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Message Life Cycle and Firm Crisis: A Case Study

influence of messages. Third, stakeholder feedback and adjustment mechanisms refer to
stakeholder responses to crises caused by social media messages; such responses are often
guided by feedback received through social media. This message life cycle framework
supports the analysis of message influence development and has direct applications in

stakeholder crisis management.
A message may not always attract attention from social media users. Nevertheless,
when a message addresses a violation of shared values, such as plagiarism, users are likely

to respond to it. This response may result in the proliferation of messages that support or
refute the original message. Moreover, the users’ reactions may further intensify when
the subject of the original message possesses a favorable reputation. Consequently,
contradictory interpretations and competing narratives often emerge and circulate across
platforms, complicating efforts to assess the accuracy and credibility of the original

message.
In the emergence phase of the message life cycle, sharing posts, images, videos, or
comments enables the message to spread and increase its influence. These activities focus

the collective attention of users on a problem.
Increased responses on social media amplify message influence, particularly when
stakeholders react to alter public perceptions. However, responses perceived as inadequate
may provoke additional social pressure. During the amplification phase, messages
proliferate across social media platforms. The original message’s influence becomes more

pronounced as additional users engage with the problem and inappropriate stakeholder
responses intensify the discussion. As users contribute additional evidence of the problem,
the social pressure on stakeholders increases, and the message causes a crisis. Continued

message dissemination may generate intense vitriol directed toward stakeholders,
expanding the scope and influence of the crisis.
Although social media responses and interactions may intensify during the
amplification phase, the crisis may not worsen if the message’s influence reaches
saturation. During this saturation phase, problems are discussed across social and

traditional media. Although additional events may be discussed, the crisis may remain
confined to the original problem. Hence, despite sustained discussion, the crisis may not
worsen, and the discussion may gradually subside because of the absence of new topics.

When no further problems are discussed, the message life cycle eventually enters

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