Social media and corporate reputation during crises: the viability of video-sharing websites for providing counter-messages to traditional broadcast news

Abstract

Exemplification, or the use of highly emotional and arousing messages to elicit responses based on impression formation, has been shown to influence perceptions of events, individuals, and organizations. News coverage concerning the use of lean finely textured beef (LFTB) is one such example, and anecdotal evidence suggests that this coverage may have had a negative impact on public perception of the manufacturers producing LFTB. The current study examined the use of social media (specifically videosharing sites) as a means of combating the negative effects of exemplars concerning LFTB. Respondents reported their perceptions of threat severity, susceptibility, behavioral intentions to avoid LFTB, and perceptions of organizational trust and reputation associated with the manufacturer. The findings are consistent with exemplification theory and indicate that message ordering can influence exemplification effects. Results are discussed in terms of implications for public relations and risk communication.

An IDEA Model Analysis of Instructional Risk Communication in the Time of Ebola

“…When used strategically, exemplars can make complex information easier to understand and remember (Zillmann, 2006;Zillmann & Brosius, 2000). They can also be used to counter misleading negative exemplars, which often go viral on social media (D. D. Sellnow & Sellnow, 2014a;Spence et al, 2016). Incorporating positive exemplars may effectively reduce fear and heighten self-efficacy among disparate nonscientific publics receiving the messages.…”

“…The failure to offer positive exemplars in the messages shared by the CDC, Dallas news stories, and international organization websites as a counter to them appears to be an unfortunate oversight. Research has reported that positive exemplars can be effective in countering negative ones, reducing fear, and fostering self-efficacy, but only if they are actually offered and received by target populations (D. D. Sellnow & Sellnow, 2014a;Spence et al, 2015;Spence, Sellnow-Richmond, Sellnow, & Lachlan, 2016).…”

That Is So Gross and I Have to Post About It: Exemplification Effects and User Comments on a News Story

“…Previous exemplification research has looked at issues of susceptibility and severity of threats (Brosius & Bathelt, 1994;Spence et al, 2015Spence et al, , 2016Westerman et al, 2009, Westerman, Spence, andLachlan, 2012;Zillmann, Gibson, Sundar, & Perkins, 1996). Exemplification effects have been studied in numerous contexts and modalities.…”

“…Previous research has demonstrated that news stories containing exemplars can influence the perceptions of an organization's reputation (Spence et al, 2016). An organization's social legitimacy or responsibility is derived from how consumers and other stakeholders see the organization as managing risks in terms of the stakeholders' best interest (Palenchar, Hocke, & Heath, 2011).…”

Social Media Posts on Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Explosion: A Comparative Analysis of Crisis Framing and Sentiments in Three Nations

“…Therefore corporations can pay attention to ethical and responsibility aspects in their social media posts. Given the positive relationship between issue-specific frames and negative sentiment, corporations may continually monitor social media posts and post emotional stories in an effort to elicit positive audience perceptions (Spence, Sellnow-Richmond, Sellnow, & Lachlan, 2016).…”