Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication

Overview: This project is based on my MA dissertation at the University of Nottingham, analyzing the pivotal role of social media during the Ticketmaster Eras Tour ticketing crisis in 2022. The study examines how social media—especially Twitter, shaped organizational responses, amplified customer frustrations, and influenced public perception during a high-stakes, real-time digital crisis.

Key Objectives:

• Evaluate Ticketmaster’s use of social media during the technical collapse of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ticket sales.

• Analyze communication strategy effectiveness using theoretical frameworks like Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT).

• Identify best practices and shortcomings in digital crisis management.

  
  

What I Did:

• Conducted a mixed-methods case study, integrating quantitative analysis of engagement (44,898 Twitter replies, 21,022 retweets) and qualitative assessment of brand messaging.

• Tracked crisis stages (pre-crisis, crisis response, post-crisis), dissecting real-time updates, apologies, and audience reactions.

• Explored the power of social media in crisis escalation and image management through both academic and practitioner lenses.

  
  

Results & Insights:

• Social media transformed individual customer complaints into a widespread public movement, making the crisis a national discussion.

• Ticketmaster’s delayed and insufficiently transparent responses via Twitter and blogs resulted in loss of trust and reputational damage.

• Strategic shortcomings included lack of empathetic messaging, poor update frequency, and missed opportunities for two-way engagement.

• The research offers actionable recommendations for brands: prioritize empathy, rapid response, proactive updates, and open communication.

  
  

Full Dissertation PDF:The complete dissertation PDF is available for download below, providing an in-depth literature review, research methodology, findings, data visualizations, and practical recommendations