Role of Crisis Communication in Brand Sustainability: A Study of the Covid-19 Crisis of Lafarge, Nigeria
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Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for businesses globally. For corporations like Lafarge, Nigeria a major player in the construction and building materials sector effective crisis communication became a critical component of brand sustainability. This study explores how Lafarge Nigeria managed its crisis communication during the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of their strategies on brand sustainability. By examining the company's response to the pandemic, including its internal and external communication strategies, the study provides insights into the role of crisis communication in navigating long-term brand resilience. This study draws on several communication and management theories, particularly Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). This study adopted the positivist approach of research design. Positivist or post-positivism beliefs in quantitative method of research design. Based on the choice of positivism, survey method was employed to generate data using questionnaire as a research instrument. The population of this study is 1,300 respondents from the Lafarge, Nigeria, who worked actively with Lafarge and have witnessed crisis. The study utilised a total number of 200 individuals taken from the employees of Lafarge Nigeria as a sample size. Findings reveal that a largest percentage of the respondents are moderately aware that crisis communication strategies are employed Lafarge and are effective. The study concludes that crisis communication is a very essential component every organization should and must implement in order to be sustainable and to remain in business for a long time. This is so because crises are inevitable for any organization and therefore must be catered to before, during and after the happening.
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