Health & Safety Smear Campaign Response
Crisis Messaging Strategy That Rebuilt Credibility and Protected Leadership
Context
After a serious health and safety incident triggered an online firestorm of misinformation, I partnered with executive leadership to develop and execute a voice-forward crisis response strategy. The incident—amplified by digital word-of-mouth and weaponized social channels—escalated quickly into a reputational threat across multiple audiences.
Challenge
Anonymous individuals and online groups launched a coordinated smear campaign via social media, third-party review platforms, and a targeted paid ad initiative designed to misrepresent the facts. False claims questioning the organization’s safety protocols and leadership competence spread rapidly, triggering concern among stakeholders and internal unrest. The situation demanded swift, credible, and emotionally intelligent communications to contain the damage and preserve trust.
This crisis involved genuine health-related risk, making fact-based clarity, legal precision, and empathetic tone non-negotiable.
Strategic Role & Approach
Collaborating with senior leadership and legal counsel, I built a messaging framework that balanced legal precision with human-centered clarity. I guided tone and content across platforms, ensuring our response acknowledged public concern while correcting the record without escalating hostilities.
Key responsibilities included:
- Rapid synthesis of complex health and safety data
- Strategic ghostwriting of internal updates, leadership messages, and public statements
- Legal vetting and alignment with risk management priorities
- Cross-platform publishing strategy (email, social, web, and press)
- Execution of voice-forward messaging under pressure
Execution
I led the creation of a full communications suite tailored to three distinct audiences:
- Public messaging to neutralize misinformation
- Stakeholder communication to reaffirm credibility and transparency
- Internal updates to anchor team morale and reinforce leadership alignment
The messaging cadence was carefully timed to avoid escalation while positioning leadership as informed, proactive, and responsible.
Outcomes
- The smear campaign lost momentum within days
- Misinformation was publicly corrected and replaced by balanced commentary
- The organization’s response was professionally recognized for its tone, structure, and clarity
- Stakeholder confidence was restored through clear, consistent updates
- Internal trust rebounded as the team felt aligned with transparent leadership
- The organization implemented new protocols to elevate future readiness and public-facing accountability
Case Studies