How to Protect Your Brand When Storm Clouds Gather

Recent widespread service disruptions, such as the major AWS outage that broke the internet on Monday, are no longer effectively mitigated by preventive measures alone. Service interruptions and cyber crises are now a matter of when, not if, for most B2B technology brands. While Monday’s outage was triggered by a Domain Name System (DNS) error, rather than a cybersecurity incident, the lessons still apply to both scenarios. It’s all about incident response and reputation management - a well-prepared plan to implement when the inevitable happens. 

The first 48 hours

Make no bones about it, when services go dark, damage is immediate and can be enduring. Reputational damage can even be fatal - especially in the case of significant, widespread and public service interruptions. The media storm clouds gather, and before you know it, you’re in the eye. 

Customers aren’t concerned with apologies; they require swift and decisive action. What they’re looking for is essentially reassurance that your brand has the confidence and expertise to navigate the situation competently. Most will understand that both service interruptions and cyber-attacks are commonplace, but it’s the brand’s handling of the first 48 hours of any crisis that will determine public perception. Silence will be filled by speculation, oversharing by doubt. It’s a delicate balance, but having a 48-hour strategy mapped out before any given crisis is essential for brands interested in reputational safety.

Three rules for reputational resilience

We’ve seen a few crises unfold; we’ve even stopped a few in their tracks. From experience over the last 20 years at the forefront of this industry, and from the various workshops we’ve run (such as our Reputation Resilience Workshop, held in conjunction with Taylor Wessing), we can pinpoint three non-negotiables when it comes to surviving any service outage or cyber-based incident: 

1. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Transparency is your currency. Attempting to minimise or downplay the incident, or being vague about what you already know, will be received negatively. The public and your customers won’t expect all the answers, so don’t pretend to have them. What they will expect is a clear, jargon-free explanation of what happened, what steps you’re taking to minimise the impact and when they can expect further updates. Remember, trust and loyalty are much harder to restore than a server.

2. Segment your audience!

Blanket statements won’t cut it. You will need to talk to your stakeholders, personally - creating a multi-dimensional 48-hour plan can save you a huge headache down the line. Here’s what you might want to consider: 

• Your customers will need details, timelines, clear recovery and compensation plans.
• The media will need context and a spokesperson. Who is leading your response? Are they equipped to be a media spokesperson? Have you prepared them to take questions and discuss the decisions your brand is making on behalf of customers?
• Your employees need reassurance and clarity. Empower them to become your unofficial brand spokespeople - one message, confidently relayed to prevent gossip and speculation. 

3. What next?

Crisis communications is as much about your plan for recovery as it is about the crisis itself. When the dust settles, it can be tempting to give yourself a pat on the back and then retire quietly to lick your wounds. But this is a huge missed opportunity for re-engaging your precious, shaken stakeholders. While conducting a very public post-mortem might feel like unnecessary embarrassment, it actually signals your sincere commitment to future-proofing and implementing preventative measures. Being brave and owning up to what went wrong is often the first step to building trust back in your nervous audience.

Why playing it safe can backfire - even in disaster recovery

Brand reputations are built or broken by how they respond to a crisis. While prevention is steeped in caution and safety (and rightly so), response must be led by bravery. Because who fancies getting behind a quivering wreck of a brand that doesn’t know if it’s coming or going? When things go wrong, stakeholders are looking for a sturdy, confident leader to shelter them through the storm, and today’s tech brands must be ready to do so. If you do one thing before the start of the new year, let plotting your crisis communications plan be one of them. You never know when you might need it. 

If this feels like one too many things to manage before 2026, get in touch.