Exploring the effectiveness of creating regulatory fit in crisis communications: Can it change perceptions of media coverage during a crisis?

This article examines an important issue in crisis management: how to influence public perceptions of the news media's reporting of a crisis. Previous research has found that congruency between the regulatory orientation of a consumer and a product recall message—also known as the regulatory fit effect—increases compliance with a product recall request. Could the creation of a regulatory fit effect prior to reading a news article about a crisis also be beneficial to a company? Two separate experiments conducted in the United States and India involving crises in different industries (airline and tires) examined this issue, and found that contrary to previous research, reactions toward the company were more negative in terms of expectations for a product recall and future purchase intentions. The findings revealed that these negative consumer reactions occurred because regulatory fit enhanced people's vulnerability to harm after reading the article. These results suggest that a company should consider creating regulatory non-fit in order to influence the public's perceptions of a crisis.