Public Relations Analysis: Malaysian Airlines Crisis and PR Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the public relations failures of Malaysian Airlines during the MH370 crisis. It begins with an introduction to public relations and its importance in managing information flow. The main body of the report details the specific PR errors made by Malaysian Airlines, including the lack of crisis hashtags, failure to encourage public expression, and delayed communication of information. The report then delves into the relevant theoretical frameworks, namely the excellence theory and the communication theory of public relations, to explain how these errors impacted the airline's image and stakeholder relationships. The conclusions summarize the key findings, highlighting the significant PR issues. Finally, the report offers practical recommendations for improving Malaysian Airlines' PR strategies, such as emphasizing the use of hashtags, providing options for public engagement, and using digital channels for faster communication. The report also references several academic sources to support its claims and analysis.

prs 303 Public Relation

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1
MAIN REPORT................................................................................................................ 1
PR errors of Malaysian Airlines....................................................................................1
PR theoretical framework.............................................................................................4
CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................................................5
RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................................................5
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Public relations may be served as a practice in relation to managing the flow of
information between an organization and the public. The main motive behind of
company behind undertaking the practices of public relations is to persuade concerned
stakeholders about its leadership, products and political decisions. Tool of public
relation provides high level of assistance to the business unit in protecting its image
during adverse time. The present report is based on the case situation of Malaysia
Airline crisis which will shed light on the error take place in the public relation strategies
undertaken by it. This report will develop understanding about the theoretical framework
related to public relations. Besides this, report also presents the manner through which
company can handle issue from PR perspective.
MAIN REPORT
PR errors of Malaysian Airlines
By doing assessment, it has found that terrible crisis is facing by Malaysia
Airlines with flight MH370. Moreover, such flight has disappeared in thin with
approximately 200 passengers and crew members. In order to deal with such situation,
Malaysian airlines have established a crisis communications home base. Hence, all the
updates regarding crisis are published by Malaysian Airlines on this home base which in
turn considered as user friendly approach and easy to navigate. Further, to
communicate with public and maintaining effective relationship with them Malaysian
Airlines have placed all the required information on social sites such as Facebook as
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well as Twitter. Along with this, such business unit has cleared all the images and color
from the social media accounts that seems distractive. Apart from this, to place positive
impact on the aspect of Public Relations Company has also halted other types of
communication and messages from pages created on social sites (Huang, Wu and
Huang, 2017). It is one of the most effectual steps that is undertaken by Malaysian
Airline to manage crisis. However, some errors have found in PR strategy of Malaysian
airlines, which in turn places negative impact on its brand image such as follows:
 Lack of crisis hashtags is recognized as the main error associated with PR
strategy of the company. Through evaluation, it has identified that Malaysian
Airlines is using hashtag such as #MASalert while tweet and posting messages
on Facebook. However, company is neither using such hashtag consistently nor
encouraging others to use the same (Communications During the Crisis of Flight
MH370, 2018). This aspect shows that some errors exist in the public relation
strategy employed by Malaysian Airlines. Moreover, without hashtag firm or PR
practitioners would not become able to get information about the tweet made by
clients, competitors, friends, media and other influencers. The rationale behind
this, in the case of hashtag by clicking on one company can see and read all the
public posts related to the same one.
 Besides this, Malaysian Airline crisis communication found another public
relationship issues that is airline did not encourages and promote different
viewers to express their crisis communications. However, it is one of the most
important requirements of public relation, in which, people must be provide with
an opportunity to share their views for strengthening communication (Ki and Ye,
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2017). With reference to Malaysia Airline, officials did not provided options to the
viewers where they can place their own opinion, statements of officials and other
updates. It significantly contributes towards strengthening the direct
communication, however, absence of the same resultant public relationship error
made by the company.
 One of the most popular error that is recognized in Malaysian Airline case during
crisis communication is airline took a long time to inform public about the missing
of plane. Disappearance of Malaysia Airline Flight MH 370 was its scheduled
flight for international passenger disappeared on 8th March 2014 when it was
flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing Capital International Airport (Wilson, 2014).
The flight disappeared from civilian Radar and at the last point; its known location
was east coast and lost its voice contact with Air Traffic control. Military radar
continually tried to track the plane as it deviated from its path and considered
crashed into Southern Indian Ocean with no survivors. Such information
conveyed to the families of passengers personally, which took a long time. Thus,
here company had followed traditional approaches by using family
communication, however, the news needs to be communicating to the public too
fast using digital media channels and used method found unacceptable
(Petrolino, 2014). Airline CEO also called press conference to express regret. In
addition, although, its news was also published on the news stations, but they
have limited coverage and could not informed all.
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PR theoretical framework
Excellence and Communication are the two most important theories of Public
Relation that are enumerated below:
Excellence theory of public relation
This theory of public relation presents the manner through which company can
make its relationship more effective with others. Such theoretical framework is highly
significant which in turn makes both organization and its environment more effective.
Excellence theory of PR exhibits that value of public relation in the context of business
unit is highly significant. It believes that by developing and maintaining prominent
relations with the customers organization can meet goals, reduce cost and avoid
negative publicity (Kenny, 2017). In addition to this, such public relation theory or model
entails that internal and external communication is the key that helps in building sound
relationship with the public or stakeholders. On the basis of such theory, Malaysian
Airlines need to encourage public to share their views regarding crisis on social media
sites such as Facebook and Tweeter by using hashtags (Thurlow and et.al., 2017). This
in turn helps company in understanding the opinion of others and gives input for the
development of competent or strategic framework.
Communication theory of Public relation
Two-step flow theory of communication states that companies must use such
media channel to communicate with public that form opinions, create perceptions and
gain knowledge of users (Kriyantono and McKenna, 2017). Referring Malaysian Airline
crisis communication; it is noticed that company did not established two-way
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communication as people have no option to share something on the website hence,
two-way communication does not exist. Moreover, the disappearance of Malaysia
Airline Flight MH 370 had informed to the public personally while firm must use mass-
media channel. Thus, as per the theory, it becomes clear that Malaysian Airline need to
provide share option to people, so that, their opinion and perceptions can be know that
fosters two-way communication.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the research founded three main
public relations errors by Malaysian Airlines for crisis communication includes
unavailability of share option to public, lack of crisis hashtages and delayed information
supply to the families of passengers about disappeared flights. Besides this, the study
found that excellence theory necessitates for an organization to develop sound
relationship with the customers so as to meet their defined goals. A serious PR issue
that had been discovered is company informed the public about the crash of MH370
delayed whereas it was a serious matter and requires to be conveyed to all
immediately. Besides this, communication theory of public relations focuses on
establishing two-way communication to provide a platform to the user to share their
opinion, which enables Malaysian Airline to know public views.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For making improvement in PR relations Malaysia Airlines need to focus on
undertaking following strategies such as:
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 On the basis of PR error assessed, it is recommended to Malaysian Airline to lay
more emphasis on using hashtags and motivate others for the same. This in turn
provides high level of assistance to the company in exposing its content to the
wider and more targeted audience. Along with this, now hashtags are using and
monitored by the members of airline audience (The Role and Influence of Social
Media on the Modern PR Industry, 2018). Thus, referring such aspect or the
significance of hashtag firm should focus on using #MalaysiaAirlines and
#MH370 that helps in getting information about post made by public pertaining to
the crisis. Hence, use of hashtag is post and tweet will prove to be effectual
communication strategy that ensures prominent PR relations.
 Malaysian Airline officials must provide an option to all the viewers where they
can share officials’ statements. Moreover, they must be able to provide their own
views, update their fans and followers list. It just requires an additional of “share”
option on its website page, so that, viewers will be able to easily present their
own views on the crisis and share direct communication. Such an attempt by the
firm will significantly contribute towards maximizing its public reach.
 As company had taken a long time to convey public about the disappearance of
the flight due to families’ communication. Therefore, it is better to recommend the
firm to use digitalized channels that fasters the communications and has global
reach, so that, public can be communicated immediately with any kind of
information (The Role and Influence of Social Media on the Modern PR Industry,
2018).
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Huang, Y. H. C., Wu, F. and Huang, Q., 2017. Does research on digital public relations
indicate a paradigm shift? An analysis and critique of recent trends. Telematics
and Informatics. 34(7). pp.1364-1376.
Kenny, J., 2017. Excellence Theory and its Critics: A literature review critiquing Grunig’s
strategic management of public relations paradigm. Asia Pacific Public Relations
Journal. 17(2). pp.78-91.
Ki, E. J. and Ye, L., 2017. An assessment of progress in research on global public
relations from 2001 to 2014. Public Relations Review. 43(1). pp.235-245.
Kriyantono, R. and McKenna, B., 2017. Developing a culturally-relevant public relations
theory for Indonesia. Jurnal Komunikasi, Malaysian Journal of Communication.
33(1).
Thurlow, A. and et.al., 2017. Evaluating excellence: A model of evaluation for public
relations practice in organizational culture and context. Public Relations Review.
43(1). pp.71-79.
Online
Communications During the Crisis of Flight MH370. 2018. [Online]. Available through: <
https://melissaagnes.com/malaysia-airlines-crisis-communications-flight-mh370/ >.
Petrolino, L., 2014. Crisis communication Lessons from Malaysia Airlines. [Online].
Available through: https://spinsucks.com/communication/crisis-communications-
malaysia-airlines/.
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The Role and Influence of Social Media on the Modern PR Industry. 2018. [Online].
Available through: < https://www.prmention.com/blog/the-role-and-influence-of-
social-media-on-the-modern-pr-industry/>.
Wilson, J., 2014. Flight MH370: Malaysian officials criticized for poor PR, but how do
you prepapred for unprecedented? [Online]. Available through: <
http://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2014/03/18/flight-mh370-malaysian-officials-
criticised-poor-pr-how-do-you-prepare>.
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