CRISIS MANAGEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: A CASE STUDY OF NEGATIVE INCIDENT IN CORPORATE APOLOGIES

Social media can be an area where organizations and brands may have difficulty in crisis management due to its interactive nature and the size of the audience it can reach. Organizations need to know and analyze the dynamics of this field well. Therefore, it is important that crisis management is carried out quickly and transparently in accordance with these dynamics. Since crises are situations that occur unexpectedly and suddenly, organizations should have pre-crisis preparations. In addition, since we live in the age of speed, organizations should have a flexible and responsive crisis resolution capability. In the study, the crisis encountered in social media was analyses with the situational case study method in the context of its phases. In the study, the effect of social media on the crisis management process is investigated through a failed example. Through a case study, it is discussed how a crisis in social media is managed and how the image of organizations is negatively affected. The study reveals how organizations react to the crisis through social media, which strategies do not work in the crisis communication process and how the image of the organization is affected after the crisis. In addition, lessons learnt by organizations during the crisis management process and recommendations for preventing similar situations in the future are presented. This case study constitutes an important resource for researchers and professionals who want to understand the effects of social media on organizations and develop effective communication strategies in times of crisis. In this direction, the successful execution of the crisis management process is critical to protect the reputation and increase the credibility of organizations. In the process of corporate apology, especially the attitude taken by the manager of the organization and the solution-generating discourse will contribute to the resolution of the crisis.