What Matters Most in Crisis

In public relations, a perfectly worded statement cannot fix a credibility problem on its own. Audiences have access to social media, videos and real-time information that allows them to compare what an organization says with what it actually does. Trust depends on whether communication and behavior tell the same story.

Transparency Builds Trust

The 2015 Disneyland measles outbreak demonstrates how organizations can protect trust without attempting to control every part of a crisis. Disney cooperated with health officials while the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regurarly communicated information about the outbreak and vaccination. By relying on credible experts rather than positioning itself as a public health authority, Disney emerged relatively unaffected. United Airlines demonstrates the risks of doing the opposite. After a passenger was forcibly removed from Flight 3411, videos quickly spread online. United’s initial response focused on procedures rather than acknowledging what the audiences saw. The company eventually apologized and changed policies, but the situation showed that organizations cannot communicate their way around visible evidence.

Authenticity Must Match Actions

Ryanair (2018) and John Fetterman’s Senate campaign (2023) demonstrate two sides of authenticity. Ryanair intentionally developed an abrasive personality, but customers eventually became frustrated with poor service and began choosing competitors to fly with instead. Its Always Getting Better program responded with actual changes, including reduced fees and improved customer service. Fetterman’s campaign used authenticity more effectively. His team maintained his established personality through humor, memes and social media, even creating a “voice guide” based on phrases and emojis he reguarly used. Rather than creating a new personality for social media, the campaign strengthened one audiences already recognizied.

The Bigger PR Lesson

Ultimately, these cases show that PR cannot manufacture trust through messaging alone. Disney relied on credible experts, United struggled when its words conflicted with visible evidence, Ryanair learned the limits of abrasive identity, and Fetterman benefitted from consistency. For PR professionals, the larger lesson here is that credibility comes when communication and behavior support each other.

References

Doll, M. K., & Correira, J. W. (2021). Revisiting the 2014-15 Disneyland measles outbreak and its influence on pediatric vaccinations. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics, 17(11), 4210–4215. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2021.1972707

VanSlette, S., & McClain, M. (2018). The case of Ryanair:  Demonstrating the benefits and the limits of incivility. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 7, 36-55. https://cssc-ojs-utexas.tdl.org/cssc/article/view/vanslettemcclain_ryanaircase

Ryanair. (2018). Ryanair Unveils 2018 “Always Getting Better” Plan including 5 Year Plan To Eliminate Plastics | Ryanair’s Corporate Website. Ryanair. https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/ryanair-unveils-2018-always-getting-better-plan-including-5-year-plan-to-eliminate-plastics/

VanSlette, S. (2023). Trolling and sick burns: John Fetterman’s winning social media strategy against Mehmet Oz in the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate campaign. Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 8, 1–15. https://cssc-ojs-utexas.tdl.org/cssc/article/view/229