Crisis Communication Management: Applying Theory To Real Cases Read Online ✦ Bonus Inside

The crisis: A Valentine’s Day ice storm grounded 1,100 JetBlue flights. Passengers sat on tarmacs for up to 11 hours. No food. No working toilets. The CEO, David Neeleman, was in a tunnel with no cell service.

How do you bridge the gap? Let’s look at three major theories and apply them directly to real cases you actually remember. The Rule: Match your response to the level of crisis responsibility. Victim (low responsibility) → Accommodate . Accidental (moderate) → Justify . Preventable (high) → Apologize/Recall .

The crisis: A passenger, Dr. David Dao, was violently dragged off an overbooked flight. Videos went viral. Blood on his face. Other passengers screaming. The crisis: A Valentine’s Day ice storm grounded

In the classroom, we learn elegant models—Coombs’ Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), Benoit’s Image Repair Theory, and the simple 3Ps (People, Product, Process). In the real world, however, the CEO is panicking, Twitter is on fire, and the legal team is screaming, "Say nothing!"

The crisis: KFC switched delivery partners to DHL. It went horribly wrong. Hundreds of UK stores ran out of chicken. #KFCCrisis trended globally. Angry customers posted photos of locked KFC signs next to "finger lickin’ good" slogans. No working toilets

The theory applied (badly first): Initially, JetBlue used (a low-responsibility response). "It's the weather." But SCCT says: Weather is a victim crisis, but the lack of contingency plans is a preventable crisis. By waiting 6 hours to cancel flights, JetBlue owned the blame.

The result: United stock dropped $1.4 billion in value. Munoz later called it a "humbling experience." Let’s look at three major theories and apply

Don't just look at the cause (weather). Look at your response to the cause. If your process fails, SCCT demands an apology, not an excuse. Theory 2: Image Repair Theory (Benoit) The Rule: When your reputation is damaged, you have five options: Denial, Evading Responsibility, Reducing Offensiveness, Corrective Action, or Mortification (full apology).