When the brand is in the news, the store still opens the next morning.
In an image crisis, the press office talks to the media and head office writes the statement. The store opens the next morning, with the same advisor facing the same client, and that is where the brand first speaks to the people who buy from it. Persona builds the plan in three stages: before, on the day and after.
talk to Persona
Only one executive in six thinks their team is very well prepared for a crisis
Weber Shandwick, C-Suite Report, 2025.
After a crisis, half of companies do not get their previous reputation back, and those that do take around two years, according to a University of Kansas study published in 2018.
Before the news breaks, Persona writes the script, builds the list and rehearses the team
- 1 The map Who needs to know, and in what order: the store team, the best clients, the shopping centre, suppliers, ambassadors and head office.
- 2 The script What the advisor says and does not say, approved by head office and the brand's lawyers.
- 3 The list The clients who get a call before they read the news, and the advisor who calls each one.
- 4 The policy With the brand's broker, Persona sets out what the insurance covers (D&O, cyber, crisis communication costs) and who notifies the insurer, so the store acts within the policy.
- 5 The rehearsal Persona simulates the crisis with the store team, so the script has been used before the day it is needed.
On the day, the team follows the script and Persona coordinates who speaks to whom
- 1 The first statement Folhetim, an agency in the same group as Persona, or the brand's press office issues the holding statement: what is known, what is not yet confirmed and when the next update will come.
- 2 The calls Advisors call the clients on the call list, in the order set by the map.
- 3 The window Pieces that have to come out of the window and off the rail come out the same day, and the decision is recorded.
- 4 The counter What clients ask in the store reaches head office by the end of the day.
- 5 The legal deadlines In Brazil, a personal data breach must be reported to the ANPD and to clients within 3 business days; a product risk opens a recall with notice to Senacon within 24 hours. The brand's lawyers lead, and Persona prepares the store for the notice.
After the crisis, the brand shows the fix and Persona measures the client's return
- 1 The fix The brand says what it corrected, with numbers. Loro Piana, for instance, reported around 2,400 audits and more than 100 suppliers dropped, and the judicial administration ended early (Money.it, 2026).
- 2 The store again Persona rewrites the script with what clients asked and trains the team again.
- 3 The client's return From the client book, Persona measures who came back to buy after the crisis.
How five maisons responded to their own crises
- Dolce & Gabbana, 2018
- After the video of a Chinese model eating with chopsticks, Tmall, JD.com and other platforms took the brand down. Two days later, both founders apologised on video, with Chinese subtitles (Fortune).
- Prada, 2018
- It first defended the keyrings accused of racism as “fantasy charms”. Three days later it apologised, withdrew the products, donated what it had sold and set up a diversity council (The Jakarta Post).
- Gucci, 2019
- The jumper accused of blackface came out of stores and off the website the next day, with a public apology (Today). In March the brand set up the Changemakers council.
- Balenciaga, 2022
- It issued two statements before taking responsibility and sued the campaign's production company, then dropped the case. It fell from 1st to 11th in the Lyst index at the end of 2022 and spent 2023 between 18th and 12th (The Fashion Law).
- Dior, 2024
- It condemned the practices of two suppliers and reorganised supplier selection. The Milan court ended the judicial administration early, in March 2025 (FashionUnited).
The client asks their own advisor
The statement goes to the press, and the client's question goes to the advisor who serves them. In the Altagamma survey reported by Jing Daily in 2024, 70% of luxury consumers said they would change brands to follow their favourite advisor: in a crisis, the bond with the advisor holds on to the client the news is pushing away.
What people usually ask.
Who handles the press?
Folhetim or the press office the brand already has.
What about insurance and legal?
They stay with the broker and the law firm the brand already has. Persona coordinates the timetable with them, so the store acts within what the policy and the law require.