The Art of Crisis Communication in the Fashion Industry: An Examination of Controversies and Responses by Leading Companies

Crisis communication in public relations involves managing communication during urgent situations that could pose a threat to a company's reputation, image, or operations. Effective crisis communication should begin with the eventual recovery of those things in mind. When a crisis occurs, the primary goals of the crisis communication team are to safeguard the company's reputation, handle media relations, and develop a recovery strategy. The fashion industry isn't immune to crises, and companies like Balenciaga, Victoria’s Secret, and adidas have faced significant public relations controversies in recent years. For instance, Balenciaga, a luxury fashion brand, faced backlash for a holiday advertising campaign that seemed to depict children holding teddy bears in bondage harnesses. Victoria’s Secret has encountered various controversies, including the release of a documentary series on Hulu uncovering connections between their CEO, Les Wexner, and Jeffrey Epstein. adidas, a sportswear brand, experienced its PR controversy, leading to the severing of ties with Kanye West, now known as Ye, following anti-Semitic remarks he made on social media. In each case, issuing a public apology was necessary. Apologies are pivotal in preventing future damage and repairing the harm caused by a crisis, including reputation restoration (Coombs, 2013). Each case study aims to identify crisis response elements that showcase companies’ efforts to recover and minimize damage to their brand reputation through their crisis communication responses. They will also explore instances where legal teams and strategies were integrated into crisis responses. Each case study examines the crises through the lenses of the initial story outbreak, media coverage, public reaction, and financial implications, showcasing the companies’ efforts to recover and minimize damage to their brand reputation through their crisis communication responses. The case studies also examine how the companies and their PR teams issued public statements and corrective action taken by the brand in order to move forward following the crisis.