Is Crisis Communication Facing an Uphill Battle with Today's Consumers?
(2021) IBUH19 20211Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- This study investigates how Swedish students perceive apology marketing when used in response to racism scandals through a qualitative multi-case study design. An imbalance is recognised between the conventional theoretical frameworks, the emergence of social media, and the increased awareness among consumers. Subsequently, this thesis explores the applicability of conventional theoretical frameworks in the current digital society and the role of apology marketing in a broader context. By drawing parallels between the literature and our empirical findings, gathered through semi-structured interviews, discrepancies are identified advocating for the obsolescence of existing theories on crisis communication in today’s context. Our study finds... (More)
- This study investigates how Swedish students perceive apology marketing when used in response to racism scandals through a qualitative multi-case study design. An imbalance is recognised between the conventional theoretical frameworks, the emergence of social media, and the increased awareness among consumers. Subsequently, this thesis explores the applicability of conventional theoretical frameworks in the current digital society and the role of apology marketing in a broader context. By drawing parallels between the literature and our empirical findings, gathered through semi-structured interviews, discrepancies are identified advocating for the obsolescence of existing theories on crisis communication in today’s context. Our study finds that the belief-driven consumers’ expectations and current efforts by organisations are yet to be aligned. Organisations are expected to lead by example and take a stance on social issues, as such, engaging in apology marketing is more than restoring consumer trust and brand image. Overall, the empirical findings point to the fact that apology marketing is at an end for the aware and critical consumers in terms of its theory and the current corporate practice. This study encourages future research to explore the role of culture on the perception of apology marketing. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9051421
- author
- Cederberg, Felicia LU and Johansson, Sophie LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- Students' perception of crisis apology marketing as a response to racism scandals
- course
- IBUH19 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- crisis communication, apology marketing, belief-driven consumer, transgression, social media
- language
- English
- id
- 9051421
- date added to LUP
- 2021-06-24 14:51:05
- date last changed
- 2021-06-24 14:51:05
@misc{9051421, abstract = {{This study investigates how Swedish students perceive apology marketing when used in response to racism scandals through a qualitative multi-case study design. An imbalance is recognised between the conventional theoretical frameworks, the emergence of social media, and the increased awareness among consumers. Subsequently, this thesis explores the applicability of conventional theoretical frameworks in the current digital society and the role of apology marketing in a broader context. By drawing parallels between the literature and our empirical findings, gathered through semi-structured interviews, discrepancies are identified advocating for the obsolescence of existing theories on crisis communication in today’s context. Our study finds that the belief-driven consumers’ expectations and current efforts by organisations are yet to be aligned. Organisations are expected to lead by example and take a stance on social issues, as such, engaging in apology marketing is more than restoring consumer trust and brand image. Overall, the empirical findings point to the fact that apology marketing is at an end for the aware and critical consumers in terms of its theory and the current corporate practice. This study encourages future research to explore the role of culture on the perception of apology marketing.}}, author = {{Cederberg, Felicia and Johansson, Sophie}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{Is Crisis Communication Facing an Uphill Battle with Today's Consumers?}}, year = {{2021}}, }