Summary
The purpose of this study was to gain insight into social media users’ crisis response strategies. Rooted in situational crisis communication theory, this study examined social media sentiment toward the 2018 Australian cricket ball-tampering scandal. The results from this study outlined the stages social media users progressed through when responding to this crisis, resulting in the development of the Social Media Users’ Crisis Response (SMUCR) Framework. This framework provides insight for brands seeking to understand and predict how users will respond to a crisis on social media.

Method
This study employed multiple thematic analyses of social media sentiment around the 2018 Australian cricket ball-tampering scandal. The study was based on a sample consisting of all publicly available social media posts that used the hashtags #cricketaustralia and #balltampering in the 2018 calendar year. Salesforce Social Studio analyzed the sentiment of the posts and Leximancer, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, identified key themes in the social media posts and analyzed whether and how the conversation shifted during the year of the crisis.

Key Findings
— The nature of the online sentiment surrounding the Cricket Australia crisis evolved over the pre-crisis, during-crisis, and post-crisis time periods.
— The researchers identified four stages of social media users’ responses following the crisis situation.
During Stage 1: Framing and Identity Development, social media users gave the crisis an identity by labeling it with a descriptive name, activated their online “tribe,” and attacked the suspected culprits.
During Stage 2: Sense Making, social media users focused on specific individuals involved in the crisis to blame but also moved toward spreading “truth” to protect the brand, broadened the discussion beyond the crisis, and accepted the brand’s response.
During Stage 3: Accountability, the focus shifted to the conversation around changes the brand was implementing or criticism of brand instability.
During Stage 4: Vigilant Rebuilding, social media users acknowledged what happened, accepted it, and cautiously moved forward with optimism; yet amplification of any future brand-related crises or ongoing public scrutiny continued.

Implications for Practice
When facing a crisis situation, organizations should be transparent with social media users and empower them with accurate and timely information through their social media networks. It is imperative for brands to monitor social media activity closely and regularly, and this is particularly critical during a time of crisis. Practitioners should carry out social media listening to closely monitor and analyze social media activity generated by social media sources external to the organization (such as consumers, fans, followers, and other stakeholders). It is critical for public relations professionals to determine where the public lays the blame for the situation and address it to reduce reputational damage and increased negative sentiment.

Reference
Morgan, A., & Wilk, V. (2021). Social media users’ crisis response: A lexical exploration of social media content in an international sport crisis. Public Relations Review, 47(4), 102057.

Location of Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0363811121000497

Heidy Modarelli handles Growth & Marketing for IPR. She has previously written for Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, The Next Web, and VentureBeat.
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