During a crisis than can be perceived as industry-wide, companies should be proactive in distancing themselves from others in the industry.
When your brand may be tarnished by the actions of another, it’s called a “spillover crisis.” Back in the 1990s AT&T research found that even though AT&T wasn’t slamming (changing customers’ long distance providers without permission), when their competitors did it, the AT&T brand was losing favorability and loyalty in customers’ minds.