BENNETTON

GROUP OF
COMPANIES

OCTOBER 27, 2019 

Crisis Communication Plan 

CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN 
CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN

CRISIS TEAM 
MELISSA CASTILLO  ADRIENNE FOX 
ASHLEY DUSA  LEIA ATAS
TAYLOR NEILL
© Melissa Castillo 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0

2.0
INTRODUCTION

Defining a Crisis, Defining Crisis Management, Our Mission

& Our Purpose of Crisis Communication Plan

VULNERABILITIES 
Likely and Unlikely Crisis Chart

VICTORIA'S SECRET CRISIS

3.0 COMMUNICATION TEAM 

4.0 KEY PUBLICS & STAKEHOLDERS

5.0 PREVENTION

Sources to Monitor & Reputation Management

6.0 PREPARATION
7.0 MEDIA AUDIT 
8.0 SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY 
9.0 THIRD PARTY SUPPORTERS
10.0 IMMEDIATE RESPONSE CHECKLIST 
11.0 COMMUNICATION CHANNELS WORKLIST 
12.0 KEY MESSAGES WORKSHEET 
13.0 PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE 
BACKGROUNDER 
14.0 History, VS Fashion Show, VS Today 
15.0 MEDIA LOG 
CRISIS COMMUNICATION TEAM CONTACT
16.0 SHEET 

TESTING & EVALUATING CRISIS

17.0 COMMUNICATION PLAN 
Appendix GENERAL KEY MESSAGES

© Melissa Castillo 2018

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Victoria’s Secret   
Crisis Communication Plan  
1.0 | ​Introduction 
1.1 | Defining a Crisis 
A crisis is when a situation, internal or external, creates stress within the 
organization. During a time of crisis, an organization must make difficult and 
important decisions in a timely and appropriate manner (Coombs, 2015).  
 
1.2 | Defining Crisis Communication  
Crisis Communication is designed to protect and defend an individual or 
companies reputation. Crisis communication communicates to its publics 
how it plans on preventing crisis and ways that it will manage crisis if they 
were to emerge. Crisis Communication is a way to save a company's 
reputation effectively in any situation (Coombs, 2015). 
 
1.3 | Our Mission  
Limited Brands is committed to building a family of the world’s best fashion 
brands offering captivating customer experiences that drive long-term 
loyalty and deliver sustained growth for our shareholders. The mission of the 
Crisis Communication Team is to monitor and maintain the organization’s 
positive reputation by planning for and responding to crises in an efficient 
and effective manner. In the event of a crisis it is our responsibility to 
communicate to the stakeholders and publics while keeping the needs and 
benefits of the organization in mind.  
 
1.4 | Purpose of our Crisis Communication Plan  
The purpose of the our Crisis Communication Plan is to be ready to 
effectively handle and manage any crisis that Victoria's Secret may be faced 
with. We want to eliminate any potential threats that can harm the 
reputation of the company.  
 
2.0 | ​Vulnerabilities  
Victoria's Secret has several vulnerabilities that put the organization at risk 
for suffering from a potential crisis. It is important for the organization to 
identify potential crisis that they see in the future. Vulnerabilities are not 
always within the control of the company but having a plan in place and 
identifying potential threats can help eliminate and effectively control the 
situation before it gets out of hand. (Coombs, 2015) Vulnerabilities include: 
 
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❖ Natural Disaster: ​These are things that are out of the organizations control, 
may never happen but have a plan in place. 
➢ Tornado 
➢ Flood 
➢ Snowstorm 
➢ Earthquake 
 
❖ Workplace Violence: ​This is when an employee or former employee commits 
violence against other employees on the organization’s grounds. 
➢ Internal fighting 
➢ Models sexually harassed 
➢ Photographers abusing power  
■ Taking naked pictures when photographers were not told to 
 
❖ Rumors: ​When false or misleading information is circulated internally or 
externally about an organization or its products in order to harm the 
organization. 
➢ Clothing made with ‘cheap’ material 
➢ Poor corporate workplace environment  
➢ Poor factory workplace environment  
➢ Model lying about company policies 
➢ Relocating of building 
 
❖ Unexpected loss of key leadership: ​This is when an organization suddenly 
loses a key leader, such as a CEO, to illness or death. 
➢ Model death (on job, runway) 
➢ CEO death 
➢ Photography Death 
➢ Plane Crashes with several models on it 
 
❖ Malevolence: ​This is when someone on the outside employs extreme tactics 
to attack the organization, such as product tampering, kidnapping terrorism, 
or computer hacking. 
➢ Shooter at Ohio headquarters 
➢ Shooter at Victoria’s Secret Fashion show 
 
❖ Challenges​: When the organization is confronted by discontented 
stakeholders with claims that it is operating in an inappropriate manner. 
➢ Where the clothing is made  
 
❖ Technical-error accidents​: When the technology utilized or supplied by the 
organization fails and causes an industrial accident. 
➢ Ceiling tile falls on worker 
➢ Stage collapses during show 
 
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❖ Technical-error product harm​: When the technology utilized or supplied by 

the organization fails and results in a defect or potentially harmful product. 
➢ Point of Sale (POS) failure  
➢ Breach of credit card security and customers information is hacked 
 
❖ Human-error accidents​: When human error causes an accident. 
➢ Model injury while on a photoshoot 
➢ Model injury at show 
 
❖ Human-error product harm​: When human error results in a defect or 
potentially harmful product 
➢ Makes makeup that has horrible side effects, causes harm to skin 
➢ Rash from clothing 
 
❖ Organizational misdeeds​: When management takes action it knows may 
place stakeholders at risk or knowingly violates the law. 
➢ Body shaming  
➢ Animal testing  
➢ Unfair wages  
 
2.1 | Likely and Unlikely Crisis Chart  
 
After evaluating our potential crises, we have designed a chart to identify if 
the impact of the event would be likely or unlikely. Once we have determined 
the likelihood of the crisis we identified what kind of impact it would have on 
the company. Low-impact crisis would be events that might affect the 
company but the impact would be short term. High-impact crisis are events 
that would affect the company with long term impact or could even destroy 
the reputation of the company depending on the crisis. 
 
Crisis Type  Likely  Unlikely 
Natural  ❖ Tornado  ❖ Earthquakes (low- 
Disasters  (high-impact)  impact)  
❖ Flooding 
(high-impact)  

Workplace  ❖ Models sexually   

Violence  harassed 
(high-impact) 
❖ Photographers 
(high-impact)  

Rumors  ❖ Cheap material  ❖ Poor corporate 

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accusations  workplace 
(low-impact)  environment 
❖ Poor factory  (low-impact) 
workplace  ❖ Models negative 
environment  sentiment towards 
(low-impact)  company 
  (low-impact)  

Unexpected loss    ❖ Model death 

of key  (high-impact) 
❖ CEO death 
leadership 
(high-impact)  
❖ Photographer 
death (low-impact) 
❖ Plane crash with 
models on it 
(high-impact) 

Malevolence  ❖ Shooter at  ❖ Shooter at 

Victoria’s Secret  Headquarters 
Fashion Show  (high-impact) 
(high-impact) 

Challenges  ❖ Where the clothing   

is made 
(low-impact) 

Technical-error    ❖ Freak accidents 

accidents  (high-impact) 
❖ Stage collapses at 
fashion show 
(high-impact) 

Technical-error  ❖ POS failure   

product harm  (low-impact) 
❖ Customer personal 
information breach 
(high-impact) 

Human-error  ❖ Model injury at  ❖ Guest performer 

accident  show (high-impact)  injured 
❖ Model injury at  (low-impact) 
photoshoot 
(high-impact) 
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Human-error  ❖ Product recalls   

product harm  (high-impact) 

Organizational  ❖ Body shaming   

Misdeeds  (high-impact)  
❖ Animal testing 
(high-impact) 
❖ Unfair wages 
(high-impact) 
 
3.0 ​| ​Victoria’s Secret Crisis Communication Team  
 
3.1 | ​Crisis Communication Manager​ -​ Rebecca Hayes 
Rebecca Hayes is the acting Crisis Communication Major. She is in charge of 
ensuring that the plan below is evaluated and up to standards of the 
company. She will ensure that all team members stay on track to manage this 
crisis in an effective and cohesive manner. She is also the final person to 
review and approve all messages before they are communicated to the public 
eye.  
 
3.2 | ​Public and Media Relations Director - Melissa Castillo 
Melissa Castillo is the acting Public and Media Relations Director. She is in 
charge of ensuring all messages are portrayed properly for the company’s 
Publics and Stakeholders. Aside from ensuring the spokesperson, Ashley 
Dusa, is informed. She will serve as the person in charge of all media outlets 
and how the messages are portrayed in Social media and Traditional Media. 
Melissa will be prepared for this role by making sure that Victoria’s Secret 
has a strong social media presence so that when a crisis happens posts will 
reach a wide audience. 
 
3.3 | ​Spokesperson- Ashley Dusa  
Ashley Dusa is our acting Spokesperson. She is in charge of assuring the 
media is informed throughout the crisis, and before a crisis happens. Ashley 
will be informed of all parts of not only the crisis, but the brand to ensure a 
cohesive message throughout the company. Ashley will prepare for her 
important role as Spokesperson by the Crisis Communication Team holding 
monthly mock press conferences to give Ashley exposure to real life 
situations.  
 
3.4 | ​Legal Representative- Leia Atas  
Leia Atas is our acting Legal Representative. She is in charge of ensuring the 
plan set in place stays within the legal limits. She will address any problems 
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we may face in governmental and business standards. Her role is important 

in ensuring that we manage the crisis effectively and in legal rights. Leia will 
prepare for her role by being current and up to date on any and all legal 
policy changes. When a crisis emerges Leia will be ready and knowledgeable 
on a legal aspects of the situation. 
 
3.5 | ​Human Resources and Employee Liaison - Taylor Neill  
Taylor Neill is our acting Human Resources and Employee Liaison, she is in 
charge of ensuring that the employee’s of Victoria's Secret are informed of 
the crisis and are aware of the key messages of the Crisis Management plan 
put in place below. She also is to keep every employee aware of policies and 
resources within the company. Taylor will prepare for her role by being 
current on all the issues that are happening within the workplace to create a 
safe environment to work in. She will keep everyone up to date on 
information about any information on the crisis. 
 
3.6 | ​Chief Executive Officer- Adrienne Fox  
Adrienne Fox is the acting CEO of Victoria's Secret. As CEO, Adrienne will be 
a key part of the plan in ensuring that all crisis plans are displayed properly 
in the public eye, but also internally for the company. As the head of 
Victoria's Secret, Adrienne will be an important influence in the Media, and 
will inform all investors and third party supporters of the plan set in action. 
Adrienne will prepare for her role by making sure to keep good relations with 
all of the investors and third party supporters so that in a time of a crisis we 
will have a good reputation and relationship with them. She will also hold 
meetings every week to keep in touch with all aspects of the company. 
 
4.0 | ​Key Publics and Stakeholders  
 
4.1 | Stakeholders  
 
Victoria’s Secret stakeholders have a financial stake within the 
company. They have interest in the company’s actions and any harm to 
the company can potentially affect them as an individual. (Coombs, 
2015) 
 
Employee’s / Designers / Manufacturers/ Distributors   
What to do:​ ​Keep them informed.​ This is going to be extremely important. All 
employees of Victoria's Secret are informed on what is happening within the 
company. Keeping them informed will not only help reassure them within 
the company, but will also help if anyone tries to test their knowledge on the 
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situation at hand. This includes retail employees and corporate employees 

both along side the designers and manufacturers.  
 
How to do it:​ ​Written Communication​. Written communication will help 
spread the message that the corporation is aware of their employees, cares 
about them, and has resources to aid them through if they should need it, in 
a clear matter. Written communication serves the most efficient and reliable 
way to ensure all employees, designers, manufacturers and distributors are 
informed. Written communication includes emails, physical memos to be 
displayed throughout the workplace, and letters distributed via mail.  
 
 
Third Party Supporters (Includes: Influencers/ Fitness Enthusiasts)  
What to do:​ ​Keep them informed, use them as advocates if possible. O
​ ur third 
party supporters are extremely important in any crisis. They are the voice for 
us on all social media. For example, our employees being informed will help 
them feel more included and like they still have a partnership with our 
company. It is important they do not see our company in a negative light. 
The situation could have a bad reputation so keeping them comfortable and 
separating their image with the company from the crisis will be important. 
Getting them to understand that we are doing everything we can to handle 
the crisis will also keep them from spreading things on social media.   
 
How to do it:​ ​Written Communication/ PR Packages ​Written communication 
is an effective way to include third party supporters promptly about the 
crisis and to emphasize they are different from the crisis and their image 
with the company is still important to them. This could include emails. 
Another strategic form would be sending them a PR package that includes 
products of the company, but also a message emphasizing information about 
the crisis with a slogan for the situation at hand and stating that they care 
about them and still value each and everyone of them. (Hashtags, Messages 
displayed on social media etc.)  
 
Victoria’s Secret Angels   
What to do: ​Keep them informed​. The Angels are the face of our brand and it’s 
important that they are informed about what is occurring within the 
company. This will help ensure that they are familiar with what is happening 
and understand how important they are to the company. As the face of our 
brand they could suffer from negative media if anything should go wrong in 
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the public eye, during the sensitive time of a crisis keeping them informed 
will enable them to understand how to act outside of their everyday jobs.  
 
How to do it:​ ​Written Communication and Face-to-Face Communication. 
Written communication will assure they know about the crisis at hand as 
soon as its announced, since they are our internal audience, sending emails 
informing them about the situation will be the most effective. Face-to-face 
communication is with the management team of the Angels, contacting the 
manager of every model with a phone call to inform them about the crisis 
will formulate the decision the manager should make about the situation.  
 
4.2 | Publics  
Victoria’s Secret publics are those who have any interest in the 
company at all. They are invested in the company’s reputation and can 
have their current interests or future interests at heart. (Grunig, 1978)  
 
Teens/Gen Z /Millennials  
 
What to do: ​Inform them.​ The most important way to address the younger 
target audience would be to inform them in the first place. The sooner they 
are informed, the better. This will show that we are aware of the situation 
and are ready to take action of the consequences and fix the crisis at hand. 
Do not do a delayed response to the crisis, like said before the faster the 
situation is addressed to them, the more forgiving they will be.  
 
How to do it: ​Social Media Messages. ​This group of publics is extremely 
engaged with social media. They find out all their news first on social media 
platforms so all messages should be addressed on all Victoria’s Secret social 
media accounts. Using helpful platforms like Hootsuite will assure all the 
messages are posted at the same time. Keep an eye on social media by 
environmental scanning to address any publics that feel negatively impacted 
by the crisis, and address them personally.  
 
Victoria Secret Credit Card Holder’s / PINK Nation Members 
 
What to do: ​Inform them. ​The Victoria’s Secret credit card holders and PINK 
Nation members are our loyal audience of publics. If they feel that our 
company is in any way impacting them then their loyalty will go away. Be one 
of the first messages to address them. This will help them understand that 
the company is just as loyal to them as they are to us.  
 
How to do it: ​Social Media Platforms and Written Communication. ​Since most 
PINK Nation members have the PINK nation app, sending a push notification 
through the app will be an effective way to deliver the message. They will 
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also be likely to look at social media platforms, but the app notification will 
be able to prompt them first. For the Victoria’s Secret card holders they are 
likely to find out this information through the app as well at first so sending 
them notifications, emails, and a formal letter in the mail will get them to 
understand how important they are to us.  
 
Mothers/ Those with Significant others  
 
What to do:​ ​ Inform them and monitor them. ​Mothers not only are buying 
Victoria’s Secret for themselves, but also for people they love, their children. 
Significant others are the same way, they trust the brand to present 
happiness to the people they care about, so keeping them informed will get 
them to understand that we still care about our consumers. By monitoring 
them it assure that we can address any negative implications of the company 
personally.  
 
How to do it:​ ​Media Outlet Messages. ​The majority of these publics will be 
able to find out the crisis from media outlets. Formulating the media to 
address the message the way we want to will address this group of publics 
indirectly, but they will still be informed. By relaying a message to media as 
expeditiously as possible it shows that we are working hard to fix the 
problem and within the message it will be communicated to them.  
 
 
5.0 | ​Prevention  
5.1 | Sources to Monitor  
 
Signal detection is crucial in order to find warning signs of stress and 
possible crises and incidents​.  
 
❖ Hiring: 
➢ Monitor potential hirees social media accounts to detect possible 
conflict.   
➢ Screening possible employees before they enter the organization 
(background checks).  
 
❖ Partnerships and Investors: 
➢ Ensure that partners and investors intentions and actions align with 
Victoria’s Secret’s mission statement and values. 
 
❖ Environmental Scanning: 
➢ According to Society for Human Resource Management, 
environmental scanning is a process that scans for threats that can 
affect an organization from external sources.  
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❖ Social Media: 
➢ Analyze the current sentiments on different platforms such as Twitter, 
Instagram, Facebook, Reddit. Look through comments and tagged 
photos to see how publics perceive Victoria's Secret.   
 
❖ News Outlets: 
➢ Subscribe to a service that has a feed of traditional news.  
 
❖ Online Reviews and Consumer Market: 
➢ Review Yelp and Google Reviews, and website reviews to see 
consumer sentiment. Respond to reviews if negative attributes occur.  
 
❖ Sales/Growth/Decline: 
➢ Observe markets and speak with the marketing team to see if any 
trends increase or decrease sales based on consumer attitude.  
 
❖ Blogs/ Online Content/YouTube: 
➢ Watch influencers and monitor what they record and post.  
 
❖ Possible Keywords for Content Analysis: 
The purpose of a content analysis is to review keywords found in various 
types of media to better understand trends and how publics, stakeholders, 
and shareholders perceive the organization. This can help detect if 
inflammation occurs with particular attitudes towards Victoria’s Secret. The 
keywords are not limited to the set presented, however, they can present red 
flags that may need review in pre-crisis scanning. Examples of words that 
could contain positive sentiment could be happy, beautiful, fit well, powerful, 
pretty, content, accurate fit, luxury. Examples words that contain a negative 
sentiment could be sad, cheap, poor quality, scandal, boring, and angry. 
Neutral words could be skinny, Victoria’s Secret, Pink, animal testing, sizes, 
small, large, scent, quality, color, and travel.  

 
5.2 | Reputation Management  
A reputation is how publics perceive a company. Reputation can be positive 
and negative (Coombs, 2015). Managing a company's reputation is not an easy 
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task. It requires constant monitoring of the conversation around the 

company and addressing any problems that may arise.  
 
6.0 | ​Preparation 
❖ ​ Diagnose Vulnerabilities 
➢ Vulnerabilities are assessed using a combination of of likelihood of 
occurrence and the damage that can occur. The Victoria’s Secret 
Crisis Communication Team can meet to brainstorm any 
vulnerabilities.  
❖ Assess Crisis Types  
➢ Depending on the different crisis or incident, the crisis management 
team will determine what steps are needed to remedy the issue, 
incident, or crisis.   
❖ Select and Training a Crisis Team  
➢ The Victoria’s Secret Crisis Communication Team should comprise of 
different experts who can assess the crisis and evaluate the 
reputational damage and attempt to fix it.  
❖ Select and Training a Spokesperson 
➢ The spokesperson is the voice of the organization during a crisis. The 
spokesperson is an essential factor in the success of the Crisis 
Communication Team and during a crisis. The spokesperson should be 
prepared with key messages to keep responses direct and to the point. 
The spokesperson must maintain control at all times and carefully 
choose words when interacting with the media. 
❖ Develop a Crisis Management Plan 
➢ Current one will be reviewed and updated every year as see fit. 
➢ Develop a CMP every six months with a mock scenario.  
❖ Review the Communication System  
➢ Ensure that the communication logs are up-to-date with proper 
contact information.  
 
7.0 | ​Media Audit  
 
Victoria’s Secret is a worldwide company that is advertised in magazines, on 
television, and several social media outlets. Victoria’s Secret has been around 
a long time and has used several forms of media. Victoria’s Secret is always in 
the media for advertising reasons which means Victoria’s Secret is 
everywhere, not just for because their is a crisis or an incident. Since 
Victoria's Secret has a large media presence both with traditional media and 
new media, it is important to maintain contact with all audiences. 
 
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Traditional media is considered television, radio, newspaper, and magazines. 

Since Victoria's Secret is a national company, the traditional media can be 
local or national coverage. It is important to know what traditional media 
outlets will be covering a crisis if it were to happen and what media outlets 
will be covering it. 
 
New media is an emerging way of connecting with publics through social 
media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. New media 
allows for audiences to receive information in real time and interact with 
publics in a quick way that reaches a wide audience. Monitoring 
conversations on social media around Victoria's Secret is a top priority to 
analyze the conversation around the brand. New media is a fast and effective 
way to communicate to its publics. 
 
We have gathered a list of top media outlets likely to cover Victoria’s Secret 
for both positive media and crisis. 
 
 
         
Media  Person to  Type of Media   Social Media  E-mail 
Company   Contact   accounts  

Elle Magazine  Estelle Tang-  Entertainment  Instagram and  etang@hearst.co

Culture Editor   and Fashion   Twitter:  m 
@waouwwaouw 

Vogue  Michelle Ruiz   Entertainment  Twitter:  ruizmichelleann

Magazine   and Fashion   @michelleruiz  @gmail.com  

Cosmopolitan  Laura Beck   Entertainment  Instagram and  misterpenguino

Magazine    and Fashion   Twitter:  @gmail.com  
@​mrpenguino   
 

BuzzFeed   Mary Ann  Social News  Twitter:  maryann.g@buz

Georgantopoul and  @marygeorgant  zfeed.com 
os  Entertainment  

People  John Huey   Entertainment  Twitter/Instagra hueyjohn@peopl

Magazine   and Fashion  m: @people  e.com 
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Refinery 29   Christene  Entertainment  Twitter:  christene@chris

Barberich  and Fashion   @CRBarberich  tenebarberich.c
Instagram:  om 
@christenebarber
ich  

Glamour  Kimberly  Entertainment  Twitter:  Kimberly_Bernh

Magazine   Bernhardt  and Fashion   @glamourmag  ardt@condenast.
com 

Allure  Jaime  Beauty and  Instagram/Twitte Jaime_Marsanic

Magazine  Marsanico  Fashion  r: @allure  o@condenast.co
m 

        WSJplus@wsj.co
Wall Street  Christine  News  Twitter:  m 
Journal   Whitney  @WSJ 

INSIDER  Brenna Opelka  Entertainment  Instagram/Twitte bopelka@busine

and Fashion  r:  ssinsider.com 
@thisisinsider 

Entertainment  Mike Vulpo  Entertainment  Instagram/Twitte @eentertainmen

News (ENews)   and News  r:  t.com 
@enews 

NBC   Bruce Evans  News  Twitter:  NBCNewsMedia

@TODAYshow  Relations@nbcu
ni.com 

TMZ  Harvey Levin  Entertainment  Instagram:  message@talktot

News  @tmz_tv  hepress.com 
Twitter: @TMZ 

Fox News  John Moody  News  Twitter/Instagra comments@foxn

m: @FoxNews  ewsinsider.com 
 

Business  Henry Blodget  News  Twitter:  hblodget@busin

Insider  @hblodget  essinsider.com 
Instagram: 
@henryblodget 
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Desi Perkins  Desi Perkins   Influencer  Instagram/Twitte mgmt@desiperki

r:@desiperkins   ns.com 

Kendall Jenner  Kendall Jenner  Influencer  Twitter/Instagra kendallj.com 

m: 
@KendallJenner 

Gigi Hadid  Gigi Hadid  Influencer  Twitter/Instagra tara@thedooronl

m: @GiGiHadid  ine.com 

Bella Hadid   Bella Hadid  Influencer  Twitter/Instagra elly@thehandbo

m: @bellahadid  ok.com 
 
8.0 | ​Social Media Strategy  
Victoria's Secret utilizes social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, 
Instagram and Youtube. Victoria's Secret mostly uses Twitter, Facebook, and 
Instagram, but the organization is aware of the news outlets on Snapchat and 
several blogs and news blogs on Youtube. Being aware of who is covering what on 
which social media sites is good monitoring and being proactive about the 
conversation around Victoria's Secret.  
 
8.1 | Twitter  
Twitter has become one of the easiest and quickest way to reach a wide 
audience. Twitter allows for Victoria's Secret to interact with its publics in a 
direct real time conversation. Victoria's Secret is able to interact with its 
publics by seeing what the conversation around their company is. We will 
follow hashtags and closely monitor how the media is responding to the 
statement and the crisis.  
In the case of a crisis, Twitter would be the best option to release a 
statement because it would have a large reach to a wide audience. News 
media outlets follow us on Twitter so it would also be the fastest way for 
other media outlets to share our statement with an even larger audience. 
Twitter would have the potential to reach the largest audience. 
 
8.2 | Facebook  
Facebook has always been our traditional way of reaching our audience but 
as the demographics of the people using Facebook changes we have realized 
that Facebook might not be the best way to reach a large audience and keep 
people informed. Facebook would be used as a way to give a brief statement 
about the crisis and then would insert a clickable link that would redirect 
people to the official press release and other additional information. We 
would monitor the comments and respond directly on the post if necessary. 
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8.3 | Instagram  
Instagram is a visual form of social media. In the case of a crisis we would 
post a statement of our press release so that it would show up for our 
followers and in the caption we would give a brief comment in regards to the 
event. We would put a link in our bio which would give access to press 
released and other information on the situation. We would follow hashtags 
and see how the conversation our our brand is being portrayed and respond 
to comments if it is necessary. 
 
8.4 | YouTube  
If a spokesperson addresses the press in a public way, a recording of the 
press conference will be uploaded to the Victoria's Secret YouTube channel. 
We would then respond to comments on the video if necessary. 
 
8.5 | Snapchat  
Typically we would not use Snapchat as a way of communicating with the 
public. This platform really depends on what the crisis is. If it is involving one 
of our models, we might have them release something on their Snapchat 
story to reach their audience and fans, but the organization as a whole would 
not release anything on this social media platform. 

9.0 | ​Third Party Supporters  

Third party potential supporters could include anyone from collaborators, to 
bloggers, to vloggers, to specific celebrities. Third party supporters have the power 
to influence the success rate of the company and could escalate or reduce a crisis. 
If the company were to be in trouble, third party supporters would be responsible 
for advocating for Victoria’s Secret, speaking on their behalf. Being aware of third 
party potential supporters is a great way to be proactive in case of an immediate 
crisis or incident within the company.  
 
9.1 | Collaborators 
Designers are a prime example of a collaborator. Designers for Victoria’s 
Secret are responsible for the looks of the models, especially during large 
events like the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. It is important to be aware of 
up and coming designers because they create the initial image for the 
company.  
Famous past designers with much success to be aware of include Brian 
Atwood and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Atwood had success designing Gigi 
Hadid’s black lace books for the Dark Angel segment during the 2016 fashion 
show. Huntington-Whiteley is a former model for the company and current 
designer. Because she was a model and now designs for the company, she 
has the power to influence customers and stakeholders.  
 
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9.2 | Bloggers  
Bloggers write about the company online. The bloggers who write content 
about Victoria’s Secret have a number of followers who are influenced by the 
reviews and updates that they write.  
Popular bloggers who write about Victoria’s Secret include ​The Blonde Salad​, 
It’s Up To Me, ​and ​Fashionista. ​These bloggers have all have a history writing 
stories about Victoria’s Secret’s organization and events.  
 
9.3 | Vloggers 
Vloggers often post videos online that discuss products or organizations. 
Many vloggers post their videos to YouTube accounts with thousands of 
followers who watch their videos. Many vloggers participate in product 
review, event recaps, and even promotions.  
A vlogger famous for her history discussing Victoria’s Secret is Desi Perkins. 
Her videos have discussed the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the products, 
and even models within the company.  
 
9.4 | Celebrities  
A lot of celebrities are involved with Victoria’s Secret and they have the 
power to influence multiple opinions. Celebrities often voice their thoughts 
and opinions on social media- Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.  
Celebrities to look out for in regards to being third party supporters would 
be someone like Adam Levine, a pop singer who is dating one of the Victoria’s 
Secret models. He has a huge and easily influenced fan base that follows him 
on multiple social media platforms. Another celebrity who has close ties with 
Victoria’s Secret would be someone like Justin Bieber, a pop singer who has 
performed at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Similar to Adam Levine, he 
has a large fan base that would follow him and share his opinions.  
 
10.0 | ​Immediate Response Checklist 
Step One: ​First Alerts and immediate response teams 
❏ Depending on incident, contact all Crisis Communication Team 
members first. (Document who called an what time). 
❏ Who called?​________________________________
❏ Time of call?​ _____________________
❏ In every incident the Crisis Communication Team should be 
informed first about anything within the organization. This 
allows them to assess the situation and determine further 
action. 
❏ Alert social media and marketing team so they are informed and 
prepared. 
❏ Send alerts to all staff members in the company to ensure they are 
demanded that they do not share any details with the media. 
 17

❏ Depending on the situation the response team will alert others within 
the organization. 
Step Two: ​Steps to get facts 
❏ Gather known facts. 
❏ Calculate reputation impact and determine damage. 
❏ Immediate response team will meet to schedule a press debrief 
time and location. 
❏ Determine if anyone was harmed but do not release names or any 
private information.  
❏ Determine which consultants are needed (law enforcement, lawyers 
(LEIA ATAS), counselors). 
❏ IMMEDIATELY draft message for release to media using the key 
message worksheet. (see Appendix A). 
Step Three: ​Verify range of incident and keep information moving 
❏ Time code all information as it arrives. 
❏ Response team to verify all facts before releasing to the public. 
❏ TAYLOR NEILL is to update all internal staff/departments by phone or 
email. 
Step Four: ​Prepare for media calls and visits 
❏ MELISSA CASTILLO will start media contact record. 
❏ Prepare and rehearse with the designated spokesperson (ASHLEY 
DUSA) and identify what information will be released to the media. 
❏ Pre arrange media room TBD, strategically place CEO ADRIENNE FOX 
according to media room.  
❏ In one hour or less get approval from Crisis Communication Team for 
media release. 
❏ Designate ASHLEY DUSA to speak during press briefing. 
Step Five: ​When reporters arrive 
❏ Identify and check in all media correspondents at entrance of press 
debrief. 
❏ Inform reporters of restrictions before starting the press debrief. 
❏ ASHLEY DUSA will begin press release at scheduled time. 
❏ End with informing media of where future updates will be 
located. 
Step Six: ​Media follow up and media relations 
❏ Crisis Communication Team will monitor media coverage.  
❏ Access and address errors displayed throughout the media. 
❏ Refer to media log if the Crisis Communication Team needs to address 
a situation publicly.  
Step Seven: ​Follow-up 
❏ Crisis Communication Team will assess the effectiveness of the plan 
and evaluate next steps after determining reputation damage. 
 
 18

11.0 | ​Communication Channels Worklist 

  
Audience  Communication Channel  
Media   ● Press Debriefs  
● Media Releases  
● Social Media  
Employee’s  ● Written Communication (includes email & text 
messages 
● Call Representatives (managers of Victoria Secret 
Angels)  
Consumers   ● Email and Text Messages  
  ● Push Notifications (through Apps)  
● Social Media Messages  
Investors   ● Phone Calls  
● Emails  
Emergency  ● Phone Call  
Officials  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19

12.0 |​ Key Messages Worksheet  

Key messages are critical when responding to a crisis. Key messages may be 
tailored to fit a specific crisis. Below is a blank template of the key messages 
worksheet. The Crisis Communication Team should complete the worksheet 
together, and strategically create key messages that are effective and appropriate 
for the specific crisis. Please refer to Appendix A for a completed version of the 
worksheet with general key messages. 
 
Key Message 1  Key Message 2  Key Message 3 

     

 
 
Support Point 1.1  Support Point 2.1  Support Point 3.1 

     

 
Support Point 1.2  Support Point 2.2  Support Point 3.2 

     

 
Support Point 1.3  Support Point 2.3  Support Point 3.3 

     

 
 20

13.0 |​ Press Release Template  

 
For Immediate Release 
Ashley Dusa  
Spokesperson    
Phone:​(380)-274-3872 
Email: ​adusa@limitedbrands.com     
 
 
 
Headline 
(One sentence, 7-10 words, that describes the major point of the release) 
 
 
City​___________​, State (If applicable) ​___________​, (Date) ​_____________
 
Message of Empathy/Caring (if 
appropriate):​_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 
Main Paragraph 
Answers the Who, What, Where, When and Why of the story:  
Who is 
affected?​________________________________________________________________
What is the 
situation?​____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Where is this taking 
place?​________________________________________________________
When did this 
happen?​___________________________________________________________
Why is this 
important?​___________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ 
Quote from CEO  
Quote should say what actions Victoria’s Secret is taking, telling people what 
actions they should be taking, or voicing compassion and concern. 
 
Name of CEO: ​Adrienne Fox     
Quote: “​_________________________________________________​” ​said Chief Executive 
Officer, Adrienne Fox ​.​__________________________​.”     
 21

 
Key Message 1: Victoria’s Secret acknowledges the importance of women’s 
emotional and physical health.  
 
Supporting Point 1.1: We have recommended qualified health professionals ranging 
from dieticians to physicians to assess our Angels’ health. 
Supporting Point 1.2: Our Angels are cognizant about their health and wellness and 
that is their number one priority.   
Supporting Point 1.3: We are aware that this is a recurring situation and we are 
working to resolve this issue in a timely and professional manner.  
  
Key Message 2: Victoria’s Secret expresses concern and awareness in regards to 
natural disasters that may occur.     
Supporting Point 2.1: Our number one priority is the safety of our employees and 
our customers.   
Supporting Point 2.2: We are in the process of repairing and investigating the 
current situation and status of the damage done to the facility. 
Supporting Point 2.3: We have a safety plan set in place that is revised every six 
months or when we see fit.   
   
Key Message 3: Victoria’s Secret has a zero tolerance policy in place for 
harassment, discrimination, or violence.   
Supporting Point 3.1: Victoria’s Secret promotes a safe environment for both 
employees and valued customers. 
Supporting Point 3.2:​ ​We ensure that all employees are informed of our policy when 
hired.  
Supporting Point 3.3: All questions regarding the current situation should be 
directed toward our spokesperson, Ashley Dusa. 
 
More Information 
For more information, contact: 
Ashley Dusa   
Spokesperson   
Phone: ​(380)-274-3872 
Email: adusa@limitedbrands.com 
 
Victoria’s Secret 
Phone Number: (800)-411-5116   
Web site: ​www.victoriassecret.com  
###   
 22

 
14.0​ | Backgrounder  
 
14.1​ History  
In  1977,  Roy  Raymond  officially  launched  Victoria’s  Secret.  Roy  Raymond  found 
discomfort  when  shopping  for  lingerie  for  his  wife.  Roy  was  determined  to  make  a 
way  for  men  to  no  longer  feel  embarrassment  or  uneasiness  when  shopping  in 
department  stores  for  their  wives.  Thus,  Victoria’s  Secret  was  created.  Victoria’s 
Secret’s  name  was  inspired  by  the  Victorian  Era.  Roy  Raymond  later  sold  Victoria’s 
Secret.  Leslie  H.  Wexner,  the founder and CEO of L Brands bought Victoria’s Secret 
and  made  the  store  geared  more  towards  women.  Wexner  jumped  at  the 
opportunity  to  pursue  Victoria’s  Secret  after  realizing  there  were  no  other  stores 
that  specifically  made  lingerie  for  women.  Wexner  saw  this  as  a  new  potential 
market  and  began  to  take  action.  This  significant  change  is  how  Victoria’s  Secret 
became a multi-million dollar business. 
 
14.2 ​Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 
The  first  Victoria's  Secret  Fashion  Show  was  held  in  New  York  City  in  1995.  This 
event  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  successful  annual  fashion  shows  in  the  world. 
Millions  tune  in  to  watch  the  show  every  year.  The  Victoria’s  Secret  Fashion  Show 
features  top  models,  also  known  as  Victoria’s  Secret Angels, from around the world 
dressed  in  eye-catching  lingerie  by  Victoria’s  Secret.  The  Victoria’s  Secret  Fashion 
Show  also  features  performances  from  popular  musical  artists  to  create  a  fashion 
show  full  of  excitement  and  entertainment.  Victoria’s  Secret  gives  viewers  behind 
the  scene  and  backstage  access  to  the  fashion  show  creating  a  truly  unique 
experience.  The  Victoria’s  Secret  Fashion  Show  gotten  both  bigger  and  better 
throughout the years.  
 
14.3 ​Victoria’s Secret Today 
Victoria’s  Secret  is  the  leading  retailer  of  lingerie  worldwide.  Victoria’s  Secret  has 
more  than  1,000  stores across the U.S. and has expanded in other countries such as 
Canada  and  the  United  Kingdom.  Victoria’s  Secret  has  broadened  beyond  lingerie 
and  is  also  known  for  loungewear,  sportswear,  and  beauty  products.  Victoria’s 
Secret  has  created  two  of  their  own  brands  called  PINK  and  Victoria  Sport  which 
have  been  widely  successful.  PINK  has  been  geared  towards  college  women 
offering  comfortable  trendy  clothing  perfect  for  campus  life.  Victoria  Sport  is  a 
brand  geared  toward  women  who  enjoy  working  out,  offering  sports  apparel  and 
workout  clothing  for  the  fitness  enthusiast.  Victoria’s  Secret  has  had  a  steadily 
increasing success rate and is one of the top known brands in the world.  
 23

15.0 | ​Media Log

Crisis Situation:
______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
Date:​ __/__/____

Message for:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

​ ate/time of call:​ __/__/____ ______

D
Caller: ​________________________________________________________________
​Phone number(s):​_____________________________________________________________
Media outlet/Name:​________________________________________________________
Return call
by/Deadline:​_________________________________________________________________
Summary of
inquiry:​______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Who responded?​ ______________________________________________________________

​Date/Time:​ __________
Summary of response:​_________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Further action needed?

__________________________________________________________
 
 24

16.0 |​ Crisis Communication Team Contact List 

 
 
Position/  Mobile Phone  Work Phone  Other Phone  E-mail 
Name Of  Number  Number   Number to 
Person   Contact 

Crisis         
Communication  + 1  +1  +1  rhayes@limitedbrands.co
Manager-  (380)-742-9377  (614)-877-2277  (380)-657-6780  m  
Rebecca Hayes 

Public and         
Media Relations  +1  +1  +1   
Director​-   (380)-227-8455  (614)-877-0923  (380)-573-0820  mcasti@limitedbrands.co
Melissa Castillo   m  

Spokesperson-   +1  +1  +1  adusa@limitedbrands.com 

Ashley Dusa   (380)-274-3872  (614)-877-2344  (380)-907-2214   

Legal         
Representative​-  +1  +1  +1   latas@limitedbrands.com 
Leia Atas  (380)-534-2282  (614)-877-4588  (380)-541-2159   

Human         
Resources and  +1  +1  +1   
Employee  (380)-829-5676  (614)-877-5566  (380)-890-2981  tneill@limitedbrands.com 
Liaison -    
Taylor Neill    

Chief Executive         
Officer-   +1  +1  +1  afox@limitedbrands.com  
Adrienne Fox  (380)-237-4369   (614)-877-2366  (380)-843-1178 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25

17.0 |​ Testing and evaluating the Crisis Communication Plan  

17.1 | Testing  
❖ Every six months the company should implement a mock scenario that 
test the CMP and procedures should a crisis occur. 
➢ Make adjustments accordingly 
➢ Crisis management team will meet at the six month mark to 
brainstorm crisis that are likely and unlikely to occur and 
determine if the CMP is effective. 
17.2 | Evaluating  
❖ Get consumer feedback through surveys to evaluate possible external 
damage. 
❖ Impact of crisis on company. 
❖ Get employee feedback through employee team meetings to evaluate 
possible internal damage. 
17.3 | Revising 
❖ Revise the CMP based on positive and negative feedback from 
evaluation. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26

Appendix A | ​General Key Messages  

 
Key Message 1  Key Message 2  Key Message 3 

Victoria’s Secret acknowledges  Victoria’s Secret expresses  Victoria’s Secret has a zero 
the importance of women’s  concern and awareness in  tolerance policy in place for 
emotional and physical health.  regards to natural disasters  harassment, discrimination, 
that may occur.   or violence.  
 
 
Support Point 1.1  Support Point 2.1  Support Point 3.1 

We have recommended  Our number one priority is the  Victoria’s Secret promotes a 
qualified health professionals  safety of our employees and  safe environment for both 
ranging from dieticians to  our customers.   employees and valued 
customers.  
physicians to assess our 
Angels’ health.  
 
 
Support Point 1.2  Support Point 2.2  Support Point 3.2 

Our Angels are cognizant  We are in the process of  We ensure that all employees 
about their health and  repairing and investigating the  are informed of our policy 
wellness and that is their  current situation and status of  when hired.  
number one priority.   the damage done to the facility.  
 
 
 
Support Point 1.3  Support Point 2.3  Support Point 3.3 

We are aware that this is a  We have a safety plan set in  All questions regarding the 
recurring situation and we are  place that is revised every six  current situation should be 
working to resolve this issue  months or when we see fit.   directed toward our 
in a timely and professional  spokesperson, Ashley Dusa.  
manner.  
 27

References

Coombs, W. T., (2015) ​Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Grunig, J. E. (1978). Defining Publics in Public Relations: The Case of a Suburban Hospital.

Journalism Quarterly,​ ​55​(1), 109-124. doi:10.1177/107769907805500115

Schlossberg, Mallory., (2015) How Victoria’s Secret Core Customers have Completely Changed.

Business Insider. Retrieved from

http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secrets-crazy-history-2015-7

Strategic Planning: What are the Basics of Environmental Scanning? (2012, November 27).

Retrieved from

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/cms_021670.asp