Graduation Year
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Mass Communications
Major Professor
Mildred Perreault, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Kelli Burns, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Travis Bell, Ph.D.
Keywords
Branding, Crisis Communication, Media Events, Social Media, TikTok
Abstract
There's no such thing as bad PR, and any publicity is good publicity are phrases coined by 19th-century P.T. Barnum, a showman and businessman known for his circus hoaxes (Hiergesell, 2025). The idea implies that all media attention, whether negative or positive, is beneficial to the organization or individual. The purpose of this study is to evaluate three brands; Tarte, Poppi, and Shein during a brand event to determine whether it was a pseudo-event created to gain awareness, or a genuine, unplanned crisis. Another purpose of the study was to determine if the event was used as an opportunity for the brand. This study looked at the integration of influencer marketing into all three brands' advertising strategy. Social media influencers are seen as companions, as well as advisors, especially when making a purchasing decision (Alves de Castro et al., 2021). This research seeks to understand if three separate events were used as an opportunity for brand awareness and rebuilding brand reputation. Situational crisis communication theory was applied to further understand successful crisis responses. A case study analysis was coordinated along with a content analysis and thematic analysis. The results will add to social media influencer pseudo-events and crisis literature.
Scholar Commons Citation
Aparicio-Gallagher, Sofia, "Is There No Such Thing as Bad PR? A Case Study Analysis of Influencer Pseudo-Events, Authentic Crises, and Crises as Opportunity, and Paracrisis" (2026). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11231
