A crisis management strategy is the step-by-step approach an organization uses to identify and respond to a critical event. However, in 2025, things are not that simple anymore.
Crises used to come from bad financial decisions or problems in essential operations, but globalization, the rise of social media, and the current consumer awareness have shifted how crises look; a lot of them usually come from PR disasters and social media controversies.
And the ugly truth is that, even with the best intentions at heart, a poorly handled controversy can be the end of your company. That’s why a nuanced crisis management plan that goes hand in hand with an influencer marketing strategy is critical for these occasions.
Pro tip: Looking for influencers to strengthen your marketing efforts? Learn how to find them with the right tools, or simply contact us today and start scaling your marketing efforts!
TL; DR:
- With 69% of people trusting recommendations from the influencers rather than the brands themselves, working with content creators has become essential for crisis management.
- Social media crises have 4 crucial stages: pre-crisis, crisis, response, and post-crisis.
- Influencers can help you redeem your brand by helping strengthen communities, humanize brands, remind your audience about the human nature of your company, and shift the focus away from the crisis.
- Before working with an influencer, verify engagement and align values.
Crisis in The Age of Social Media
We live in a digital world, so it is no surprise that 90% of businesses use social media as a part of their marketing efforts.
However, having a social media presence has become a double-edged sword. Companies are constantly put in the spotlight and under severe scrutiny for everything they post.
After all, over 5.07 billion people around the world use social media, too.
What we post online lives forever, and our digital footprint can hinder our reputation.
About Cancel Culture
And while we are talking about reputation, we should address the big risk that every company is subject to: being canceled.
Consumer hyper-awareness has led to a culture of cancellation that can quickly turn into a PR crisis. There are a few reasons why:
- 58% of U.S. adults believe in calling out companies to hold them accountable for their actions.
- Among the most common reasons for brand cancellations are mistreating animals, mistreating the workforce, and tolerating racism. All are motivated by social rights and movements that are close to consumers' beliefs.
While most companies don't intend to cause harm, being mindful of what’s shared online can go a long way in preventing a crisis.
We have a responsibility to think about the current social landscape, our consumers' values, and the digital footprint we will leave.
What Do Influencers Have to Do With Crisis Management?
If you want to get over a crisis, then influencers need to be part of your crisis management strategy. They can turn your bad situation into a redemption story, and it all has to do with trust.
The reality is that consumers don’t really trust brands anymore. Instead, people are much more likely to put their faith in influencers thanks to the community and reputation they have built. Consumers’ relationship with creators is different than with a brand.
The numbers prove this trust is real.
- Earned media is much more likely to be trusted by consumers. Recommendations are trusted by over 92% of people, which is more than brand advertising.
- 63% of people say they bought something an influencer recommended.
- 41% of social media users turn to influencers for research and reviews.
Influencers have power over consumer decisions because they come across as real, honest people.
That’s why influencer marketing and UGC have become an integral plan of companies' crisis management strategies.
Now, let’s see how they can do it.
4 Ways Influencers Can Mitigate PR Crisis
Influencers can mitigate a PR crisis by strengthening your brand community, humanizing your brand, moving focus away from the crisis, and rebuilding trust. But what specific action can influencers take to help you recover from a crisis? How can they shift the narrative? Keep reading below.
1. Strengthen Brand Community
Influencers are helping even before any crisis happens. You might be paying for an ad or shout-out, but the reality is that you are strengthening your community.
When a community is loyal, a crisis does not have the same effect. With influencers, you are taking preventative measures to strengthen your company's community.
Rhode Skin, the skincare brand founded by Hailey Bieber, has not been immune to controversy—but its influencer-driven strategy has played a critical role in protecting its reputation. Since its launch, the brand faced a trademark lawsuit from an existing fashion label called RHODE, which argued that Bieber’s use of the name would confuse consumers. While the case was settled in 2022, it marked the brand’s early brush with legal trouble.
More recently, Rhode received an F rating from the Better Business Bureau due to a wave of customer complaints. Reports of mold-like odors in lip glosses, poor packaging, and unresolved refund issues raised serious product quality concerns. At the same time, Hailey Bieber has been embroiled in social media drama—particularly in connection to rumors involving Selena Gomez. In March 2025, she had to publicly deny liking a TikTok post that mocked Gomez and her fiancé Benny Blanco, a moment that added more fuel to ongoing online speculation.
Despite this, Rhode has managed to maintain strong brand equity, largely due to its savvy influencer marketing tactics. Rather than relying solely on branded messaging, the company frequently collaborates with TikTok and Instagram beauty influencers, weaving their content directly into Rhode’s owned platforms. This strategic integration gives Rhode’s social presence the feel of an authentic beauty creator hub rather than a polished brand feed. The use of influencer content and user-generated media (UGC) has helped humanize the brand and shift the narrative away from controversies while fostering a loyal community of consumers who trust the voices promoting the products.
2. Make a Human Centric Brand
Humans make mistakes; if your company is perceived as human, people will be more understanding of its failures. However, this is easy to forget, especially when consumers don’t have a face or person to relate to.
Influencers bridge this gap by humanizing your brand and putting people at the forefront of your product.
When the book app Fabel went into deep controversy when an AI feature went wrong, not only did they publicly apologize with a deeply personal video, but BookToker Kaelyn Noel spoke up in favor of the app, reminding her community that everyone makes mistakes.
3. Move Focus Away From the Crisis
Just as trends live and die, controversy does, too. Sometimes, the best way to get over a crisis is to move the attention somewhere else.
Audiences are naturally more attentive and aware of your brand after a crisis, so take advantage of this attention to build your redemption arc with the help of influencers.
Take Poppi Soda, for example: after their recent controversy regarding their vending machines sent to influencers, the brand faced some serious backlash. Influencer Alix Earle, one of their principal brand ambassadors, was showcasing the brand and sharing new sizes and updates on her profile despite the controversy.
4. Rebuild Trust In Your Brand
Brands can emerge from crises stronger than ever thanks to effective PR and influencer strategies.
Creating a narrative that resonates with audiences will make rebuilding trust possible. Influencers play a vital role in this process by sharing authentic testimonials, showcasing positive changes, and demonstrating your brand's commitment to improvement.
4 Stages of Social Media Crisis Management
Social media crises can be fatal due to their viral quality. In a few hours, things can get out of control if we don’t act fast enough.
While all crises are different, they share the same stages of crisis communication. Understanding each stage and type of crisis will help us understand where to invest our marketing efforts.
- Pre-crisis: Some crises might not be as big or worth addressing, but to determine this, you need to look for early signs. This is where you get prepared and mitigate bigger potential drama.
- Crisis: If the crisis can’t be stopped before it magnifies with early mitigation strategies, this is where you assess and actively decide how to approach it.
- Response: Once you have decided on your strategy, you respond by putting it in place and actively assessing the damages.
- Post-crisis: Lastly, you recover and return to normal operations while making the necessary changes to avoid a crisis from happening again.
Now that you know the main stages of a communication crisis, you can create a personalized crisis management plan and determine when influencer marketing fits into your strategy.
Do You Need a Crisis Management Plan?
Yes, every company that uses social media needs a crisis management plan. No matter how big or small a company is, a PR crisis can hit anyone, especially when there is no structure or quality assurance process for what’s being published.
Influencers play a crucial role in crisis recovery. Their trusted voices help brands regain credibility, shift the narrative, and rebuild consumer confidence. The right strategy can make the difference between a temporary setback and lasting damage.
So, let’s see exactly how influencers can help at each crisis communication stage:
1. Pre-Crisis: Reinforce Trust Before the Storm
This is where the real work happens—before anything goes wrong. Influencers help brands lay the foundation for resilience by regularly engaging audiences with authentic content. When brands collaborate with creators who share their values and speak to the right audience, they build a protective layer of credibility. The audience feels like they know the brand through a trusted face, not just a logo.
Example:
Rhode Skin integrated TikTok beauty creators into its everyday marketing strategy, not just during launches or product promotions. These consistent appearances built familiarity and loyalty. So when controversies around Hailey Bieber's personal life or product quality emerged, the brand had already fostered strong goodwill with its core audience.
2. Crisis: Contain the Narrative with Trusted Voices
When a social media crisis erupts—whether due to backlash, misinformation, or a viral complaint—speed and tone matter. Influencers can act as a first line of communication, offering measured takes that de-escalate outrage or provide much-needed nuance.
However, this stage requires caution: influencers should only step in if their values align and they have context. Otherwise, it can backfire.
Example:
Fabel, the book app we told you about earlier, faced backlash after launching that problematic AI feature. Rather than relying solely on an official brand apology, they had influencers like Kaelyn Noel speak out in a personal video explaining the situation, emphasizing that mistakes happen—and that the brand was taking accountability. Her loyal followers listened, and her response softened criticism across channels.
3. Response: Humanize and Amplify the Brand’s Voice
Once your brand decides on a clear response strategy—whether that’s an apology, a product recall, or a deeper explanation—influencers can translate corporate messaging into real conversations.
A video from a trusted creator explaining what the brand is doing to fix the issue can carry far more weight than a press release. Influencers also keep engagement alive during this sensitive window, helping you maintain visibility without sounding defensive.
Example:
Tarte Cosmetics faced major criticism after flying influencers to Dubai for a lavish brand trip during an economic downturn. CEO Maureen Kelly responded publicly, but what truly shifted the tone was Alix Earle speaking about the trip on a podcast. She shared her genuine experience, which helped audiences see a different perspective.
We’ll detail this case more in a second.
4. Post-Crisis: Rebuild, Reassure, and Stay Visible
Surviving a crisis is one thing. Rebuilding trust is another. In this phase, influencers help reinforce the brand’s accountability by showcasing improvements, sharing follow-ups, and staying consistently engaged with their audiences.
If the brand made product changes, internal policy updates, or team diversity improvements, influencers can spotlight those efforts authentically. Their continued support shows that the relationship isn’t transactional—it’s rooted in shared values.
Example:
Patrick Star’s One Size Beauty, after being called out for poor shade inclusivity, quickly developed and sent improved foundation shades to influencer @Golloria. She later posted a follow-up video praising the brand for listening and acting. Her honest feedback, combined with visible product improvement, reignited community trust and positioned the brand as responsive and growth-oriented.
P.S. Wondering how to find the right influencer for your brand’s crisis response? Well, you can partner with expert influencer marketing agencies that help you connect with trusted voices who can rebuild your reputation and restore consumer trust.
What Happens When We Forget About Crisis Management
Influencer marketing is not a magic solution, especially when there is no strategy behind it.
We have seen time and time again companies getting called out, and a lack of strategy and response hindering their reputation. Here are some examples below:
Youthforia
In 2024, the brand Youthforia was called out for its lack of foundation colors and, more importantly, the lack of inclusivity this represents. Soon after, they came out with the “darkest foundation,” which seemed to be just black paint.
This led them to be “canceled” for their lack of research and bad product quality, as well as offending a whole community.
After facing controversy, Youthforia didn’t share a statement right away. The long response time seemed like silence, so they were giving a bad message.
With no support from their influence partners and taking 2 weeks to reply, the damage was imminent.
Additionally, when the response did come, it was not only not an apology, but it did not take any functional recovery action in this post-crisis stage.
Before their controversy, their most viral videos were from 2022 and the beginning of 2024, with over 100k likes and millions of views.
Now, their most recent videos after the controversy barely reach a few tens of likes per TikTok.
Crisis Management in Influencer Marketing Examples
There are many examples of crises gone wrong, but there are also many cases where a well-crafted crisis management plan and timely and appropriate responses have helped companies survive.
1. One Size Beauty
We already discussed this one above, but we’ll include it here for a more detailed analysis.
One Size Beauty, a makeup brand by MUA Patrick Star, was called out in August 2024 by popular influencer @Golloria for their foundation's lack of inclusive colors.
The darkest shade of their color range was too light for this content creator, who tried all types of makeup brands in their profile.
As many of her videos do, this went viral and created a huge backlash for One Size Beauty.
Luckily, the company was quick to respond and develop reparative measures to assess the damages.
By September, the makeup brand had already released and sent @Golloria a new, more inclusive foundation.
The Influencer Crisis Management Response
A new video was uploaded by the same influencer talking about redemption and how good the new product was.
This hype did not end there since Patrick Star and the brand commented under the video, further explaining the reasoning behind their actions and taking full accountability.
Now, One Size Beauty is still going strong and collaborating with TikTok makeup influencers.
2. Tarte Makeup
At the beginning of 2023, Tarte Cosmetics invited around 30 influencers and their plus ones to a #TrippinWithTarte vacation to Dubai.
These were not just any influencers and no cheap trip; with business class expenses and costly villages, Tarte flew big names in the beauty community. We are talking about people with around 10M followers on TikTok alone.
The problems began when this content became viral, and people started questioning how appropriate these lavish expenses were amid the economic crisis.
For many, Tarte seems out of touch, non-relatable, and even greedy by only inviting top influencers and forgetting about their loyal customer.
The Influencer Crisis Management Response
The backlash was huge, and everybody who had TikTok at the time knew about it. But Tarte's PR crisis strategy was clever, quick, and loaded with the support of its influencers.
Firstly, CEO Maureen Kelly gave an exclusive interview at Glossy magazine, where she stated that:
“We’ve never done traditional advertising, and instead, we invest in building relationships and building up communities.” (Maureen Kelly)
Later, influencer Alix Earle talked about the situation on a podcast, where she detailed her experience. Alix said that she was thankful to join the trip, shining a different light on the situation.
Of course, videos are not the only way to show support. Soon after, Tarte posted a funny video about the situation, mocking themselves.
This not only resonated with their audience, but it was the perfect excuse for influencers who assisted with their trip (and others who did not) to comment and show their support.
Best Practices for Hiring Influencers for Crisis Management
We have gone over the importance of having a crisis communication plan, how influencers play a part in that and even examples of how it works.
Now how do you make sure you are hiring trusted influencers that will be a fit for your brand and that align with your values?
1. Strengthen Your Trusted Influencer Relationships
If your brand already collaborates with influencers, these established relationships are invaluable during a crisis. These individuals have a pre-existing understanding of your brand, its values, and its audience. Work with the influencer you value and strengthen that relationship to create loyalty.
2. Verify Engagement Rates and Authenticity
Don't let the follower count wow you. Dig deeper. Analyze engagement rates (likes, comments, shares) to gauge the true level of interaction. Partnering with influencers who have genuine, engaged audiences is crucial for building trust and ensuring your crisis management plan takes effect.
You can also use online calculators and easy-to-follow steps to detect fake followers and analyze engagement.
3. Treat Influencers as Valued Team Members
Influencers aren't advertising channels that your crisis team can use at one time or another; they're valuable partners just like your employees and, sometimes, even an integral part of a company's success. Treat them as such. When influencers feel valued and respected, they're more likely to advocate for your brand in hard times.
4. Clearly Communicate Your Brand Values
To help your company, influencers need to understand your brand's core values, ethical standards, and crisis response protocols.
Share your company's mission, vision, and any relevant policies. This alignment will help them communicate authentically and effectively, reinforcing your brand's commitment to its values during a crisis.
5. Craft Real and True Responses from Brands and Influencers
In the middle of the crisis, it is essential for brands and influencers to work together. Both must prioritize authenticity, transparency, and empathy in their crisis responses.
What users want is true accountability and a human response. Speaking the truth makes navigating a crisis easier.
This is how to create a true, accountable response.
- Acknowledge and apologize
- Prioritize transparency
- Recognize the potential impact of the crisis on your company
- Provide solutions
- Be timely
- Engage with followers and answer their questions
- Do not delete negative comments
Turn your PR Crises into Comebacks with inBeat Agency’s Strategic Influencer Marketing
After reading all this, where do you find the best influencers or who can optimize your influencer marketing strategies to survive digital communication crises?
At inBeat, we provide up-to-date resources on all things influencer marketing. Additionally, our agency works with and has a strong relationship with reputable, trusted, and proven influencers.
Combining the power of influencer marketing with data-driven strategies, we strategically craft crisis management campaigns to help brands navigate PR challenges effectively and rebuild their reputation.
Let us help you respond to crises with precision and authenticity. We are more than happy to align your value proposition and company's mission to an influencer that fits your vibe and your audience.
Don’t wait for future crises. Start building your crisis management plan and working with reputable influencers who truly care for your product now.
Book a free strategy call today.
FAQs
What is crisis management in marketing?
Crisis management in marketing refers to the strategies an organization takes to handle critical events that could negatively impact its brand reputation.
What are the 4 M’s of influencer marketing?
- Market: Understanding your target audience and identifying the influencers who resonate with it.
- Message: Creating content that will be communicated effectively through the influencer.
- Medium: The platforms and channels where the influencer will share the content.
- Measurement: Tracking and analyzing the results of the influencer campaign to determine its effectiveness.
What are the stages of crisis management?
In digital crisis management, we identify four stages
- Pre-crisis: Identify warning signs of crisis and mitigate potential risks.
- Crisis: Assess and actively decide how to approach the situation.
- Response: Actions to repair the damage.
- Post-crisis analysis: Necessary changes to avoid a crisis from happening again and business continuity plans.
Is a crisis management plan necessary?
Yes, having a strong crisis management plan is essential for any company with a digital presence. A crisis management plan provides a structured framework for responding to unexpected events.
Do I need a crisis management team?
Yes. Managing a crisis by yourself can be hard, especially when the whole internet is against your company. That’s why a crisis response team (that includes influencers) can be a great asset when it comes to responding to and assessing the damages of a communication crisis.
What is crisis communication in PR?
Crisis communication in PR means speaking directly to the public, specifically a company’s audience and stakeholders. To solve crises, working with influencers and experts is crucial to clean your PR image.
Who uses crisis management plans?
Almost any organization has some type of crisis management strategy. Corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, businesses, public figures, and many more need plans like these.
Who are the best influencers to work with?
The best influencer to work with is one aligned with your values who can connect with your ICP. That said, there is no “best” influencer to work with in terms of number of followers or profile. That heavily depends on your company, your product, your values, and your goals. We recommend authentic people who have a loyal community and good reach. Call us, and we’ll help you get started.
