How to Effectively Talk to Your Customers During a Crisis

A crisis, whether it be a pandemic or data breach, can have a serious impact on your company. As a marketer, it is important to plan ahead and craft the right message to your customers, even under stress. The CDC's Single Overriding Communications Objective (SOCO) framework can be used to determine the primary message, call to action, audience, data to support the message, and spokesperson. By using this framework, you will be prepared to respond with accuracy and empathy in a crisis.

The primary message should assuage customer panic and take responsibility for the incident. It is important to segment your audience and craft different messages for each. Facts or data should be used to support the message and give it credibility. Finally, the spokesperson should be someone the customer trusts, such as a customer success manager or technical leader.

By using the SOCO framework and planning ahead, you will be prepared to handle any crisis. This will give your customers the confidence to stick with your company and help you navigate through difficult times.