ABSTRACT Social media influencers (SMIs) are increasingly employed by organizations to amplify their strategic communication efforts. Yet, little is known about the impact an SMI’s personal indiscretion has on their endorsing organizations. This article examines the factors that trigger these crises and their effects on the organizational image. Five cases – PewDiePie (U.S.), Munroe Bergdorf (UK), James Charles (U.S.), Grace Mongey (Ireland) and Sarah Bowmar (U.S.) – were analyzed using Rapid Issue Tracking, a method to capture stakeholders’ sentiments. Findings showed that SMIs’ personal indiscretions trigger paracrises. Organizations typically used distancing strategies but adopted image repair situationally. Anchored on image repair theory, we propose a framework for crisis identification and response strategies. With the increasing use of SMIs in marketing, their potential as a new type of crisis trigger warrants attention.

中文翻译：

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社交媒体影响者是战略沟通中的危机风险：轻率行为对专业认可的影响

摘要社交媒体有影响力的人（SMI）越来越多地被组织雇用，以扩大其战略沟通工作。然而，人们几乎不了解SMI的个人过失对其认可组织的影响。本文研究了引发这些危机的因素及其对组织形象的影响。使用“快速问题跟踪”（一种捕获利益相关者情绪的方法）分析了五个案例-PewDiePie（美国），Munroe Bergdorf（英国），James Charles（美国），Grace Mongey（爱尔兰）和Sarah Bowmar（美国）。调查结果表明，SMI的个人不当行为会触发自爆行为。组织通常使用疏远策略，但会根据情况采用图像修复。基于图像修复理论，我们提出了一种危机识别和响应策略的框架。