Crisis Case Study in Social Media

Your presentation should walk the class through a real, documented case in which a company either used social media strategically to navigate a crisis or experienced a crisis that was caused or significantly worsened by social media. You are presenting a case study, not a legal argument: your goal is to analyze what happened, how the organization responded, and what the outcome reveals about the role of social media in modern crisis communication.

Your presentation will be evaluated on accuracy, depth of research, clarity of analysis, and your ability to connect the specific case to broader principles of strategic social media management.

Two-Part Assignment

Part One Written Report

Write a data-rich analytical report. You may include visuals, graphs, timelines, and screenshots to support your analysis. Include all seven sections listed below as components in your report. Ensure proper citation of all sources used for research and reference.

Part Two Recorded Slide Deck Presentation

Create a slide deck and record a formal presentation to accompany your report. Export the video to YouTube (watch the linked tutorial if needed). This video will be required viewing for the class. Be sure to include the YouTube link in your written report. It is the groups responsibility to ensure the link works and is publicly accessible. Presentations must be a minimum of five minutes and must not exceed seven minutes.

Required Presentation Components

Complete all seven sections below. Time allocations are guidelines, adjust slightly as needed, but your total presentation must fall within the 57 minute window.

1. Case Overview

What happened, and why does it matter?

~ 1 minute

Begin with a clear, jargon-free summary of the crisis: what it was, which company was involved, and how social media was central to it, either as the cause of the crisis, the primary arena where it played out, or the key tool used to manage and resolve it. Establish the timeline: when did it begin, how quickly did it escalate, and what is the current status or outcome? Give your audience enough context to follow the rest of your analysis without prior knowledge of the case.

2. The Players

Who was involved, and what did each party want?

~ 3045 seconds

Identify the key stakeholders: the company or organization at the center of the crisis, the individuals or groups who were harmed or who applied public pressure, and any media outlets, influencers, platform algorithms, or third parties that shaped how the story spread. Explain each partys role and what they stood to gain or lose. If the crisis involved internal actors (employees, executives, whistleblowers), identify them and explain their significance.

3. How Social Media Shaped the Crisis

The platform dynamics that made this case what it was

~ 11.5 minutes

This is the analytical heart of your presentation. Explain specifically how social media drove the crisis. Consider:

1. Which platform(s) were involved, and why did that platforms specific features (virality, hashtags, video, algorithms, public reply threads) matter to how the story spread?
2. How fast did the crisis escalate? What was the inflection point the post, video, hashtag, or moment that caused it to go from small to significant?
3. Did the companys own social media presence help or hurt? Did their response on social media accelerate or slow the damage?
4. Were there influencers, journalists, or platform-specific communities that amplified the story in ways the company could not control?

If this is a case where social media was used successfully to manage a crisis, flip the analysis: what did the company do on social media that worked, and why did it work on that particular platform with that particular audience?

4. Key Evidence and Data

The facts that tell the real story

~ 1 minute

Identify and present the most significant documented evidence in the case. This might include:

1. Specific social media posts, videos, or threads that were central to the crisis
2. Metrics: follower changes, hashtag reach, earned media value, stock price movement, sales data
3. Internal company communications, memos, or statements that became public
4. Survey or sentiment data tracking public opinion before, during, and after the crisis
5. Third-party analyses from journalists, researchers, or industry analysts

Be specific. Vague claims like the post went viral are less useful than the video received 12 million views in 48 hours and the companys stock dropped 4% the following trading day. If data is disputed or hard to verify, say so and explain why the dispute itself is significant.

5. The Response Strategy

What did the company do, and did it work?

~ 1 minute

Analyze the organizations crisis response. Walk through the sequence of actions: What was the first response? How long did it take? What platforms did they use, and what was the tone; apologetic, defensive, humorous, empathetic? Did the strategy change as the crisis evolved?

Evaluate the response using the following questions as a framework:

Was it authentic? Did it feel genuine or like damage control?

1. Did it address the actual harm, or did it focus on the companys reputation?
2. Did it make things better, worse, or was the outcome mixed?

6. Ethical Dimensions

The deeper moral questions this case raises

~ 11.5 minutes

Step back from the facts of the case and examine the ethical questions underneath it. Consider multiple stakeholder perspectives the company, its employees, the affected users or communities, advertisers, the platform itself, and the broader public. Some questions to guide your thinking:

1. Who held power in this situation, and who was harmed?
2. Did the company have a moral responsibility that went beyond its legal obligations or its PR strategy?
3. Was the crisis a symptom of a deeper problem with the companys values, culture, or business model or was it genuinely an isolated incident?
4. How did the platforms own design, moderation policies, or algorithms contribute to the harm or to the resolution?
5. What does this case reveal about the power of public accountability in the social media era?

7. Lessons and Your Takeaway

What should every social media manager learn from this?

~ 3045 seconds

Close with two things: first, one concrete, actionable lesson for a social media professional, something specific this case teaches about crisis preparedness, platform strategy, speed of response, tone, or organizational accountability. Second, offer your own informed opinion: what is the single most important question this case leaves unanswered, or the thing that surprised you most in your research? This is not a summary. It is your voice.

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