CRISIS COMMUNICATION PRESENTATION

ByRobert Clark, Kylie Smith, and Nicole Zevallos

Crisis Communication & Situational Crisis Commuication Theory(SCCT)

Agenda

• Crisis and Communication
• Outcomes
• 3 Major Strategies
• SCCT
• Crisis Types & Clusters
• Applied SCCT
• Activity
• Examples of Crisis Response
• Discussion

"Crisis communication applications can be divided into: (a) managing meaning and (b) managing information." (Coombs 2015)

"Communication practices that work to limit the harm a crisis inflicts on stakeholders, provide action to counter negatives, and retain the organization’s reputation at stake."

• Pre-crisis - Prevention and preparation
• Crisis Response - Action
• Post-Crisis - Learning and recovery

3 Main Stages of a Crisis:

Crisis Communication

Early days of crisis management reflected strong tactical focus, but changes in popular communication practices (social media) have turned focus towards more strategic practices.

• Attitudes and Affects- Reputation and public opinion
• Potential Supportive Behavior - Apology, corrective action, and informing the public
• Media Coverage - Reporting and framing

Outcomes of Crisis Communication

Regardless of fault, the first step is always inform the public of the situation at hand to help stop furthering the crisis.

accepts responsibility for crisis and offers compensation to those affected by crisis.

argues that the crisis is not as serious as people believe it to be or minimize organizational responsibility.

claims that there is no crisis or that the organization is not at fault.

Rebuild

Diminish

Deny

3 Major Strategies

W. Timothy Coombs

Built off Attribution theory which states that “people make judgments about the causes of events based upon the dimensions of locus, stability, and controllability.” Main goal of theory: create “precise guidelines on how to plan for a crisis and whom to communicate with during a crisis.” (Coombs 1995)

Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)

• Rumor
• Natural Disaster
• Malevolence/Product Tampering
• Workplace violation
• Challenge
• Technical Breakdown Accident
• Technical Breakdown Product Recall
• Megadamage
• Human Breakdown Accident
• Human Breakdown Product Recall
• Organizational Misdeeds
• Organizational Misdeed Management Misconduct
• Organizational Misdeeds with Injuries

1. Victim Cluster - “crises with weak attributions or organizational responsibility.”
2. Accidental Cluster - “crises in which a certain but low level of responsibility are attributed to the organization.”
3. Preventable Cluster - “crises for which the organization is perceived as being responsible.” (Claeys 2010)

Original iterations of the theory gave 13 crisis types, but have since been reduced to 3 clusters.

Crisis Types & Clusters

Each of the clusters can then be joined with their respective strategies. (Victim-Deny) (Accidental-Diminish) (Preventable-Rebuild) Ultimately preparing for a crisis of each cluster allows you to respond quickly and effectively to other crisis that exist within the cluster.

Applied SCCT

KAHOOT

What Happened? Seven people died from Tylenol laced with cyanide. Crisis Response: Though the company was not at fault, they implored rebuild strategies while also clearing their name because it affected public health. Some of these actions were recalling products, launching extensive communication campaigns, and being one of the first to start using tamper proof packaging.

Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Scare (1982) - Victim Crisis Type

What Happened? BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded causing the largest oil spill in history. Crisis Response: Despite beginning the campaign with diminish strategies, they settled on rebuild strategies by acknowledging their responsibility, apologizing, and starting a $20 billion compensation fund.

BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010) - Preventable Crisis Type

What Happened? Battery malfunctions cause the Galaxy Note 7 to explode. Crisis Response: Starting off with diminish strategies, they distributed malfunctions to a defective battery from a specific supplier. After crisis escalation, the company turned to rebuild strategies by recalling the phones and offering refunds or replacements.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Recall (2016) - Accidental Crisis Type

How does the application of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) by Coombs (2007) help organizations categorize and respond to different types of crises? In what ways do the 'Victim,' 'Accidental,' and 'Preventable' clusters shape the selection of crisis response strategies? Given the three major crisis response strategies—Deny, Diminish, and Rebuild—outlined in SCCT, how might a company use these strategies to maintain stakeholder trust during a preventable crisis? What factors should organizations consider when deciding between these approaches? How does Attribution Theory, as applied in crisis communication, explain stakeholders' reactions to different types of crises? Discuss how the dimensions of locus, stability, and controllability influence crisis perception and the choice of appropriate communication strategies.

Discussion

In the context of evolving media landscapes, particularly the rise of social media, how have crisis communication practices shifted from tactical to more strategic approaches? What role does managing meaning and information play in this transformation? Reflect on the importance of early crisis communication efforts in mitigating the damage caused by a crisis. What are the potential risks if organizations fail to provide timely and transparent information during the pre-crisis and crisis response stages?

Discussion

Coombs, W. T. (2007). Protecting organization reputations during a crisis: The development and application of Situational Crisis Communication Theory. Corporate Reputation Review, 10(3), 163-176. Coombs, W. T. (1995). Choosing the right words: The development of guidelines for the selection of the “appropriate” crisis-response strategies. Management Communication Quarterly, 8(4), 447-476. Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (2015). Strategic intent and crisis communication: The emergence of a field. In D. Holtzhausen & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of strategic communication (pp. 497-507). Routledge. Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (2002). Helping crisis managers protect reputational assets: Initial tests of the situational crisis communication theory. Management Communication Quarterly, 16(2), 165-186. Claeys, A.-S., Cauberghe, V., & Vyncke, P. (2010). Restoring reputations in times of crisis: An experimental study of the situational crisis communication theory and the moderating effects of locus of control. Public Relations Review, 36(3), 256-262. Eriksson, M. (2015). Crisis communication and improvisation in a digital age. In D. Holtzhausen & A. Zerfass (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of strategic communication (pp. 508-519). Routledge.

References