Crisis Communications Budget Calculator
Plan and estimate crisis communications costs. Build a comprehensive budget for crisis preparation, response, and reputation recovery.
Crisis Parameters
Budget Phases
- Crisis communications plan development$15,000
- Media training (executives)$8,000
- Crisis simulation exercise$5,000
- Monitoring tools setup$2,000
- PR agency retainer (crisis rate)$2,500/day
- Legal review & counsel$1,500/day
- Social media monitoring (24/7)$500/day
- Spokesperson & media relations$1,000/day
- Internal communications$300/day
- Reputation repair campaign$20,000
- Stakeholder outreach$5,000
- Media opportunity creation$8,000
- Post-crisis analysis & report$3,000
Budget Summary
For 14-day crisis scenario
Significant Crisis
Industry and local media coverage likely. Prepare holding statements for key stakeholders.
How to Use This Calculator
Select your company size and crisis severity level.
Set expected crisis duration in days.
Select which budget phases to include.
Review your total crisis budget with contingency.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should we budget for crisis preparation?
Most organizations should invest $15,000-50,000 annually in crisis preparation, including plan development, media training, and simulation exercises. This is typically 5-10% of your PR budget. Prevention costs far less than response—a major crisis can cost 10-100x your preparation budget.
What are typical crisis PR agency rates?
Crisis-specific PR retainers range from $15,000-75,000/month depending on crisis severity and agency tier. Hourly rates for senior crisis counselors are $500-1,000/hour. 24/7 coverage adds significant costs. Many agencies offer crisis retainer agreements at lower rates in exchange for guaranteed availability.
How long do most crises last?
Active crisis response typically lasts 1-4 weeks. However, reputation recovery can take 6-18 months. Budget for at least 2 weeks of intensive response and 3-6 months of reputation rebuilding. Social media has shortened crisis lifecycles but extended the recovery tail.
Should we have a crisis retainer even if nothing is happening?
Yes—crisis retainers ensure immediate access when you need it. Agencies with retainers can mobilize within hours; without one, you may wait days during agency availability reviews. Retainers also typically include regular plan reviews and training, which improve preparedness.
How much contingency should we include?
Budget 20-25% contingency for crises. Unexpected costs include additional legal review, extended media monitoring, executive coaching, customer communications, and internal change management. Crises almost always cost more than anticipated—underfunding response can prolong damage.
Why Use This Calculator
- Budget for all crisis phases: preparation, response, recovery
- Scale costs based on company size and crisis severity
- Include contingency for unexpected expenses
- Plan proactive crisis training investments
- Compare scenarios before crises occur
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"Finally, a way to estimate internal communications costs that leadership takes seriously. The data speaks for itself."
Internal Comms Lead, Enterprise Tech