The Use of Internet-Based Organization’s Media and Social Media in Handling Crisis Communication: A Case Analysis of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Explosion

Abstract

This study was conducted to analyze crisis communication strategy conducted by Samsung in handling Samsung Galaxy Note 7 explosion cases in the United States and South Korea occurred in August to October 2016. Samsung utilized internet-based organization’s media such as website and social media Twitter as communication channel during and after the crisis. This study attempted to discover how effective Samsung’s crisis communication through website and Twitter to address the global issues which threaten the company’s reputation is. This study used content analysis method which is suitable for Samsung Galaxy Note 7 case. Content analysis is used to identify crisis and post-crisis communication strategies conducted by Samsung by utilizing website and social media Twitter. The data in this study are taken from the content of Samsung’s Website and Twitter during and after the crisis. The findings of the study show that Samsung used the methods and strategies of crisis communication proposed by W. Timothy Coombs aimed at minimizing the negative impact of the crisis, striving to maintain the company’s operations, and how to improve reputation after the crisis. Through Twitter, Samsung is also doing post-crisis communications by creating innovations as they learned from the crisis.