The ability of brand reputations to resonate emotionally with social media communities can be measured by the extent to which brands are perceived to be visible, transparent, authentic, consistent and distinct. These five measurable...
moreThe ability of brand reputations to resonate emotionally with social media communities can be measured by the extent to which brands are perceived to be visible, transparent, authentic, consistent and distinct. These five measurable constructs are proposed as a stakeholder-specific measuring tool called the Expressiveness Quotient (Fombrun & Van Riel, 2004) score. However, posing a reputational risk to emotionally resonant reputations, are social media accounts created by non-professional satirists as ironic imitations of the official account’s brand identities to satirise, ridicule or poke fun at a brand for comic effect. As an emerging trend in South Africa, parody accounts using cleverly-written satire provide comic relief, the shared pleasure of sharing funny content and the intense positive emotions felt when making fun of topics that communities not only care about, but are also familiar with. Mostly targeting prominent top-of-mind brands, some are intended for harmless fun, while others are intended to expose wrongdoing, or, to be malicious. Either way, parodies highjack strategic messages and subvert brand identities. Therefore, parodied brands’ official responses are problematic, since inappropriate responses may easily escalate into angry social media backlashes, especially on Twitter, known for its anti-establishment culture and antagonism towards brands. When a highly visible brand is then targeted, the social media management team is faced with a paracrisis. As such, a paracrisis is a reputational risk that may easily escalate into a full-blown crisis, considering the virality of social media and the constant scrutiny of brand responses (Coombs & Holladay, 2012:412).
The purpose of this dissertation was to establish how the Expressiveness Quotient could be used to identify suitable paracrisis response strategies for parodied brands to maintain emotionally resonant reputations. Using a synergistic approach to mixed methods in a triangulation design drawing a purposive sample of social media experts, findings indicated that visibility was the most significant requirement for maintaining an emotionally resonant brand reputation. The paracrisis response strategies of Coombs and Holladay (2012) were revised and a model more suitable for social media managers in South Africa was recommended. The study concluded that humorous, tongue-in-cheek banter with a parody account is an appropriate paracrisis response strategy to enhance visibility when a parody is intended for harmless fun. Furthermore, emotionally resonant brand reputations require playful brand personalities that embrace parody accounts intended for harmless fun, instead of refuting and defending the brand. When reciprocating love and affection, mutually beneficial reputations are co-created while providing comic relief and intense emotional pleasure that resonate with volatile social media communities. Having then established strong emotional attachments, social media communities may more likely forgive and defend a brand during a paracrisis.
The dissertation is submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor Technologiae: Strategic Communication, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa.
