When a crisis hits, every second counts—and “transparency” suddenly feels a lot harder than it sounds. In this episode of Expert Exchange by Meltwater, two pros who live for high-pressure moments explain how to keep your cool and protect trust:
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Lianne Acosta – Head of Global Crisis Comms, Cloudflare
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Eric Porterfield – Senior Director of Policy Comms, Roblox
Together they unpack the playbooks, soft skills, and hard lessons that separate brands who stumble from those who steer the narrative.
5 Take-a-ways worth jotting down
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Authenticity beats slogans.
Everyone claims to be “open and transparent.” The real test is how fast—and how honestly—you respond when the news is bad.
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A checklist saves minutes that feel like hours.
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Pre-define levels (P0, P1, P2).
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Know exactly who’s in the war room: legal, policy, product, sales, comms.
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Socialize the plan before you ever need it.
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Correct the record—relentlessly.
One wrong headline can live on Wikipedia forever. Push back, supply facts, and keep pushing until the story is right.
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Meet audiences where they already are.
Reddit AMA? Technical blog? TikTok? Pick the channels your users trust, then match their tone. A corporate PDF won’t cut it if your community expects a live Q&A.
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Do the post-mortem (even when you’re tired).
Debrief fast, capture data, and turn gaps into fixes. That wrap-up memo is gold the next time a P0 alert flashes.
Why listen?
You’ll hear candid stories from Reddit, Meta, the Red Cross, Roblox, and Cloudflare—plus practical tips on building credibility before, during, and after the storm.