Protecting a Client’s Reputation: Image Repair Theory and Its Suitability to a Social Media-Generated Crisis

Abstract

The impact of social media upon traditional public relations activities has greatly changed the profession. The problem addressed by this qualitative study is if Benoit’s image repair theory (IRT) is still applicable and appropriate when dealing with a social media-generated crisis. The study explored if age, gender, and experience impact a practitioner’s strategic and tactical response to a social media-generated crisis, and if IRT remains applicable as a theoretical framework during a social media-generated crisis? The target audience was working public relations practitioners and current members of the Public Relations Society of America in Indiana. Research questions included: How do public relations professionals use traditional public relations strategies such as IRT, what are traditional crisis communication strategies employed by practitioners dealing with a social media-generated crisis, how are crisis managers choosing response channels and does age, gender, or experience levels influence the manner and methodologies chosen by practitioners? Through detailed executive interviews of 31 pre- qualified individuals, thematic analysis of the data resulted in several core themes addressing the five research questions.

Public relations practitioners may find value in the study that found Benoit's theoretical framework still applicable in today's social media environment as participants identified and used most of Benoit’s response categories. However, many of the strategies employed in image repair in an online, digital setting did not suggest denial and apology as preferred crisis response pathways. This study found critical implications to the practice. First, response accuracy and speed are critical factors. Second, study respondents did not prefer responses to negative social media posts, instead preferring making no response or taking the conversations offline. This study suggests further research is needed with a more in-depth examination of how strategies are developed and deployed in a social media crisis. Additionally, it could also be advantageous to test messaging types that apply to Benoit's IRT response analyses (denial to mortification) with specific publics.