Boo-ing the Boeing- A Second Look at the 737 Crisis Communication Disaster

Boo-ing the Boeing

A Second Look at the 737 Crisis Communication Disaster

The 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crisis is something that took the world by storm when not once, but twice, the same model of the Boeing range crashed, causing yet another fatal crisis. The handling of this crisis was discussed in a recent blog by my colleague Jasper. However, although all the main points were brought to light, I believe they were being repeated rather than elaborated. Further explanation would have given the audience a better understanding of his perspective on the handling of the crisis. 

Grounded Boeing 737 MAX Flights
Source: Getty Images

The power of media- Making or Breaking

 The power of media can make people empathize with the company or the exact opposite. However, due to the company’s lack of information and hence lack of transparency, this permitted the media to navigate its own narrative. Jasper could have also elaborated on the role that the media played in the narrative it portrayed depending on Boeings transparency. This simple change in storyline can literally make or break a company's reputation. As Nijkrake, Gosselt and Gutteling (2015) have argued, the media will reframe an organization's crisis response predominantly in terms of themes such as responsibility, conflict and economic consequences. If there is a lack of information given to the media, then the media would use these themes more than the company would want them to. This is why I believe, that when confronting a negative scenario, strategists should get ahead of the story and feed the media with all the information they can give. 

 Control the Speed & Situation

      Speed is of the essence in a crisis situation. Jasper mentions that this is the second time something like this happens with Boeing, but technically, these plane crashes are not the only crisis Boeing has experienced. This linked article discusses the importance of “The Golden Hour”, which explains the harmful impact that “delay” has when issuing crisis response. The longer the delay, the more potential damage done. 

          When dealing with people's lives, there is no time to  let events unfold, rather taking immediate initiative and leadership is an effective strategy. The blogger points out that Boeing should have controlled the narrative from the beginning, as that will shape the way the media/public views the crisis. Instead, Boeings CEO Dennis Muilenburg was arguing to keep the planes active and functioning, as opposed to grounding them. This definitely backfired, as it showed the public that the Boeing team had very little concern with the situation and ultimately would rather keep making money. 

Travelers who would or wouldn't  avoid fly in a Boeing 737 Max
Source: Twitter

       I truly believe that depending on how a company handles the situation, people react accordingly.  It is either that trust is rebuilt between the company and the public ( as a result of good communication), or it doesn't. Due to their poor crisis response, Boeing was  not trusted even after they claimed to have fixed the planes and the public still did not feel safe with flying on a Boeing 737 MAX. 

Different Situations Call for Different Strategies

Boeing's previous plane crash plays a very big role in how stakeholders and the public view them. Due to their first plane crash Boeing may have already established a bad reputation, which may effect how they should implement a strategy for a crisis. Kiambi and Shafer (2019) found that companies with prior bad reputations will have more anger from the public during a time of crisis and discuss the importance of implementing an apologetic strategy in this situation, over a compensation strategy.  I recommend that companies with prior bad reputations use an apology strategy rather than compensation. Instead of owning up to their mishandling, compensating the public suggests that Boeing thinks that their clients can bought, when in fact an apologetic strategy would show that Boeing really cares. 

Online Matters

 

Twitter Response to Boeing 737 Crash
Source: Twitter

Twitter Response to Boeing 737 Crash
Source: Twitter

Utz, Schultz and Glocka (2013), found that the type of medium (online vs. offline) used to deliver a message at a time of crisis is very important. Furthermore, the authors state that tweets had more of a positive effect on secondary crisis communication compared to newspaper articles; suggesting the importance of social media during a companies crisis handling of a situation. Moreover, it is imperative that Boeing manage their social media responses as in one week there were more that 873,000 tweets concerning the second Boeing plane crash, which clearly indicates that crises are highly important to the public; especially when lives are involved. 

Food for thought!

     Could it be that if Boeing's online crisis response was more personal, apologetic and gave solid insight, then online world wouldn't have been so harsh with their responses? 

About the author

        Zalfa Farah is currently a Masters student in Communication Science. She was born in Lebanon and raised in both Dubai and Beirut. After graduating with a BA in Sociology, she completed graduate work at both CNN London and UNDP-Beirut. Zalfa then changed her career path to music and management, during which she opened up a Music academy with her mother which caters to students of all ages & backgrounds and students with special needs, whilst promoting Lebanese musicians to the international markets.

References

Kiambi, D. M., & Shafer, A. (2015). Corporate Crisis Communication: Examining the Interplay of Reputation and Crisis Response Strategies. Mass Communication and Society, 19(2), 127-148. doi:10.1080/15205436.2015.1066013

Nijkrake, J., Gosselt, J. F., & Gutteling, J. M. (2015). Competing frames and tone in corporate communication versus media coverage during a crisis. Public Relations Review, 41(1), 80-88. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.10.010

Utz, S., Schultz, F., & Glocka, S. (2013). Crisis communication online: How medium, crisis type and emotions affected public reactions in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Public Relations Review, 39(1), 40-46. doi:10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.09.010