Big organisations and companies in game development and distribution have in recent years become involved in public-relations crises. In the past you could see that dissatisfied consumers have an impact on the image for organisations. To find out how an organisation can stop or mitigate a bad image, an analysis was conducted of Activision Blizzard’s communication to the public during their Public-relations crises, with a connection to strategic communications theories. The method used in the study was a Content analysis with a deductive approach to critically analyse the messages that was communicated during the public-relations crises the organisation had. The results of the analysis gave information for both Successful communication and communication that could have been improved with the strategic communications theories. With this information there is another source for crisis managers to construct messages during a crisis to either stop or mitigate a bad image. The study also gives an example on how to analyse an organisations crisis communication critically.

Crisis management encompasses a range of strategies, including crisis communication, which plays a critical role in maintaining a company’s reputation and managing stakeholders’ perceptions during challenging situaions. This study investigates the crisis communication practices employed by Red Bull GmbH during a crisis situation. The aim is to assess whether the company adheres to established guidelines outlined in the literature for effective crisis communication. The research methodology involves the collection and analysis of documentary data from various public communication channels, including social media, websites, and published articles. Content analysis is conducted inconjunction with existing research, incorporation the Situational Crisis Communication Theory and Stakeholder Theory frameworks. The findings reveal the Red Bull GmbH predominantly aligns with the literature’s recommendations, notably by demonstrating empathy in incidents, disclaiming responsibility, and emphasizing their own expertise.

2023 kunde Aftonbladet avslöja en granskning med motsägande information kring H&Ms annars utstickande hållbarhetsarbete. Det framkom i granskningen att H&Ms klädinsamling som har kommit till att bli den största i världen inte återanvänder eller återvinner kläderna på det sättet som utlovas och att flera av plaggen hamnar på platser, som världens värsta dumpningsplats i Benin. Krisen utifrån ett kommunikationsperspektiv blir således intressant att undersöka för att se hur ett multinationellt företag som H&M kriskommunicerar när deras annars utstickande varumärkesprofilering som grön ledande aktör på marknaden ifrågasätts. Följande studie syftar därav till att undersöka varumärket H&Ms kriskommunikation via tre uttalanden kring denna kris av vdn Helena Helmersson. Detta kommer göras med hjälp av en kvalitativ innehållsanalys för att besvara studiens två forskningsfrågor och uppfylla studiens syfte. Analysen använder Image repair theory och Situational crisis communication theory för att analysera studiens material genom att koda och kategorisera. Begreppet greenwashing applicerades vidare för att kunna synliggöra kommunikationens budskap. Studien kom fram till att Helmersson inte använder sig av de rekommenderade försvarsstrategierna utan använder sig istället av enkelt förnekande, goda avsikter, bolstering, hänvisa till ett högre syfte och attack. Vidare kom studien vidare fram till att Helmerssons kriskommunikation kan förstås i dimensionera av greenwashing som ett underliggande budskap.

In early January 2018, the clothing company H&M released a new collection for children. One of the sweaters in the collection was printed with the text "Coolest monkey in the jungle". The shirt was worn by a dark-skinned child and H&M was accused of racism. This is because the word "monkey" has historically been used as a racist slur to downgrade dark-skinned people. Throughout the scandal H&M has published an official press release, as well as a number of posts on social media, each of which affects the scandal. The purpose of the study is to analyze H&Ms crisis communication with regard to the strategies they used during the shirt scandal. The main question of the study is how did H&M's crisis communication express itself in text during the shirt scandal. The theories used in the study are William Benoit's image repair theory (2014) and Timothy Coombs Situational crisis communication theory (2007), abbreviated SCCT. The methods used are a qualitative content analysis, text analysis and a rhetorical analysis. The qualitative content analysis is based on the chosen theories, so that the survey can extract the underlying message that H&M wants to convey. While the text analysis processes the text itself and how the company wants the reader to perceive the message and how H&M’s texts interact with each other. The rhetorical analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of the text's underlying message and structure with the actual text as a starting point. The rhetorical analysis is done by analysing the text’s structure with the rhetoric disposition scheme as a starting point. H&M’s crisis communication is in this case related to what is proposed in the strategic theories of crisis communication. The main crisis communication strategies used by H&M were admitting responsibility, asking for forgiveness and corrective actions. The rhetoric analysis has shown that the press release and posts on social media have different functions. The press release make greater importance to the structure of the disposition scheme, while the social media posts rather contain certain parts, for example, a greater focus on pathos and the preparatory of counter arguments while communicating to individuals rather than the public.

Text in English, abstracts and keywords in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / Secondary educational institutions need to constantly scan their environment for crises that could hamper their operations and hinder the achievement of their organisational objectives. These institutions should also engage their strategic stakeholders in a mixed motive communication to collaboratively discuss the crises and find amicable solutions; thereby avoiding crises like the proliferating student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya. This study explored the need for a customised Proactive Crisis Communication Process (PCCP) framework for secondary educational institutions in Kenya to avoid student strikes. A two-phased approach was adopted to collect the data. The first phase involved 12 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with the principals of the secondary educational institutions in Mirangine Sub-County, while the second phase involved five focus group discussions with the students of Ruiru Secondary School. The results indicated that student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya were proliferating and that despite this, these institutions lack proactive measures to avoid strikes. Hence, this study posited a PCCP framework that proposed various proactive measures to avoid student strikes in secondary educational institutions in Kenya. / Sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings moet konstant hul omgewing ondersoek vir krisisse wat hul bedrywighede kan belemmer en die bereiking van hul organisatoriese doelwitte kan verhinder. Hierdie instellings moet ook hul strategiese belanghebbers by gemengdemotief- kommunikasie betrek om gesamentlik die krisisse te bespreek en minlike oplossings te vind; en sodoende krisisse soos die toenemende studentestakings in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia te vermy. In hierdie studie is die nodigheid vir ʼn doelgemaakte ProaktieweKrisiskommunikasieproses (PCCP)-raamwerkvir sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia ondersoek om studentestakings te voorkom. ʼn Tweefase-benadering is gevolg om die data in te samel. Die eerste fase het 12 halfgestruktureerde onderhoude behels wat een-tot-een met die hoofde van die sekondêre opvoedkundige instellingsin Mirangine Sub-Countygevoer is, terwyl die tweede fase bestaan het uit vyf fokusgroepbesprekings met die studente van RuiruSecondarySchool. Die resultate het getoon dat studentestakings in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellingsin Kenia vinnig toeneem en dat hierdie instellings, ten spyte daarvan, nie oor proaktiewe maatstawwe beskik om stakings af te weer nie.Gevolglik het hierdie studie ʼn PCCP-raamwerk aangeneem wat verskeie proaktiewe maatstawwe voorstel om stakings deur studente in sekondêre opvoedkundige instellings in Kenia te verhoed. / Izikhungo zemfundoyomkhakhawamasekhondari kumele zihlale ziqaphele ukuthi akukho yini endaweniezikuyookungasusaudweshubesekuphazamisaukusebenzakwazokuvimbe impumeleloyazoezinhloswenizayo.Lezizikhungokumelezibuyezisebenzisane nabathintekayo balawule amasu okusebenza ukuba kubenokuxhumana okunhlobonhlobo kuxoxwe ngokubambisana ngodweshu olungavela nokuthi lungasonjululwa kanjani ngendlela egculisayo; ngaleyo ndlela-ke ingagwemeka imibhikisho yabafundi elokhu isabalala ezikhungwenj zamasekhondari eKenya. Lolu cwaningoluhlola isidingo sohlaka lwekhethelo lokusheshe kusukunyelweudweshu lungakenzeki,i-Proactive Crisis Communication Process (PCCP) olungasebenza ezikhungweni zemfundo yamasekhondari eKenya ukuze kugwenywe imibhikisho yabafujni. Kwemukelwaindlela ezigaba zimbili yokuqoqainingwane. Isigaba sokuqala ngokuxoxisana okuyi-12 komuntu ebhekene nomuntu okuthi akuhleleke nje, okwenziwa nothishanhloko bezukhungo zemfundi yamasekhondaribaseMiringane Sub-County, kanti isigaba sesibili sabandakanya izingxoxo eziyisihlanu zamaqembu agxike kokuthile nje, zenziwa nabafundi besikole iRuri Secondary School. Imiphumela yaveza ukuthi imibhikisho ezikhungweni zemfundo yamasekhondari eKenya yabe yanda nokuthi nangaphandle kwalokhu izikhungo lezi zazingenazo izinyathelo ezingazithatha ngaphambi kwesikhathi ukuvimba ukwenziwa kwemibhikisho. Yikho-ke lolu cwaningo luphakamisa uhlaka lwe-PCCP oluncoma izinyathelo ezahlukene okumele zisheshe zithathwe ukugwema imibhikisho yabafundi ezikhungweni zamasekhondari eKenya. / Communication / M.A. (Communication)