Corporate Reputation Management during a Social-Mediated Crisis: The Case of Clicks-TRESEmme Controversy

Abstract

While social media now plays a central role in amplifying and managing corporate crises, limited empirical research has examined how organisations respond to and manage reputational crises in the South African social media context. This study examines how Clicks managed its corporate reputation during the TRESemmé controversy in a social-mediated South African context. Using the social-mediated crisis communication model (SMCC) and the image repair theory (IRT) as primary theoretical frameworks, and drawing on supporting insights from the situational crisis communication model (SCCT), the study answers three core questions: how was the Clicks-TRESemmé controversy framed and amplified on social media? Which crisis communication strategies did Clicks use to manage its reputation? And how were public segments and stakeholder engagement reflected in Clicks’ TRESEmmé controversy social media responses during the crisis? The empirical data for this study were collected through a qualitative case study approach. Four Clicks’ official statements, five third-party/external responses and ten public comments were purposely selected from social media platforms and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings show that crisis meaning was co-constructed by various social media actors who challenged Clicks’ crisis response, leading Clicks to lose control over the crisis narrative online. The findings further indicate that Clicks relied primarily on 4 image repair strategies, mortification, corrective action, bolstering and compensation to manage its reputation and restore its image. However, stakeholder responses demonstrated expectations and demands for corporate accountability, ethical responsibility and social responsiveness. The study contributes to social media crisis scholarship by highlighting how socio-cultural factors amplify crisis and affect reputational management in the digital space.