Exploring negative spillover effects on stakeholders: A case study on social media talk about crisis in the food industry using a data mining technique

Focusing on public‐centered, social‐mediated crisis communication, the current exploratory study drew on situational crisis communication theory to formulate a comprehensive view of consumer reactions to crisis. Data mining and automated content analysis techniques were utilized to analyze social media posts by the public during a crisis in the cereals industry. Two path analyses showed that: a) crisis‐related social media posts tended to skip over competitor brand products, followed by two major reaction paths—1) a rational path based on guilt attribution that justifies implications for the company and 2) an emotional path associated with public distrust; and b) public self‐blame spilled over to other stakeholders such as the government and economic system. The results give voice to issues that concern the public during crises, both as individuals and as a community. They highlight the fact that sustainable crisis management should involve additional stakeholders. Conclusions and implications for society and practice are suggested.