Keep calm and carry on: A crisis communication study of Cadbury and McDonalds

Abstract

Many organizations, at some point or another, have to face a crisis situation. In that scenario, the way in which the organization communicates makes or breaks the organization’s success in dealing with the crisis. Especially after the emergence of the social media, the impact of crisis communication on the process of successful crisis management has become even greater than before. Organizations have to take the initiative, to be proactive and create a plan for crisis communication. This paper is focused on the comparative study of the communication approaches followed by Cadbury and McDonalds during a period when the companies were dealing with a crisis. The findings of the content analysis show that a company should respond to the crisis as quickly as possible to avoid loss in terms of sales. The initial statement of the companies during a crisis should be clear, positive and through the right channel to help the company regain its reputation on the market. Advertising is the best way to convey the message across the world because the crisis situation that has come up in one market can soon catch-up in the other markets where the company operates. The company has to connect with the consumers on emotional grounds because the crisis breaks down the faith of the consumers in the company. The recovery actions that support the statements also play an important role during the crisis situation. By following the above-mentioned communication strategies, organizations can achieve damage control as well as turn the crisis into an opportunity to grow.