Crisis Communication Management: Applying Theory To Real Cases -

A fire destroyed Malden Mills’ factory (maker of Polartec fabric) three weeks before Christmas, putting 3,000 employees out of work. Owner Aaron Feuerstein had no legal obligation to pay salaries or rebuild in Lawrence, MA.

For today’s crisis communicator: A press release won’t save you. But a consistent, responsible, and stakeholder-focused strategy—rooted in proven frameworks—just might. This piece was written as an educational synthesis for crisis communication practitioners and students. All case facts are drawn from public records and scholarly analysis. A fire destroyed Malden Mills’ factory (maker of

An explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and spilled 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP was clearly responsible (preventable crisis). A fire destroyed Malden Mills’ factory (maker of