies grounded in accountability, corrective action, and consistent behavioural signals that demonstrate genuine commitment.

  • Internal disagreement often stems from different mental models of risk, responsibility, and public perception. Brand Dummy provides behavioural insight that clarifies what the public actually cares about, helping leaders align around a coherent, effective strategy.