Rethinking crisis dynamics from the perspective of online publics: A case study of Dolce & Gabbana’s China crisis

2021 ◽  
pp. 2046147X2110268
Author(s):  
Zhuo Ban ◽  
Alessandro Lovari
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Interactive Process ◽  
Communicative Behavior ◽  
Media Channels ◽  
Chinese Public

On November 18, 2018, the Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) released a controversial video on all their social media channels. The video triggered an instant outcry from the general Chinese public, who called the video a racist caricature of Chinese culture. D&G responded to the crisis with several image repair strategies. This study examines D&G’s crisis communication efforts in the wake of this incident. Departing from corporate-oriented perspectives prevalent in the field of public relations, this study employs a dynamic, public-oriented view of crisis communication, which focuses on the dynamic, interactive process of crisis development from the standpoint of the publics. By analyzing communicative behavior on Twitter (an increasingly influential alternative public sphere in China) and in particular, comments and responses toward the crisis communication strategies employed by D&G, we have identified four prominent themes, or ways that publics framed their key messages against the corporation: “Apology not enough”; “Apology done badly”; “Call to unite against D&G”; and “Sarcasm, mockery, and abuse.” And they can be interpreted as a number of crisis communication strategies of the global, online publics. Based on our analysis of the D&G case, we discuss the theoretical implications of a dynamic, public-oriented perspective (DPOP) on crisis communication, highlighting its key areas of difference from the corporate-oriented perspective (COP).

scholarly journals Strategi Digital Public Relations Pegiat Podcast dalam Membangun Brand Engagement (Studi Kasus dalam Podcast Duo Budjang)

Prologia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 532
Author(s):  
Bella Chitra ◽  
Roswita Oktavianti
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Target Audience ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Media Channels ◽  
Selection Of

This research studies about the digital public relations strategy of podcast enthusiasts in developing their brand engagement. The researcher used concepts of digital public relations and brand engagement in explaining the analysis. The scope of digital public relations concepts cover online or website publicity, social media, and online communities. Meanwhile, the concept of brand engagement can be seen in active interactions with followers or listeners. This research is a qualitative research using the case study methodology. The case studies used the Duo Budjang podcast. This study finds that the promotion on social media is more effective and efficient than on websites, especially on Instagram because the majority of the users are millennials. The promotion will be successful if the selection of media channels is tailored according to the target audience and consistent in its management. In developing the engagement, podcast enthusiasts pay attention to and make active interactions on both online and offline. One success story of the engagement is the existence an online or virtual community established by the loyal listeners of the podcasts. The community also helps in promoting the podcasts. Penelitian ini mengangkat tentang strategi digital public relations pegiat podcast dalam membangun brand engagement. Konsep yang digunakan yaitu digital public relations dan brand engagement. Konsep digital public relations seperti publisitas online atau website, media sosial, dan komunitas online. Sedangkan konsep brand engagement dapat dilihat pada interaksi yang aktif terhadap followers atau pendengarnya. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif menggunakan metode studi kasus. Studi kasus dilakukan terhadap podcast Duo Budjang. Hasil penelitian ini adalah promosi di media sosial lebih efektif dan efisien daripada di website, khususnya di Instagram karena mayoritas pengguna adalah generasi milenial. Promosi akan berhasil jika pemilihan saluran media sesuai target audience dan konsisten dalam pengelolaannya. Dalam membangun engagement, pegiat podcast memperhatikan dan membuat interaksi yang aktif baik di dalam jaringan (daring) maupun di luar jaringan (luring). Salah satu contoh keberhasilan dari engagement yang dibangun adalah adanya komunitas online atau virtual yang merupakan pendengar setia podcast. Komunitas juga membantu dalam mempromosikan podcast.

scholarly journals Public Relations Principles for the Digital Communication in a Local Crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-66
Author(s):  
Antonela Zora Rezo ◽  
Matilda Kolić Stanić ◽  
Marijana Togonal
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Digital Communication ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Creative Commons ◽  
Special Challenge ◽  
The City

In dealing with the crisis, all institutions must react and urgently solve the problem, but a special challenge is to communicate with key publics, especially those publics that have suffered damage., What is imperative for public relations is fast and two-way communication. That is why digital platforms are indispensable in crisis communication because they enable almost simultaneous reaction and enable institutions to communicate directly with the affected public, without the mediation of information media. This paper aims to analyse the crisis communication of the City of Slavonski Brod through its official website and Facebook page during water pollution in March and April 2018. The analysis was performed by methods of qualitative content analysis and a case study analysis. During the environmental incident, the City of Slavonski Brod did not communicate following the PR principles of crisis communication nor took advantage of digital communication. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

scholarly journals Active listening in the management of crisis communication: Case study of the 2017 terrorist attack in Barcelona

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 61-74
Author(s):  
Francisco-Javier Cristófol ◽  
Jordi De-San-Eugenio-Vela ◽  
Francisco-Javier Paniagua-Rojano
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Active Listening ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Service Information ◽  
Twitter Account

This article analyses the use of social networks as a public relations strategy within the framework of a crisis communication strategy deployed following a terrorist attack. More specifically, the Twitter account of the Police of Catalonia (@mossos) is analysed in view of the attacks that took place in Barcelona and Cambrils in August 2017. Methodologically, content analysis of the Catalan police’s Twitter account is performed through the collection and subsequent analysis of messages issued in the 10-day period following the first attack. Additionally, and as a result of this research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight experts in crisis communication, with the aim of determining, within the framework of this case study, the functions and uses of social networks in the context of crises caused by terrorist attacks. The results show how, in a context of crisis communication, the messages posted by the Mossos d’Esquadra’s Twitter account transcend mere service information to become an asset of public relations, engagement and constant interaction and mutual collaboration and dialogue between the Catalan police and the population that it administers. As a whole, this has an impact on the improvement of the image and reputation of the Catalan police among its fellow citizens.

Discordant storytelling, ‘honest fakery’, identity peddling: How uncanny CGI characters are jamming public relations and influencer practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 2046147X2110269
Author(s):  
Elena Block ◽  
Rob Lovegrove
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Virtual Character ◽  
Culture Jamming ◽  
The Uncanny ◽  
Computer Generated Imagery

This article critically explores whether and how computer-generated imagery (CGI) characters are jamming public relations and influencer practices. We use Miquela, a virtual character with 3 million Instagram followers as a case study. We examine Miquela’s (and her creators’) communication strategies to identify what makes her so appealing to postmillennial audiences, luxury and indie brands, and civil rights activists alike. Valued at USD125 million, Miquela is algorithmically moulded as a fashionista, singer and civil rights warrior to maximise visibility, influence and emotional release. ‘Her’ discordant, uncanny human/nonhuman ethos simultaneously attracts, intrigues and defies. To study Miquela’s case we built a four-tiered theoretical framework (parasocial relations, identity influence, culture jamming, and algorithmic branding) using the Freudian concept of ‘the uncanny’ as connecting thread; and a mixed method that includes digital ethnography, textual and sentiment analysis. We aim to make a contribution to studies on the use of digital media in PR.

Reputation Management Techniques and E-Collaboration

2019 ◽  
pp. 64-86
Author(s):  
Badreya Al-Jenaibi
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Reputation Management ◽  
Healthy Relationships ◽  
External Communication ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
Communication Methods

Public relation is one of the significant communication methods in any organization. It leads the internal and external communication strategies, especially during crises. Some of the main goals of public relations are to create, maintain, and protect the organization's reputation, and—ever-increasingly—e-collaboration plays a vital role in accomplishing this goal. The aim of this study is to explore the approaches that help an organization rejuvenate its reputation after damage caused by various crises. It is important to know which PR approaches best engage stakeholders because companies must maintain healthy relationships with all stake-holding entities in order to survive. Qualitative case study was conducted to explore what circumstances can compromise a company's image and what role a PR department would optimally play in rejuvenating it.

scholarly journals Winning in the court of public opinion

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soojin Kim ◽  
Arunima Krishna ◽  
Kenneth D. Plowman
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Legal Counsel ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Mail

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how public relations (PR) professionals develop co-narratives with legal counsel when formulating crisis communication strategies. Understanding how PR practitioners work with their legal counterparts may help lead to more advanced and effective PR practice in the area of crisis communication and management. The authors attempt to do so in this study through interviews conducted with PR practitioners in two Asian countries – South Korea and Singapore.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 11 semi-structured interviews with PR consultants, 6 in Korea and 5 in Singapore were conducted between May and August 2016. Data analyses revealed key points of interest for PR practice.FindingsFirst, PR consultants in both countries reported increased collaboration with legal counsel in times of crisis. Second, PR consultants report that legal professionals have begun to realize the significance of winning in the court of public opinion. However, the process by which PR–legal collaboration takes place to develop co-narratives followed extremely different patterns in the two countries.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory study is not exempt from limitations. The findings from this study may not be applicable to other countries. As data collection in both countries relied on snowball sampling techniques, the participants in the interviews may not be representative of PR consultants in South Korea and Singapore. E-mail interviews had limitations due to their lack of richness and details compared to other forms of interviews (i.e. face-to-face or Skype interviews). However, computer-mediated interviews including e-mail interviews can still create good level of understandings about the phenomenon in question.Originality/valueThis study was an attempt to understand PR–legal collaboration particularly in times of crisis and contribute to the development of Asia-centric models of PR practice. There has been little research that explores how legal and PR counsels actually collaborate to devise optional crisis communication strategies for their clients (or organizations) in the times of crisis. Given that crisis communicative strategies have been shown to affect publics’ perceptions of an organization’s credibility and trustworthiness, it is important to understand how PR work with legal practitioners to develop co-narratives for optimal crisis management, and understand how their different professional perspectives, practices, and approaches affect the collaboration.

Information volunteers’ strategies in crisis communication

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurniawan Adi Saputro
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Rare Case ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Media

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on the communication strategies used by the information volunteers of Jalin Merapi during the Mt. Merapi disaster in Indonesia 2010. Design/methodology/approach In all, 18 information volunteers are interviewed to find out about their strategies in organising crisis communication, and follow-up interviews are conducted with several donors and media professionals to understand the wider context. The questions cover how the information is sourced, published and verified and the reasons behind their decisions. The concept of mediated suffering helps to analyse how their strategies construct with whom, with what subject and how the media users engage with the survivors. Findings This study finds that information volunteers of Jalin Merapi focused on the overlooked survivors and issues of Mt. Merapi disaster based on their observation of the mainstream media’s coverage of the previous disaster in 2006. The needs of the refugees, rather than the availability of donor’s aid, were foregrounded to encourage the wider public to donate. And access to connect directly with the survivors was provided to enhance the efficacy of aid and to facilitate repeat donations. Research limitations/implications Further empirical studies in other disaster contexts are called for to assess whether similar or different strategies are used in participatory crisis communication. Originality/value This study presents a rare case of participatory crisis communication in a disaster. The perspective of the media audience helps situate the findings in the context of the wider media environment and in the context of collective action as often seen in response to disaster.

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