#4142. Rethinking crisis dynamics from the perspective of online publics: A case study of Dolce & Gabbana’s China crisis

September 2026publication date
Proposal available till 25-05-2025
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Journal’s subject area:
Linguistics and Language;
Communication;
Strategy and Management;
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management;
Marketing;
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Abstract:
The Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) released a controversial video on all their social media channels. The video triggered an instant outcry from the general Chinese public, who called the video a racist caricature of Chinese culture. D&G responded to the crisis with several image repair strategies. This study examines D&G’s crisis communication efforts in the wake of this incident. By analyzing communicative behavior on Twitter (an increasingly influential alternative public sphere in China) and in particular, comments and responses toward the crisis communication strategies employed by D&G, we have identified four prominent themes, or ways that publics framed their key messages against the corporation: “Apology not enough”; “Apology done badly”; “Call to unite against D&G”; and “Sarcasm, mockery, and abuse.” Based on our analysis of the D&G case, we discuss the theoretical implications of a dynamic, public-oriented perspective (DPOP) on crisis communication, highlighting its key areas of difference from the corporate-oriented perspective (COP).
Keywords:
Chinese Twitter; crisis communication; culture and diversity; digital publics; thematic analysis

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