Negative events and corporate communication strategies in the cruise industry

The present paper tries to advance knowledge on negative events (mishaps) inside the cruise industry and on the related response communication strategies implemented by cruise lines. Specifically, the focus is on the perceptions and emotions of public towards the cruise company involved in a negative event and its corporate communication strategies via traditional and/or social media. We then investigate the impact and change in information diffusion, in presence/absence of social media among the communication tools. Drawing on the Social Mediated Crisis Communication Model (SMCC), a research design based on a questionnaire submitted online via blogs and other social media and on an Agent Based Simulation (ABS) model has been developed. The results show that ac-commodative messages seem to better reassure and comfort public, rather than defensive announcements and social media may support cruise companies to communicate in a more effective way in a crisis context. In the diffusion of information social media present, instead, a "multiplier" effect, combined with a "flattening" effect. This contribution pre-sents some valuable research implications, useful for researchers and academics, but also professionals may benefit from this knowledge in the planning of crisis communication strategies.