Fall-Out to Building Reputation: Leveraging Social Media Influencers in Managing Brand Crisis

In the digital-first age, brand reputation can collapse within hours, often triggered by a viral post or a sudden wave of public criticism. Conventional crisis communication methods struggle to match the speed of social media reactions. Against this backdrop, social media influencers (SMI) have emerged as central figures in guiding consumer sentiment, acting as credible voices when brands face reputational stress. Unlike traditional celebrity endorsements, today’s influencers connect with audiences through authenticity, relatability, and emotional resonance, which makes their role during crises both strategic and sensitive. This chapter addresses the growing gap between traditional crisis management frameworks and the real-time influence of SMI. Using a conceptual approach, it develops a comprehensive framework that integrates four dimensions, brand attributes, influencer characteristics, crisis context, and content strategy. These factors interact to shape outcomes such as trust, engagement, competence, and advocacy, supported by external elements like audience traits and platform dynamics. Through real-world examples from various industries, the framework shows how carefully chosen influencers can help rebuild trust, reframe narratives, and stabilize brand perception, while poor alignment may escalate backlash. The chapter contributes to both theory and practice by shifting the focus from linear, brand-controlled messaging to co-created, influencer-driven storytelling. It emphasizes that reputation recovery is no longer limited to formal statements but is actively constructed across digital platforms. This framework equips scholars with a structured lens for research and offers practitioners actionable guidance for navigating crises in a highly connected environment.