Often the most challenging crisis communications aren’t restricted to one company—they involve national governments, large-scale operations, and many stakeholders. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (formerly FCO) offers an instructive example of how to manage communications during a large-scale crisis involving repatriation of citizens, media scrutiny and public trust.
The situation
During the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government had to repatriate thousands of nationals from dozens of countries, coordinate with multiple embassies, manage flights, and monitor media narratives in real time. The communications imperative was enormous: how to show competence, empathy, transparency, while managing logistics, risk and media expectations.
What the FCDO did right
- They worked proactively with 18 embassies, 21 stakeholder groups and generated more than 350 million media reach during a nine-week repatriation period.
- They issued 16 proactive stories, 44 online stories, and leveraged positive human-interest angles (for example, the story of a young British national stranded on a horse‐ranch in Patagonia) to show operational success and human dimension.
- They ran a rapid rebuttal team, monitored critical media stories (70 media queries a week), and secured corrections in mainstream outlets when needed.
- They maintained visibility and accountability—not just after the fact, but during the operations. The narrative thus remained under control rather than being shaped solely by outside media.
Why this works as a model for PR professionals
Large-scale crises often mean many moving parts—but communications should still be prioritised. The FCDO demonstrated several important patterns: one, media-monitoring and rapid response matter; two, sharing human-interest stories (especially in a crisis of scale) can soften the narrative and build empathy; three, coordination across functions (embassies, operations, media) ensures consistency; four, proactive storytelling—not simply reactive statements—is a strategic advantage.
Key take-aways
- Even when logistics dominate, communications cannot be an afterthought. Build it into the operational workflow.
- Use storytelling: real people, real journeys, real success help anchor the message in human terms, not just stats.
- Monitor media and misinformation actively—especially important in high-volume, high-stake situations.
- Be transparent: in large-scale public operations, stakeholders (citizens, media) expect to know what you are doing, when, and how.
Final thought
In an era where global disruptions and crises are more frequent, organisations large and small must recognise that crisis communications is not optional—it’s integral. The FCDO’s example illustrates that even in a complex national-scale challenge, communications done well can support operational success, sustain trust and shape the narrative rather than simply respond to it.
Closing reflections for PR practitioners
When we step back across these three examples—from a single-brand product crisis (Johnson & Johnson), to a multi-stakeholder platform challenge (Airbnb), to a national-scale operational communications effort (FCDO)—common patterns emerge:
- Speed + transparency: Acting quickly, honestly, and clearly remains foundational.
- Alignment of values and action: Words alone aren’t enough. The public watches what you do.
- Stakeholder mapping: Understanding all audiences (customers, employees, partners, media, regulators) and tailoring communications accordingly is vital.
- Proactive storytelling: Rather than waiting for the narrative to form externally, organisations that lead the story tend to shape outcomes.
- Integration of communications with operations: Communication cannot be an add-on; it must be part of the response workflow.
For PR trade professionals, these lessons are evergreen—but the context keeps changing. New media-channels, social platforms, misinformation risks, globalised crises—all elevate the importance of well-constructed crisis communications. The brands and institutions that prioritise these fundamentals will not only manage the crisis—they may emerge stronger.
