Corporate Communication Actions in Response to Crises: Empirical Evidence in Food Fraud in Brazil

Abstract

The paper proposes a framework for corporate communication action in wicked scenarios based on stakeholder salience theory (SST). Empirical evidences was collected through a food fraud case in Brazil during 30 days after the scandal on Social Media. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to discriminate the online corporate
communication strategies adopted by the two major food companies involved in the scandal. The results indicated that both firms lacked an immediate mandate to address the legitimate stakeholders’ claim. This study adds the action perspective to stakeholder salience theory, providing practical guidelines for marketers in the food sector who face wicked contexts, attempting to achieve transparency and common goals along with their stakeholders.