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Message Life Cycle and Firm Crisis: A Case Study

Consequently, many messages, several images, and substantial evidence are posted
to criticize Firm A’s conduct. More than 1,500 posts condemn the firm for plagiarism.
Although Firm A issues a formal apology statement and initiates crisis management
procedures, forum members continue posting, especially with reference to new problems

connected to the original plagiarism accusation. After issuing its formal apology, Firm A
attempts to limit the discussion’s scope to prevent additional fallout. During this period,
the firm experiences a crisis and lost support from customers and social media users.

Gradually, the frequency of posts declines because of the absence of new content.
Although the original hostile posts remain online, the lack of new content leads to a
reduction in user engagement and discussion. During the saturation phase of the message
life cycle, users continue posting and discussing topics that had already been discussed.
Finally, the message enters the recession phase, receiving minimal new attention from

social media users.

4. Conclusion

To manage a crisis, firms attempt to monitor user behavior, respond with social media
interactions, and influence corporate culture. These responses are necessary to reduce
attention to messages that may cause a crisis. The message life cycle framework offers key
guidance for managing each phase of a post’s life cycle, which can help firms determine

how to respond to a crisis caused by a hostile message.

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