Benoit's image restoration strategies

Question 1

Deny: Reducing the credibility

Answer 1

Crisis manager confronts the person or group claiming something is wrong with the organisation

Question 2

Deny: Simple denial

Answer 2

Crisis manager asserts that there is no crisis

Question 3

Deny: Shifting the Blame / scapegoating

Answer 3

Crisis manager blames some person or group outside of the organization for the crisis

Question 4

Diminish: Good intentions

Answer 4

Crisis manager minimizes organizational responsibility by denying intent to do harm and or claiming inability to control the events that triggered the crisis

Question 5

Diminish: Minimization

Answer 5

Crisis manager minimizes the perceived damage caused by the crisis

Question 6

Rebuild: Compensation

Answer 6

Crisis manager offers money or other gifts to victims

Question 7

Bolstering: Image bolstering

Answer 7

Tell stakeholders about the past good works of the organization

(+crisis manager praises stakeholders = ingratiation)

Question 8

Rebuild: Mortification

Answer 8

Crisis manager indicates the organization takes full responsibility for the crisis and asks stakeholders for forgiveness

Question 9

Bolstering: Accident

Answer 9

Managers remind stakeholders that the organization is a victim of the crisis too

Question 10

Defeasibility (Diminish)

Answer 10

The organization claims it lacked information or control that would have allowed it to prevent the crisis

Question 11

Differentiation (Diminish)

Answer 11

Arguing that the act in question is less offensive or harmfum than similar actions, or not as bad as it appears.

Question 12

Corrective action (rebuild)

Answer 12

Promising to repair the damage caused and prevent the issue from happening again.