writing

The Role of Social Media in Strategic Communication and Crisis Management

Ian Gillespie

Sara Isabel Lee

Brigham Young University

March 21, 2013

Abstract

The course of traditional communications in the world has been shifted by the

development of new media technology. Numerous studies have shown that the usage of social

media generates benefits, especially in the business corporation/company realm. Therefore, the

integration of social media becomes pivotal in the process of communication in business world.

This study analyzes the context of social media in strategic communication and crisis

management. By utilizing interview as the main method, researchers found that the incorporation

social media becomes prevalent because social media fundamentally influences the

implementation of strategic communication, crisis management, and brand awareness.

Keywords: Social media; strategic communication; crisis management; interview; brand

awareness; customers; company

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In 20 th

century society, public and private sectors managed to carefully structure the

assimilation and dissemination of information in traditional media (Donohue, Tichenor, & Olien,

1973). However, with the emergence of the internet in present-day society, there has been a shift

in controlling the process of assimilation and dissemination of information. This shift is affecting

the course of traditional communication, as Shirky (2008) asserted:

When we change the way we communicate, we change society. The tools that a society

uses to create and maintain itself are as central to human life as a hive is to bee life. The

hive is a social device, a piece of bee information technology that provides a platform,

literally, for the communication and coordination that keeps the colony viable.

[Moreover, these] tools are simply a way of channeling existing motivation. (p.17)

The course of communications in the world has changed by the development of social media.

Social media and other new media have become a remarkable phenomenon in this era

and have triggered a social, cultural, economic, and political transformation. Within “the

twinkling of an eye” people can directly know what is happening in Jakarta, Tokyo, Stockholm,

and other parts of the world because of this new media. Individuals around the world can be

connected via platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google+. Even research in the

social sciences has a difficult time keeping pace with the advancements in communications

technology. “The rapid development of audience studies produced important insights into the

social uses of media and emphasized the active interpretation of meanings in mainstream media

texts” (Lindlof & Taylor, 2011, p.23). This power of “mediascape” (Appadurai, 1996) makes

The Role of Social Media 3

McLuhan’s (1964) “Global Village” more realistic than ever.

Literature Review

Since its emergence a few years ago, numerous financial success stories can be told and

attributed to the intelligent use of social media. On the other hand, tales of social media being

used to generate dissonance between parties can also be seen in the news and individual

narratives. When organizations are affected in cases such as these, strategic communication

becomes pivotal in managing the fallout.

Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze and explain how crisis management – a

division of strategic communications – is being implemented by professionals to counter or

diminish the effects of negative social media postings and other detrimental news. Furthermore,

this study will contribute to the new dimensions of how social media interplays with strategic

communication and crisis management.

Social Media

Social media are part of emerging new media. Lindlof & Taylor (2011) defined new

media as “computer mediated communication,” which includes information and communication

technology (ICT) and digital interactive multimedia technology. According to Auxier (2012),

“Social media refers to the countless mobile and Internet based applications and platforms that

encourage users to share, disseminate, and create information in a social and virtual

environment” (p.1). In addition, Ahlqvist, et al. (2008) described social media as a mean of

interaction where people can create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual

communities and networks.

Currently some of the more popular social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, Google +, Blogger, Wordpress, etc. These Web sites

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have various features that allow user to make connections with friends, share information

through pictures and videos, customize blogs for journalistic purpose, etc. In short, social media

allows people to reach a wide audience through various platforms for just about any purpose. In

the business realm, numerous organizations approach and utilize social media as part of their

strategic communication.

Strategic Communication

Strategic communications has played a broad role in various disciplines. Guerrero Castro

(2012) explained that strategic communication is a theory of strategy and its implementation. He

also elaborates that strategic communication is “a mixture of diverse activities, each of which has

to a higher or lower degree structured its procedure of analysis, evaluation and control”; whereas

the strategy becomes “the science of conceiving, activating, deciding, planning, executing, using,

and guiding the media at a particular time, place and space, to achieve and to maintain the set

goals in a particular scenario” (par. 12).

Moreover, Hallahan et al. (2007) classify six specialties within strategic communications:

Management communication, marketing communication, public relations, technical

communication, political communication, and information/social marketing campaigns. Hallahan

et al. also define strategic communications as specific communication activities, “from

coordinating administrative functions to production promotion and relationship building” (p. 4),

implemented in order to fulfill a particular mission of an organization. Strategic communications

has also been used by individuals in order to achieve their goals because “only with strategy we

can communicate strategically” (Guerrero Castro, 2012).

Hallahan et al. (2007) also described how certain organizations will utilize a particular

tactic based on the desired transformation in the organization, which can integrate its synergy,

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effectiveness, and efficiency. In addition, strategic communication can harmonize themes, ideas,

images, and actions. Dimitriu (2012) explained that strategic communications are not only

simple messages; they are comprised of dialogues and approach, relationship building, and

becoming attuned to social and cultural sensitivities. Furthermore, Lindlof & Taylor (2011)

mentioned that strategic communication is a subfield of organizational communication which

studies the corporate life “through discursive processes such as conflict, teamwork, and

leadership” (p.28). As mentioned above, the interaction of crisis management and social media is

a specific focus of this paper.

Crisis Management

Crisis management as a subset of strategic communication is defined as “the process by

which an organization deals with a major event that threatens to harm the organization, its

stakeholders, or the general public” (ASIS International, 2009). Crisis management uses tactics

and strategies to assess and defend against potential threats (known as environmental scanning),

then analyze and respond to emergencies. Environmental scanning can include watching social

or political trends that may affect business, or attempting to maintain and negotiate certain

systems that may cause dissonance. Practitioners can then attempt to eliminate the risks of

incident or failure. In this case, it is important to identify the type of crisis in order to manage

and implement the right strategy.

Lerbinger (1997) categorized eight types of crises: Natural disasters, technological crises,

confrontations, malevolence, organizational misdeeds, workplace violence, rumors, and man-

made disasters. Nowadays, since public communication is driven by new media technology,

these types of crises can overlap within the realm of social media. For instance, misdeeds of

employees or an organization can lead to sour public sentiment, which is expressed on the

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internet through various social media outlets. The misbehaviors spread through online networks

rapidly and may be picked up by news outlets. Suddenly the situation has gone “viral”, and the

company has a crisis with the potential to destroy carefully cultivated relationships with key

publics. In more recent cases – some of which will be discussed below – social media

accelerated the transfer of information (accurate or not) faster than ever before.

While it is true that organizational crises can be exacerbated or even caused by the social

media revolution, this technology is also a powerful tool to increase an organizations’

effectiveness. Social media “includes blogs, social networking environments, person-to-person

and broadcast messaging, and other Web 2.0 applications… Social media use has significant

implications for emergency management practice and policy” (Palen, 2008, p.76). Palen’s

investigation of recent disasters such as the Virginia Tech shootings and the 2007 Southern

California wildfires demonstrated “the use of online social media as an emergent, significant,

and often accurate form of public participation and backchannel communication” (p.76). On the

other hand, Freberg (2012) asserted that “contemporary public relations practice, and crisis

communications in particular, is being challenged by the emergence of social media” (p. 416).

Basically, social media is built upon a “network sociality” (Miller, 2008), which is the

instrument of social bonding. The mutual symbiosis of public society is communicated through

the exchange of data information in this digital technology. This plethora of information consists

of numerous channels which allow reciprocal interaction between one person to many or many-

to-many. Therefore, Freberg (2012) stressed the need to provide reliable information in social

media especially during crisis.

Viral messages conveyed via social media could be an advantage or disadvantage to

crisis professionals because information can contain all kinds of “noise”. Depending on the

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background of audience members, information can also be perceived differently by individuals.

Goolsby (2010) elaborated that “a new kind of quickly formulated, powerful community has

formed as existing social media communities, news organizations, and users have converged in

social media spaces to respond to sudden tragedies” (p.7). The responses of social media

communities eventually can become a clamor that will create dissonance for other parties.

Moreover, crises predominantly arise because technology has changed the rules of mass media

broadcasting.

Goolsby (2010) also asserted that social media has become a crisis platform. Chaotic

communication can be derived from social media because social media is not only about

technology transformation, but also social behavior transformation that can be analyzed through

several cases. Three cases are described below.

Chick-fil-A Public Relations Crisis of 2012

During an interview with The Baptist Press in July of 2012, Chick-fil-A’s president and

chief operating officer Dan Cathy was asked if his position was indeed anti-gay marriage. His

response: “Well, guilty as charged” (Blume, 2012). He reiterated the position a short while later

on “The Ken Coleman Show” when he said that attempting to redefine marriage would invite

“God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than

you as to what constitutes a marriage’” (Collier, 2012).

A media frenzy ensued, with celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, Jane

Lynch, and the Kardashian sisters calling for a boycott of Chick-fil-A (“Actor Ed Helms”, 2012).

Ed Helms from The Office posted on his Twitter account, “Chick-Fil-A doesn’t like gay people?

So lame. Hate to think what they do to the gay chickens! Lost a loyal fan” (Laird, 2012). The

mayor of Washington, D.C. accused the company of selling “hate chicken” (Roberts, 2012).

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Social media networks were abuzz and divided over the company’s declaration (Lynch, 2012).

Both protests and support continued and a national “Chick-fil-A Kiss Day” for homosexuals was

organized using social media and held on August 3, 2012 (Palmer, 2012). On the other hand, a

Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day was likewise held by supporters across the U.S. (Roberts, 2012).

A later press release claimed that Chick-fil-A had “ceased donating to organizations that

promote discrimination, specifically against LGBT civil rights” (“Chick-fil-A agrees”, 2012).

Days later, however, Cathy posted a comment on Mike Huckabee’s web site denying the claim,

saying, “We remain true to who we are and who we have been” (Ibid). A second press release

was issued days later stating that the company’s charitable donations – which equaled more than

$68 million from 2010-2012 – were based on education, family, youth and service, “not support

political or social agendas” (“Chick-fil-A giving”, 2013).

Chick-fil-A officials attempted to quell the controversy along the way by reaching out to

gay community activists, but without recanting Cathy’s statements. This was done by framing

the statements to explain that pro-traditional marriage did not equate to bigotry. For example,

Cathy posted a video on the company’s Facebook page saying that their position was to “treat

every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual

orientation or gender.” He then went on to say, “Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy

debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena” (Laird, July 19, 2012).

Within a matter of hours the post received over 47,000 Likes and 10,000 comments (ibid).

Another attempt at taming the backlash happened in August when Shane Windmeyer,

leader of the college lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) group Campus Pride met

with Cathy. Soon after Campus Pride blogged that it would stop its “5 Simple Facts about Chick-

fil-A” campaign (“Campus Pride suspends”, 2012).

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Eventually the company’s tactics worked and Chick-fil-A dropped out of the controversy.

Remarkably, its sales had increased by 12% in 2012 (Roberts, 2012). Windmeyer wrote a

Huffington Post article that went viral concerning his new friendship with Dan Cathy (2013).

While much of the news was relayed by professional reporters via television, newspaper, and

internet channels, a significant portion of these newscasts and their information were carried on a

tidal wave of Tweets, Facebook posts, and other social media outlets.

Taco Bell's "seasoned beef" meat filling lawsuit (2011)

In January 2011 a lawsuit was filed accusing Taco Bell of false advertising. Amanda

Obney, a California resident, claimed that the restaurant’s “seasoned beef” contained just 35%

meat, with the remaining 65% containing fillers such as “water, wheat oats, soy lecithin,

maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch” (“Taco Bell sued,” 2011). This

meant that, legally, the product could not be called “meat” (ibid).

In response Taco Bell launched a huge PR campaign. It used both newspaper ads and

social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook (Bhasin, 2011), where the company’s

president, Greg Creed, flatly denied the allegations, saying that the seasoned beef was 88% real

meat and 12% flavoring. A complete list of ingredients for the seasoned beef was released.

WaveMetrix, a company that tracks social media posts to determine trending patterns and

outcomes, surveyed YouTube and Facebook consumers about their reactions to Taco Bell’s

online messages. Results showed that 91% of Facebook and 89% of YouTube respondents

reacted positively (Pilkington, 2011, February 7). Social media sites discussing the lawsuit often

described it as “ridiculous”, while many others praised Taco Bell’s strategy for handling the

ordeal (ibid). The lawsuit was dropped just three months after it began (“Lawsuit dropped”,

2011).

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Taco Bell’s handling of the situation is praiseworthy. Its public relations message was a

mix of commiserative and defensive (Swann, 2008), and its use of traditional and social media

outlets saturated key publics with their reply. Proper concern for the situation was shown: Key

publics and the press were immediately and consistently contacted to reassure and assert Taco

Bell’s side of the story. Their defensive strategy involved denial of the allegations, but they were

careful to publicly attack the allegations and not Obney. Likewise, there was not countersuit for

libel or slander damages, even though one may have been justified. Although a strategy of attack

may have been justified, Taco Bell’s executives apparently realized the strength of their situation

and chose to limit reprisals. Instead they allowed users of social media to reach and share their

own conclusions, which likely strengthened the company’s position.

KV Pharmaceuticals

In 2011 KV Pharmaceutical received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) for Makena, a drug developed to prevent premature birth in mothers who

have a high risk of such incidents. Generic versions of the drug had been available for years

through pharmaceutical compounding (combining multiple drugs, usually done by pharmacies)

at about ten to twenty dollars per dose; KV initially proposed $1500 per dose (Maugh II, 2011).

Under the Orphan Drug Act, FDA approval forced a removal of virtually all of these generic

drugs, giving KV a monopoly in order to reclaim development costs. Accordingly, KV sent

letters to pharmacies that they needed to stop making the compound available (Grogan, 2011).

Unsurprisingly, the high cost outraged consumers and healthcare professionals alike

(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2011, March 14). Social media forums

buzzed with negative thoughts about both the drug and KV Pharmaceutical, with some calling

for a boycott of all KV’s products (Pilkington, 2011, April 4). A Facebook campaign titled

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“Shame on you, KV Pharmaceutical and CEO Greg Divis” was started

(https://www.facebook.com/pages/ Shame-on-you-KV-Pharmaceutical-and-CEO-Greg-

Divis/205462536133171). In response KV publicized that it would halve the price to $690 per

injection and offer further rebates to reduce the price. Using a variety of means, the company

asserted that “85% of patients will pay $20 or less” (Grogan, 2011).

Nevertheless, a short time later the FDA stepped in, stating that because KV

Pharmaceutical “received considerable assistance from the federal government with the

development of Makena”, the FDA would not be enforcing the monopoly in this instance

(Grogan, 2011).

Even though the price was eventually reduced, key publics remained discontented. The

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a news release calling

the price cut “a woefully inadequate response” and an acknowledgment of “the negative impact

of their original pricing strategy” (2011, April 1). In this case, KV Pharmaceutical’s strategy was

not just blind to social or health care impacts. It was blind to the ability of its key publics to use

social media to inform and unite each other against perceived injustices and the companies or

individuals that perform the alleged misdeeds.

Research Questions

Based on the significance that social media have come to play in organizational

relationships, our purpose is to explore in-depth the interplay of social media. Our abiding

research questions are:

RQ 1: How does crisis management alter or transfer public perception and behavior within time

and space?

RQ 2: What strategies should PR practitioners use to integrate social media with traditional

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strategic communications?

RQ 3: Is social media different enough to require its own version of strategic communication

planning?

Method

Introduction

This study is an exploratory investigation, meant to analyze the context and depth of social

media’s effects of strategic communication in general and crisis management in particular. Its

research questions are socio-organizational and fit within a critical paradigm philosophy: There

is no simple or absolute truth to discover; rather, the relationships of new media technologies and

changing key publics are being examined. Additionally, the research questions are well suited to

be addressed by an emic (insider) perspective. All of these characteristics are best suited to

qualitative research, which is essentially an interpretive endeavor that considers context an

essential factor in its investigations.

The Interviewing Method

The primary method of data collection for this study was informant interviews of

established professionals. Both individuals possessed years of experience in strategic planning.

As a method, the interview assumes that understanding and knowledge can be gained through

conversations, stories, context and body language. People – especially experts in the area of

study – can be a tremendous source of knowledge since they often experience and manage the

issues being explored on a regular basis. The method is flexible enough to allow for additional

questions or salient tangents, can be conducted virtually anywhere, and information gleaned can

be verified by comparing responses from different participants.

As with any research method, interviews have inherent limitations: The information is

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not generalizable because it cannot be reliably duplicated. Validity may be threatened by

researcher bias or poorly worded questions. Disjuncture may occur when there are

inconsistencies between what is said and what is observed by subjects, or inconsistencies

between two or more researcher observations.

Fortunately, measures can be taken to limit these weaknesses. In the case of this study,

the authors sought to control bias by triangulation – using multiple measures to validate

observations. These procedures included framing the study using research questions, having both

researchers participate in each interview by observing nonverbal cues and taking notes, and peer

review of coded data. As for instrument validity, the interview questions were carefully worded

to reflect this study’s research questions, and were then reviewed by the authors’ instructor.

Collection of Data

Collection of data for this study was derived from a purposive sample, which Wimmer &

Dominick (2011) described as a nonprobability sample “which includes respondents, subjects or

elements selected for specific characteristics or qualities…In other words, the sample is

deliberately selected non-randomly” (p.94). This sample method was chosen because researchers

have found this approach to be an excellent fit for the exploration of questions such as those in

this study. Thus, we selected two interview participants whose expertise and background are

mainly correlated with our research in social media, strategic communication, and crisis

management.

Interviews were conversational and based on the structured questions. This approach

allowed the researchers to have opportunity to build rapport and to follow up with probing

questions. McNamara (2009) explained that this approach “allows a degree of freedom and

adaptability in getting information from the interviewee” (as cited in Turner, 2010, p.755).

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All necessary instruments for the interview sessions were prepared beforehand. The

interviews began by briefing the subjects and having them read and sign confidentiality and

privacy forms. Both interviews were recorded digitally, with one interviewer asking most of the

questions while the other observed body language. The entire process took about 40 minutes for

participant one and 35 minutes for participant two. At the end of the interviews, researchers

granted the opportunity for respondents to provide any additional information.

Analysis of Data

The recordings of both interviews were transcribed by the researchers and entered into

NVivo 9, a software program designed for qualitative research. Data was then organized into

major patterns and themes with a constant comparative analysis, and the results were discussed

and interpreted. In general, constant comparative analysis is utilized for grounded theory analysis

which constitutes open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. However, there were two

kinds of coding in this analysis: Open coding and NVivo coding. These two codings were

compared in order to determine and “define each category’s properties with greater precision”

(Lindlof & Taylor, 2011, p. 251).

In sum, this analysis provided guidelines for viewing how categories differentiate and

interrelate with each other. Fram (2013) noted:

The Constant Comparative Analysis method is an iterative and inductive process of

reducing the data through constant recoding (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Incidents or data

are compared to other incidents or data during the process of coding. This process

begins with open coding to develop categories from the first round of data reduction

and further reducing and recoding allows possible core categories to emerge. (p.3)

Furthermore, on this analysis, Strauss & Corbin (1990) developed a structured coding process

The Role of Social Media 15

with axial coding step for constant comparative analysis method. Axial coding develops

connections between categories in specific ways. Strauss & Corbin explained that “the process of

integrating categories or axial coding is the interactional strategies [of context] which it is

handled, managed, carried out, and [diminished] the consequences of those strategies” (as cited

in Lindlof & Taylor, 2011, p.252).

Interview Protocols

The interviews were conducted based on a structured and detailed protocol. Questions

were as follows:

1. How have social media changed the field of PR or strategic communication?

2. What strategies should PR practitioners use to integrate social media with traditional

strategic communications?

3. How do social media biases affect traditional media?

4. In your experience, how effective is crisis management in influencing opinions of key

publics during an emergency?

5. How can social media be used proactively and reactively in dealing with crises?

6. Is social media different enough to require its own version of strategic communication

planning?

Results

Interview participants were experts in corporate communications, social media, strategic

communication, and crisis management. One currently works at a large, private, Midwestern

university as part of the business school; and the other works for Dell as a Social Media Director.

Both appeared to be enthusiastically engaged in these topics, shared their views and insights

openly, and shared positive nonverbal cues while answering interview questions.

The Role of Social Media 16

Based on interview protocols and the transcriptions, the researchers explored the data

using NVivo 9, a qualitatively based research software, to code terms, ideas, and identify themes.

A tag cloud and tree map aided in this process (see appendix 1.1 and 1.2, respectively). Utilizing

constant comparative analysis and data interpretations, three main themes emerged: 1) the

importance of integrating social media into the strategic communication processes; 2) utilization

of social media in crisis management; and 3) construction of brand awareness through social

media. These topics are elaborated below.

Importance of Integrating Social Media into the Strategic Communication Processes

Incorporating social media into the lifeline of a company’s communication processes has

become pivotal in today’s technological era. Participant one noted an example of how social

media can elevate a company’s reputation and revenue:

There is a tire company called Pirelli based in Milan, Italy. They bought a giant tire

manufacturer call Metzler, and Metzler primarily made motorcycle tires; and they were

number 12 in the marketplace. So they decided to aggressively pursue a social media

strategy primarily on Facebook. So they identified key opinion leaders in motorcycle

tires… And through Facebook they also invited people to rallies – specific rides – and

they also identified people and invited testers for their new products. Basically, they

[could have] use traditional marketing, [but] they used social media marketing. They

were able to move from the number 11 or 12 to become the number three tire seller in

about an 18 month period. That is a dramatic shift and they did it all by building online

communities.

In this case, social media provided Pirelli/Meltzer the means to organize customers via an online

community. In return, Pirelli’s has been able to track client behavior and trends better, and its

The Role of Social Media 17

client base expanded and brand loyalty soared. As with any good public relations campaign,

social media helped supply a win-win situation for both parties.

Cost of traditional advertising verses social networking.

Another advantage of social media is cost. Traditional advertising can be prohibitively

expensive for many companies’ budgets. Social media, however, provide a low-cost or no-cost

alternative. Participant one elaborated on how it may also be budget-saving during a crisis:

You ask how should social media fit into strategic communication plan? Well, if you do

not invest in a network and you are facing crisis, you can’t get one overnight. And the

only option will be somewhat ineffective using traditional media. So what I’m saying is

it’s worth that money to invest in social media network and build online communities.

While this is true, it should be noted that social media is not well suited to reaching all

demographics. A more mature audience, for instance, is less likely to be heavily participating in

social media or Internet activities. In this case, traditional media methods may be more effective

despite the additional costs.

In summary, both interview participants identified the significance of social media and

discussed its need to be integrated into strategic communication processes. These reasons include

social media’s ability to reach a global market, increasing revenue and decreasing expenditures,

improving customer support, relations, and loyalty, improved branding, establishing a check and

balance system through commentaries, and measuring client actions and behaviors.

Utilizing Social Media in the Crisis Management Process

The application of social media in a crisis emerged as a prominent theme in the

interviews. Like other mass communication tools, social media was seen to be a powerful tool in

fixing or creating a crisis. Both participants agreed that social media is an indispensible tool for

The Role of Social Media 18

public relations in general and crisis management in particular. Although adopting social media

has provided companies with challenges, the benefits outweigh the risks if it is integrated into the

strategic solutions of PR practitioners.

As participant one stated, “Social media has made it possible for everybody to have a

voice to be heard and sometimes even the uneducated sound very loud”. One of the most radical

ways that social media has changed the face of managing crises is the pace at which problems

arise. Participant two pointed out that, whereas the industry once maintained cadence with

traditional media deadlines, problems can now arise on a 24 hour basis anywhere in the world.

The upside to this, however, is that technology can be used to perform environmental scanning

by monitoring social media discussions – also on a 24 hour basis, anywhere in the world.

Scanning software such as this is used extensively at Dell:

Two years ago we launched our social media distant command center... On the back end

we’ve got this software that ultimately pulls in everything that’s being said about us in

real time, and it activates it in order to find regular trends, so that if we see something

that’s being discussed about us that is potentially escalating negative[ly], we can see that

happening in real time and figure out how we can best address it quickly and kind of stem

the tide, if you will. So within PR we now use this command center as an early warning

system, ultimately, which tells us when things are breaking in our products before they go

mainstream because we can see the trends there as they’re happening.

The advantage to this is that social media makes it easier to remedy a crisis or avoid it altogether.

Dell also uses this tracking technology to proactively help clients by monitoring feeds of

frustrated customers. Thus, even though a Dell employee is never contacted, a member of its

Social Outreach Services may contact a customer and offer help. “Support has always been a

The Role of Social Media 19

very reactive thing: You wait till your product breaks, then your customers will come to you and

you help them. We’ve sort of turned the table on its head and now proactively go out and look

for opportunities to surprise and delight our customers”.

Interestingly, responding to problems via social media will often trump responding to

problems through traditional media. An established social media network can often be the most

effective – and inexpensive – way to reach key publics when a crisis occurs. It can provide a

means to disseminate messages quickly, which can be an important factor. Participant one

emphasized that the event matters less than a company’s timely and proper response to it:

People always expect things to happen, like an airline crash, trains derail, and if you can’t

communicate what you done to minimize that, and how effectively you took care of that,

then that’s where we failed in our industry… It is the way you handle the response that

will determine how people feel about what happens…. So how you respond to things will

shape in people’s minds what they will remember.

Thus strategic communication planners must build a social network for their companies or they

will be left with limited tools for quelling a fire when it ignites. It is apparent that these two

experts in their field viewed social media as one of the most powerful instruments in the arsenal

of a public relations practitioner.

Constructing Brand Awareness through Social Media

The two interviewees also saw social media as a potent tool for constructing brand

awareness. Its inclusion as a component of the overall strategy to achieve company objectives

was considered essential and – in most cases – more effective than traditional media. Public

relations deadlines once coincided with media industry deadlines. Now, with the proper

utilization of social media technologies, businesses can create their own brand images for a

The Role of Social Media 20

fraction of the cost of traditional media channels. This also permits a more personal touch and

greater customer loyalty for brands.

Tracking trends using social media.

Participant one was especially interested in tracking the influence of social media on real-

world actions, noting that this causal link should be much easier to track than traditional media.

The ability to find this link would increase social media’s value to marketers exponentially, as

they would then be able to target audiences with greater precision.

Emphasize the strategic in strategic planning.

In this vein, participant two stressed that simply creating a company Facebook page or

Twitter page is not enough – a carefully planned strategy is essential to successfully utilizing

social media.

It’s got to be more of that strategic approach, understanding what the company’s trying to

do and really planning around ways that you can ultimately augment the plans that are the

goal. And when you do that you begin to look at things differently… That’s when you

need to be [saying], “Let’s use the channels that ultimately are frequented by the people

we are trying to target, to accomplish our corporate objectives”. Most parties definitely

need to slow down… They have no way of measuring social [media]’s impact on their

reputation, no way of knowing social’s impact on their net promoter score or on sales or

support; and they’re destined to fail.

For all of its reach, if social media is not used within the context of a company’s larger goals and

aimed at the company’s key publics, it will be of little benefit.

Two-way versus one-way communication with customers.

Social media creates brand awareness and loyalty in two primary ways: It allows

The Role of Social Media 21

customers to directly interact with a business so that they become acquainted with their products

and corporate image on a personal level; and it permits greater opportunity for consumer

endorsement of products. Until recently, traditional media outlets have acted as mediaries

between companies and customers, but “social media has allowed us to bypass the media and

work directly with customers” (participant two). Participant two described how Dell has

established a large online community of employees who have been trained and authorized to

interact with clientele on the company’s behalf. The program for training employees is called the

Social Media and Communities University, or SMaC U. This program emerged when Dell

supervisors

decided that anyone who wants to engage with customers through social media… on

behalf of our brand, they can go through this training program, SMaC U. It will teach you

the basic knowledge, the basics of social media. It will teach you how to use it

personally, but also how to use it on behalf of the brand and how to maintain an

appropriate brand awareness. So today at Dell we have 7500 certified employees who

have gone through eight hours’ worth of training… and are certified to go out on Twitter,

Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+; they can speak to customers on behalf of the brand and

have that direct interaction.

“Eliminating the middleman” by providing online customer service has built customer rapport

and brand loyalty for the company thus far. When asked about the potential risk of authorizing so

many employees to represent their company via mass media, participant two acknowledged the

danger. He then emphasized that the training program helped mitigate those risks, then summed

up the essence of the matter: “Yeah, there’s a downside. But we believe that the benefit far

outweighs the risk”.

The Role of Social Media 22

Discussion

The use of social media has brought a new spectrum into the realm of crisis management

because its framing values, which shape and influence public perceptions, can target key publics

with greater precision. For instance, when a potential crisis arises people immediately begin

discussing the event online, even if the full context is not yet known. A watchful public relations

team can then insert salient information and explanations into conversations so that negative

images are not amplified or exaggerated.

In managing crises, a company’s response matters more than the disrupting events. It is

imperative to always have a plan. In the back of their minds, people expect procedural

difficulties or mechanical failures to happen. “If they feel they are not being told what has been

done to fix it then the communication has failed. It’s the same way in responding to a crisis: It is

the way you handle the response that will determine how people feel about what happened”

(participant one). This eventually is the successful handling of a crisis. “They were able to

position their actions in the context of... being proactive” because they set the effective tone in

reaching the public through the right channels.

Traditional Media not Outdated

The advantages of integrating social media into a company’s strategic communication

processes clarify why traditional media is no longer enough to reach the digital frontier. In the

world of public relations, the representation of brands has changed because of new technology.

“All of a sudden every brand is a publisher, and we’re in a position now where we are more

focused on our own editorial content than we ever have been before. We no longer rely [solely]

on the media to carry our story” (participant two.) In the last quotation the word “solely” was

inserted because Dell still uses traditional media extensively, but its messages include a synergy

The Role of Social Media 23

of traditional and newer online technology to keep the company strong in the market:

The Reputation Institute several years ago in [a] magazine, they identified six reputation

drivers... that ultimately determine how the brand is viewed. It ultimately decided the

overall reputation. So we take those six reputation drivers and every month through our

PR efforts we’re able to show how we’ve seen changes in these individual reputation

drivers. So yeah, we measure very closely. We get traditional media; we also measure

across a spectrum of drivers for our social media.

The evidence in this investigation strongly suggests that social media is not different

enough to require its own version of strategic communication planning. It has indeed surpassed

traditional media in many ways, but traditional media as yet has the ability to reach key publics

that social media cannot; and many companies use both tools to achieve their objectives with

great effect. The use of social media has accelerated the world of strategic communication and

public relations, much like drivers who are accustomed to driving pacific, rural streets entering

the autobahn: Everything is accelerated, but for those who adapt, destinations can be reached that

may not have been attainable before.

Conclusion

Adopting social media into the scheme of strategic communication is a chief matter for

any extant business to consider. Although some markets may get by for long periods of time

before adopting new technologies, public relations practitioners in all areas can ill afford such a

luxury where the Internet and social media are concerned. Social media has increased the tempo

and complexity of doing business, but this research suggests that lower costs, the ability to reach

and interact with key publics, and the ability to prevent or quell crises make the benefits

outweigh difficulties. This does not suggest that social media has outdated all other “tools of

The Role of Social Media 24

trade”. Rather, this suggests that it is a tool that should be adopted into the business strategist’s

arsenal and then used intelligently in support of company goals.

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Appendix

Figure 1 (Tag Cloud)

about accomplish actually affect after already always approach around because before being better biases brand campaign changed commentary communicate

communication communications company corporate created crises crisis customer customers deadlines definitely different directly doing don’t drivers effective

employees every everybody everything facebook first going great group happen industry influence integrated issues little management marketing measure measuring

media message negative never online order organization other people planning probably public question really relations reputation respond

right should social something sometimes specific start strategic support taken talking thing things think those through together traditional trying ultimately we’re we’ve where which within would years you’re

Figure 2 (Tree Map)

The Role of Social Media 31

Figure 3

SOCIAL

MEDIA /

NEW MEDIA STRATEGIC

COMMUNICATION

CRISIS

MANAGEMENT

TRADITIONAL

MEDIA