The effectiveness of airline crisis management on brand protection: A case study of British Airways

This paper considers extant studies on crisis communications, crisis management and brand management and examines how British Airways react in order to protect the airline's brand when confronted with a crisis. Theory dictates that different strategies should be employed for different crisis situations. British Airways' response to four crises is critically evaluated. The effectiveness of British Airways' crisis management on brand protection is evaluated using a quantitative brand metric that measures consumers' perception on a daily basis. The paper thus analyses how the airline company and the airline's brand responded to the original crises and the exposure that followed which results in the identification of clear conclusions from each of the four crises.

► British Airways' crisis response is evaluated and the impact on consumers' perception of the airline's brand is assessed. ► Airline crisis management and contingency planning are critical to brand protection. ► A fast response by the airline is critical and should incorporate social media. ► The post-crisis response should include other aviation industry stakeholders.