The Use of Social Media for Crisis Communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from FastMoving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) Companies in Nigeria

This study investigated the use of social media platforms by five Nigerian FMCG companies for crisis communication and management during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focused on how five companies used social media for external crisis communication with their consumers/clients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was anchored on the Situational Crisis Communication, Social-Mediated Crisis Communication (SMCC) Model and Media Dependency theoretical frameworks. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were used to gather data using an online questionnaire to collect data from 122 employees from Corporate Communications, Public Relations, Administrative, and Human Resource departments of the selected five FMCG companies in Nigeria. Five interviews were conducted with the Heads of Department of the Public Relations in these companies to gain clarifications on the quantitative results. The research findings show that a reasonable number of the surveyed FMCG companies (60%) had a crisis management plan, and the plans were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the results indicated that these companies used social media for external crisis communication (with consumers) during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when the pandemic started. These companies extensively used social media platforms (mainly Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) to share health tips on COVID-19, eliminate fake news and misinformation about the pandemic and to inform the public of their companies’ contributions to vulnerable citizens affected by the lockdown during the pandemic. Facebook was the most frequently used social media platform for these communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study concludes that social media offer both advantages and disadvantages for external crisis communication but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. There exists a vital need for FMCG companies in Nigeria to have a plan for crisis situations, and use the merits of social media platforms for effective crisis managing. Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Media, Crisis Communication, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Nigeria, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram