Exploring the Effects of Linguistic Elements of Social Media Corporate Apologies on Consumer Responses

In the current landscape of social media, consumers bring product and service failure complaints directly to brands daily. Whether such complaints are routine or hold potential for great consequence, social media’s viral nature means any brand-to-consumer interaction could become a public crisis if handled incorrectly. Corporate apologies are an effective strategy to mitigate negative audience sentiment and reduce online interactions that damage brand reputation. This study will manipulate previously identified but largely untested linguistic components of corporate apologies on Twitter, including personal greetings and closures and directives, to test their effects on consumers’ perceived apology sincerity, forgiveness, purchase intentions, and brand advocacy. This analysis builds on prior literature in social psychology, public relations, and business ethics to contribute insights into effective social media apologies to marketing knowledge and practice.