scholarly journals Volkswagen’s crisis communication: Twitter use during #dieselgate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Lim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Social Media Networks ◽  
Human Voice ◽  
Twitter Account ◽  
Clean Air

On September 18, 2015, Volkswagen became embroiled in a global crisis after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publically announced Volkswagen’s violation of the Clean Air Act through the installation of “defeat devices” that trick emission tests. The Volkswagen emissions scandal was covered by media around the world and news spread quickly on social media networks, such as Twitter, though a trending hashtag, #dieselgate. Through studying Volkswagen’s Twitter accounts (the Twitter account for the overall brand, a regional Twitter account and a Twitter account targeting the press), this case study analyzes Volkswagen’s adoption of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory’s (SCCT) rebuild and bolstering crisis response strategy on Twitter, but with little open communication through this medium. Information shared on Volkswagen’s Twitter accounts was inconsistent and Volkswagen’s limited adoption of a conversational, human voice on social media affected the virality of organizational messaging. Volkswagen was progressing towards recovering its social currency on Twitter, but updates on the crisis or similar news related to the situation encourages greater hostility and apathy towards the organization.

scholarly journals Volkswagen’s crisis communication: Twitter use during #dieselgate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Lim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Social Media Networks ◽  
Human Voice ◽  
Twitter Account ◽  
Clean Air

On September 18, 2015, Volkswagen became embroiled in a global crisis after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publically announced Volkswagen’s violation of the Clean Air Act through the installation of “defeat devices” that trick emission tests. The Volkswagen emissions scandal was covered by media around the world and news spread quickly on social media networks, such as Twitter, though a trending hashtag, #dieselgate. Through studying Volkswagen’s Twitter accounts (the Twitter account for the overall brand, a regional Twitter account and a Twitter account targeting the press), this case study analyzes Volkswagen’s adoption of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory’s (SCCT) rebuild and bolstering crisis response strategy on Twitter, but with little open communication through this medium. Information shared on Volkswagen’s Twitter accounts was inconsistent and Volkswagen’s limited adoption of a conversational, human voice on social media affected the virality of organizational messaging. Volkswagen was progressing towards recovering its social currency on Twitter, but updates on the crisis or similar news related to the situation encourages greater hostility and apathy towards the organization.

The Value of Brand Fans during a Crisis: Exploring the Roles of Response Strategy, Source, and Brand Identification

2021 ◽  
pp. 232948842199969
Author(s):  
Hayoung Sally Lim ◽  
Natalie Brown-Devlin
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Brand Identification ◽  
Communication Source ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Selection Of

Using a two (crisis response strategy: diminish vs. rebuild) × three (source: brand organization vs. brand executive vs. brand fan) experimental design, this study examines how brand fans (i.e., consumers who identify with a brand) can be prompted to protect a brand’s reputation during crises and how the selection of a crisis spokesperson can influence consumers’ evaluations of the crisis communication. Being buffers for their preferred brands, brand fans are more likely to accept their brand’s crisis response and engage in positive electronic word-of-mouth on social media. Brand fans are more likely to evaluate other brand fan’s social media accounts as a credible crisis communication source, whereas those who are not brand fans are more likely to evaluate brand and/or brand executives as credible. Findings provide theoretical applications in paracrisis literature pertaining to social media but also practical implications for brand managers to strategically utilize brand fans in crisis communication.

What Inspired That Tweet: A Comparative Analysis of Official and Stakeholder-Enacted Crisis Responses During the Urban Meyer/Zach Smith Scandal

2021 ◽  
pp. 216747952198930
Author(s):  
Natalie Brown-Devlin ◽  
Kenon A. Brown ◽  
Brian C. Britt ◽  
Alyssa C. Adamson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Textual Analysis ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Organizational Crisis ◽  
Head Coach ◽  
Social Media Networks ◽  
Crisis Responses ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigated the relationship between stakeholder enacted crisis communication and organizational crisis response. Through textual analysis, the reputation repair strategies that head coach Urban Meyer utilized in his four public statements regarding the Zach Smith scandal were identified. Next, 10,000 tweets from Ohio-based stakeholders were content analyzed to examine the extent to which stakeholders mirror the selected strategies employed by an individual enveloped in a crisis and amplify them through their own social media networks. Results showed that stakeholders engaged in three primary behaviors: rallying together by using the ingratiation and reminder strategies; mirroring some of Meyer’s official strategies; and utilizing their own strategies to attribute blame to other, external parties. Implications regarding how stakeholders utilize Twitter, itself, during a crisis were also proffered.

Is JUUL marketing to kids on social media? Analysis of JUUL Twitter Followers� Age (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annice Kim ◽  
Robert Chew ◽  
Michael Wenger ◽  
Margaret Cress ◽  
Thomas Bukowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Application Programming Interface ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
Prediction Algorithm ◽  
Social Media Networks ◽  
Verification Methods ◽  
Twitter Account ◽  
Application Programming ◽  
Age Verification ◽  
Age Category

BACKGROUND JUUL is an electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) resembling a USB device that has become rapidly popular among youth. Recent studies suggest that social media may be contributing to its popularity. JUUL company claims their products are targeted for adult current smokers but recent surveillance suggests youth may be exposed to JUUL products online. To date, there has been little attention on restricting youth exposure to age restricted products on social media. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to utilize a computational age prediction algorithm to determine the extent to which underage youth are being exposed to JUUL’s marketing practices on Twitter. METHODS We examined all of @JUULvapor’s Twitter followers in April 2018. For followers with a public account, we obtained their metadata and last 200 tweets using the Twitter application programming interface. We ran a series of classification models to predict whether the account following @JUULvapor was an underage youth or an adult. RESULTS Out of 9,077 individuals following @JUULvapor Twitter account, a three-age category model predicted that 44.9% are 13 to 17 years old (N=4,078), 43.6% are 18 to 24 years old (N=3,957), and 11.5% are 25 years old or older (N=1,042); and a two-age category model predicted that 80.6% (N=7,313) are under 21 years old. CONCLUSIONS Despite a disclaimer that followers must be of legal age to purchase tobacco products, the majority of JUUL followers on Twitter are under age. This suggests that ENDS brands and social media networks need to implement more stringent age-verification methods to protect youth from age-restricted content.

Organisations' conversations in social media: applying dialogue strategies in times of crises

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Romenti ◽  
Grazia Murtarelli ◽  
Chiara Valentini
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
The Body ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Crisis Communications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to develop and test a theoretical framework, grounded in managerial and organisational theories of dialogue, through which organisations can take decisions in relation to the most appropriate crisis response strategies for handling social media stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical framework is developed through a conceptual analysis of literature on dialogue, social media and crisis communication. The theoretical framework is then tested in eight different international organisations experiencing a crisis. For each case, different web contents, such as organisations' status updates/posts, links, videos published on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, were analysed using a rhetorical research approach. Findings – The analysed organisations apply different online dialogue strategies according to crisis types and in combination with specific crisis response strategies. Most of the organisations investigated carry on those dialogue strategies suitable to develop consensus (concertative), guide conversations on specific topics or issues (framing), find solutions to the crisis collectively (transformative). Concertative strategies were often associated with informative crisis response strategies, framing strategies with denial and justification crisis response strategies and transformative strategies with corrective actions. Research limitations/implications – By using a dialogic perspective in setting up online conversations with their external stakeholders, the paper proposes a theoretical model to explain companies' decisions in carrying on online dialogues during critical situations and thus contribute to the body of knowledge on online crisis communications. Practical implications – The proposed model can support crisis communicators to manage dialogue's aims and dimensions differently by taking into account both contextual and situational conditions. Originality/value – By integrating management studies on dialogue into crisis communication and social media literature, the authors intend to offer an alternative thinking of organisations' decision-making in relation to crisis response strategies and social media stakeholders.

scholarly journals Social Media Crisis Communication Model for Building Public Resilience: A Preliminary Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 245-256
Author(s):  
Umar Ali Bukar ◽  
Marzanah A Jabar ◽  
Fatimah Sidi ◽  
Rozi Nor Haizan Nor ◽  
Salfarina Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Communication Model ◽  
Dynamic Feature ◽  
Consistency Requirement ◽  
Process Macro

There is an ongoing discussion about the effectiveness of social media usage on the ability of people to recover from the crisis. However, the existing social media crisis communication models could not address the dynamic feature of social media users and the crisis, respectively. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a preliminary investigation of the social media crisis communication model for building public resilience. Thus, 34 items were generated from the literature concerning the crisis, crisis response, social interaction, and resilience. The items were validated by three experts via content validity index and modified kappa statistics. After passing the validation test, the instruments were pre-tested by 32 participants. The reliability of the items was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha. Also, the model fits and mediation were examined by the regression model, and the hypotheses were independently assessed in process macro models. Based on the result obtained, each of the constructs satisfied the internal consistency requirement; crisis (0.743), crisis response (0.724), social media interaction (0.716), and resilience (0.827). Furthermore, the result also indicates that the regression model is a good fit for the data. The independent variables statistically significantly predict the dependent variable, p < 0.05. Also, the result of the process macro models indicates that all the hypotheses are independently supported.

scholarly journals An Experimental Designs For The Impact Of Attributed Organization Crisis Responsibility On Halal Organization Image As Mediated By Crisis Response Strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5C) ◽  
pp. 731-739
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Experimental Designs ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Crisis Response Strategy ◽  
Halal Food ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Survey Questionnaires

In Malaysia, food crises related with Halal issues is becoming an imperative issue among Halal consumer with organizations facing crisis that have been suspected to sell NonHalal food products. This type of crisis has the potential to damage the organization image. Therefore, the adoption of appropriate crisis response strategy is needed in order to manage this outcome. In crisis communication field, experimental designs start to be adopted by many of researchers thus shift away from using the case studies. This phenomena occur due to the experimental research provides more understanding on the relationship and consequences of the crisis stimuli. Therefore, this research develop an experimental designs that using 3x3 between subjects factorial design, utilizing survey questionnaires as the instrument in order to investigate the crisis response strategies that most successfully accommodate the level of organization crisis responsibility perceived by the halal food consumer that will impact the organization image. In this research crisis response strategy will mediated the relationship between the organization crisis responsibility and organization image

Refuting fake news on social media: nonprofits, crisis response strategies and issue involvement

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michail Vafeiadis ◽  
Denise S. Bortree ◽  
Christen Buckley ◽  
Pratiti Diddi ◽  
Anli Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Consumer Privacy ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Issue Involvement

Purpose The dissemination of fake news has accelerated with social media and this has important implications for both organizations and their stakeholders alike. Hence, the purpose of this study is to shed light on the effectiveness of the crisis response strategies of denial and attack in addressing rumors about consumer privacy when non-profit organizations are targeted on social media. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, a 2 (response type: denial vs attack) × 2 (privacy concerns: low vs high), between-group online experiment was conducted via Qualtrics. Findings The results indicated that one’s involvement level in the issue determines the effectiveness of the crisis response strategy. Data showed that attacking the source of fake news (as a crisis response) reduces the message’s credibility more than denying fake news. Furthermore, highly involved individuals are more likely to centrally process information and develop positive supportive intentions toward the affected non-profit brand. High issue involvement also predicted organizational and response credibility. Conversely, an attack rebuttal message increased the credibility of the circulated malicious rumors for low involved individuals. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that issue involvement plays a key role in message perceptions of false information regarding consumer privacy in social media. Practical implications Practically, this study offers insights for organizations that are developing response strategies in the current environment of fake news. Findings from this study suggest that organizations need to consider the degree to which audiences are currently involved in an issue before deciding how aggressively to respond to perpetrators of fake news. Originality/value The present study examines the intersection of fake news and crisis management in the non-profit sector, with an emphasis on various response strategies and issue involvement. This is one of the first attempts to experimentally investigate how social media strategies can defend and protect non-profit reputation in the fake news era.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document