Reputation Crisis

When your reputation is at stake, we are ready for action within 60 minutes.

Reputation Affairs is your partner for acute crisis communication in Swiss reputation crises. We are ready for action within 60 minutes, assessing the situation, developing a strategy, and taking over direct media relations if required. Discreet, fast, and clear-headed, even when the situation is complex.

Critical media coverage, a viral social media post, a statement taken out of context: reputation crises arise quickly and escalate even faster. In these moments, you do not need an agency that first requires a briefing. You need experienced consultants who act immediately, think clearly, and understand how the media, the public, and stakeholders operate.

Reputation Affairs specializes in the strategic management of reputation crises for Swiss companies, institutions, and executives, based in Zurich with an international network. We are by your side when the situation is unclear and every decision counts.

The Swiss context further intensifies the situation. Since September 1, 2023, the revised Data Protection Act (nFADP) provides for personal fines of up to CHF 250,000 against CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs. The UCA greenwashing ban has been in force since January 1, 2025. And the criminal complaint filed by a Swiss Federal Councillor against the platform X and its AI chatbot Grok in April 2026 shows how quickly algorithmically spread false statements can develop into real reputation crises.

Our Services in an Acute Reputation Crisis

Six coordinated modules form our crisis intervention: immediate analysis, crisis strategy, interim press office, media relations, stakeholder communication, and digital crisis management. They interlock but can also be activated individually, depending on the phase and severity of the crisis.

Immediate Analysis and Situation Assessment

An immediate analysis categorizes the crisis within the first hour based on its potential for damage and its dynamics. We assess the situation rapidly: What is the status of the reporting? Which actors are involved? How great is the risk of escalation? This initial assessment forms the basis for all further measures and prevents premature reactions that could worsen the situation.

Crisis Strategy and Key Messages

A crisis strategy defines prioritized measures, key messages, and a realistic timeline, taking legal, internal, and public framework conditions into account. We develop this strategy together with your executive level, legal department, and communications team. The strategy provides orientation for your organization and ensures that all parties involved are aligned.

Interim Spokesperson

An interim press office takes over direct media relations during an acute crisis if your communications department is overloaded or the situation is too sensitive. Our experienced consultants act as contact persons for the media, coordinate inquiries, formulate statements, and accompany interviews, always in close coordination with your executive level.

Media Relations and Background Briefings

Background briefings, when conducted correctly, can de-escalate a reputation crisis and significantly change the public image. We utilize our established network of Swiss and international journalists to shape narratives and actively influence reporting.

Stakeholder Communication in a Crisis

Stakeholder communication in a crisis coordinates messages to employees, investors, customers, suppliers, and authorities, each with a target-group-specific approach. Every stakeholder group has its own information needs and deserves a tailored message. We develop the formats and ensure that no one is surprised by uncoordinated information.

Digital Crisis Management and Shitstorm Control

A shitstorm on LinkedIn or X can take on a life of its own within a few hours. We monitor reporting in real-time and react specifically to developments in social media. We assess when a reaction is sensible, what should be said, and when strategic silence is the wiser choice.

How we proceed in a reputation crisis:
five steps

Our approach follows five steps: initial consultation within 60 minutes, situation analysis, strategy development, operational implementation, and post-crisis review. This sequence ensures that the reaction fits the situation and is not a mere reflex.

Initial Consultation Within 60 minutes

Within 60 minutes of your call, we conduct the first situation briefing. We analyze the situation together with you, listen, and provide an initial assessment. In this meeting, we define the immediate need for action and determine which measures must be initiated immediately.

Situation Analysis

A situation analysis maps out reporting, involved actors, and escalation potential before measures are recommended. Who is driving the crisis? Which media outlets are involved? What are the actual allegations, and which of them are substantial? We only recommend steps once we fully understand the situation.

Strategy Development

Strategy development defines key messages, communication channels, responsibilities, and a clear timeline. In doing so, we distinguish between what must be communicated immediately, what should be monitored, and what is deliberately left open.

Operational Implementation

In the operational implementation phase, we accompany the crisis reactively and proactively through every stage. We coordinate media contacts, formulate statements, accompany interviews, and keep you continuously informed about the status of the reporting.

Post-Crisis Review

A post-crisis review analyzes what happened after the acute phase, how the communication worked, and what lessons can be applied for the future. The result is a concrete action plan to strengthen crisis resilience, often transitioning into structured crisis preparation.

Our Team for Acute Crisis Communication in Switzerland

Reputation Affairs brings together experienced communication consultants with years of practice in crisis communication, with backgrounds in journalism, corporate communications, litigation PR, and public affairs. We know the Swiss media landscape, the relevant stakeholder groups, and how crises escalate in practice. Reputation Affairs is part of Brand Affairs AG, a leading Swiss communications consultancy based in Zurich (founded in 2006).

Reto Zangerl

Reto Zangerl

Managing Partner
Reto Zangerl

Medard Meier

Senior Counselor
Reto Zangerl

Felix Müller

Senior Counselor
Reto Zangerl

Cédric Jacot-Guillarmod

Account Director French-speaking Switzerland

Acute reputation crisis? Contact us now

When every minute counts, we are ready for action within 60 minutes. We analyze your situation in an initial confidential consultation, discreetly and without preconditions.

Contact Managing Partner Reto Zangerl at
+41 44 254 80 00 or contact@reputationaffairs.com

Frequently Asked Questions About Reputation Crises

A reputation crisis is an exceptional communication situation in which the trust of the media, stakeholders, and the public in an organization or person is acutely threatened. Triggers can be critical media reports, viral social media content, regulatory proceedings, cyberattacks, internal misconduct, or statements taken out of context. Unlike a single incident, a reputation crisis has its own escalation dynamic that acts uncontrollably over days or weeks and leaves long-term consequences for the brand, business, and individuals.

The course of a reputation crisis is decided in the first few hours. Those who take a consistent position within the first 24 hours maintain control over the narrative. Those who remain silent for longer leave the power of interpretation to the media, platforms, and competitors. Reputation Affairs is ready for action within 60 minutes so that you do not miss this deadline. Important: reacting quickly does not mean reacting reflexively. The first hour is for situation assessment, not for a public statement.

In the event of a shitstorm: first analyze the situation, then decide whether a reaction is sensible. We recommend three steps. First: activate real-time monitoring on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, TikTok, and in relevant forums. Second: categorize the driving voices, the reach, and the escalation potential. Third: decide whether a statement will calm the waters or fuel them further. In some cases, strategic silence is more effective than a response because a response provides new material for the shitstorm.

Swiss hourly rates for strategic crisis consultancy are generally between CHF 225 and over CHF 450. For acute mandates, a standby model with daily or weekly flat rates is often added because 24/7 availability is guaranteed. Total costs depend on the duration, severity, and reach of the crisis. We calculate transparently and define mandates so that effort and impact remain in a sustainable proportion.

Silence is the right strategy when any reaction would provide new material for a crisis or impair legal proceedings. Typical cases: anonymous or thematically isolated allegations without media reach, ongoing criminal investigations or supervisory proceedings in which every public word weakens the defense, as well as provocations whose primary goal is a reaction. In any case, a conscious decision is required, communicated internally, along with monitoring that allows for a switch to active communication at any time.

Offices & Locations

Zurich

Reputation Affairs

Mühlebachstr. 8
CH – 8008 Zurich

T: +41 44 254 80 00
E: contact@reputationaffairs.com

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Bern

Reputation Affairs

c/o Krauthammer & Partner
Hotelgasse 10, CH-3011 Bern

T: +41 44 254 80 00
E: contact@reputationaffairs.com

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Lausanne

Reputation Affairs

Route de la Corniche 4
CH – 1066 Epalinges

T: +41 21 652 50 50
E: contact@reputationaffairs.com

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Lugano

Reputation Affairs

Via Ciseri 3
CH – 6900 Lugano

T: +41 44 254 80 00
E: contact@reputationaffairs.com

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