Suchergebnisse

Using a two (crisis response strategy: diminish vs. rebuild) × three (source: brand organization vs. brand executive vs. brand fan) experimental design, this study examines how brand fans (i.e., consumers who identify with a brand) can be prompted to protect a brand's reputation during crises and how the selection of a crisis spokesperson can influence consumers' evaluations of the crisis communication. Being buffers for their preferred brands, brand fans are more likely to accept their brand's crisis response and engage in positive electronic word-of-mouth on social media. Brand fans are more likely to evaluate other brand fan's social media accounts as a credible crisis communication source, whereas those who are not brand fans are more likely to evaluate brand and/or brand executives as credible. Findings provide theoretical applications in paracrisis literature pertaining to social media but also practical implications for brand managers to strategically utilize brand fans in crisis communication.

Digital technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and big data analytics are altering public relations practices such as scanning social media and posting during crises. Crisis scholarship found these practices could potentially yield positive crisis outcomes such as increased reputational measures. However, research has not yet fully outlined the potential risks associated with using these tactics in crisis communication. Guided by situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), this study utilized a 2 (reputation repair strategy: Deny/Apology) x 2 (presence vs. absence of message personalization notification) factorial design experiment to determine how the utilization of algorithmic message personalization might influence reputational and source credibility evaluations during an athlete reputational crisis (ARC). Results revealed that reputation repair strategy selection indirectly influenced stakeholders' reputation evaluations via source credibility. This relationship was moderated by a notification of personalization. Theoretical and practical insights elucidate how the increased usage of algorithmic-based message personalization influences crisis communication outcomes.

AbstractThe current study aims to explore the role of personality in a nonprofit organization's advertisement on social media and how it influences two advertising components: the types of advertising appeal and social media metrics. A 2 (emotional vs. rational appeal) × 2 (high vs. low social media metrics) full‐factorial experiment was conducted. We found the positive effects of specific personality traits on attitude toward the ad and donation intention; the six HEXACO personality traits were positively related to attitude toward the ad, whereas Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to experience were the only traits positively related to donation intention. There was no interaction effect of the personality traits and the type of advertising appeal. We also found that Conscientiousness had a moderating role on the bandwagon effect of social media metrics, such that the bandwagon effects of social media metrics on the attitude toward the ad and donation intentions were only significant for participants with moderate (M) Conscientiousness and high (M + 1SD) Conscientiousness. Our findings will contribute to providing practical insights for how to design an effective nonprofit advertisement on social media as well as filling the gap in the literature on nonprofit advertising and personality.

Utilizing a 2 (race) × 2 (sex) × 3 (response strategy) factorial experiment, this study interrogates the extent to which an athlete's race and gender impacts the image repair process, specifically within the hypermediated realm of athlete transgressions. Using a national sample of 287 participants, results supported for the effectiveness of the mortification strategy above reducing offensiveness and evading responsibility strategies. Moreover, regardless of the transgression response, Black athletes were consistently rated more positively than their White athletic counterparts, deviating from the majority of prior research. Discussion of the role of the Black athlete is offered in light of the unexpected findings, with explanations postulated based on expectancy violation theory and the principle of covariance.

AbstractWhile public relations professionals are beginning to utilize psychographic data for more refined audience targeting methods, this study examines how elemental personality traits impact (1) crisis communication outcomes (lessen levels of attributed crisis responsibility, improve individual's reputation and increase positive word‐of‐mouth) and (2) evaluations of crisis response strategies during a paracrisis. This study utilized an experimental design with 368 collegiate participants. Results suggest that several underlying personality traits predict reputation repair‐outcomes regardless of the communication strategy used. For example, findings suggested that stakeholders who rated higher in gentleness and lower in modesty and social boldness reported higher reputational scores pertaining to the offending individual. Yet, other traits, such as prudence, interacted with strategies that prompt the offending individual's preferred crisis communication outcomes.

On April 29, 2013, Jason Collins became the first male to come out as gay as an active member in a professional team sport. This study examines two prongs of the media response to the Collins announcement, analyzing 364 newspaper articles and 7,556 tweets covering the first week of coverage of Collins' decision to make his sexual orientation public. Results showed an overwhelmingly positive yet bifurcated response between the two media platforms. Comparisons between media platforms and ramifications for theory and the increasingly public role of sexual orientation are offered.