Communicating with the media at times of corporate crisis

The globalization of business and the widespread access to media due to technology has made organizations more exposed than ever. If companies do not know how to handle the media in case of a crisis the damages of the crisis might be increased. Thus, companies need to be aware of how to communicate with the media at all times. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how Swedish companies communicate with the media at times of corporate crisis. In order to serve the purpose of the study we have conducted case studies on ABB and Skandia, two companies that both have been in a corporate crisis that received media attention. The main conclusions that can be drawn from this study is that companies need to keep the media relations in mind at all times in order to remain in good relations with the media. Companies should have a pre-established crisis communication plan and a spokesperson that can be relied on in case of an imminent crisis. Further, the study revealed that in order to effectively communicate during a crisis, companies must determine their target audiences that they want to reach out to through the media. Finally, in the post-crisis phase, it is essential that companies show an honest interest in solving the crisis.Validerat; 20101217 (root