Management: Applying Theory To Real Cases - Crisis Communication

In the age of viral tweets, 24-hour news cycles, and activist stakeholders, a single misstep in crisis communication can erase decades of brand equity. While theory provides the blueprint, real-world application separates organizations that recover from those that collapse. This piece examines three dominant crisis communication theories—Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), Image Restoration Theory, and the Discourse of Renewal—and applies them to landmark cases.

William Benoit’s Image Restoration Theory outlines five strategies: denial, evasion of responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification (apology). The fatal error is using the wrong strategy for the crisis type. In the age of viral tweets, 24-hour news

The video of the incident sparked outrage on social media, with many people calling for a boycott of United Airlines. The hashtag #FlyWithFeelings and #UnitedAirlines trended on Twitter, with people sharing their own experiences of bad customer service with the airline. The crisis snowballed, and United Airlines' reputation took a hit. The damage had been done

However, it was too little, too late. The damage had been done, and United Airlines' reputation had taken a significant hit. The airline's stock price plummeted, and the incident led to a Congressional hearing on airline passenger rights. it was too little