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Vol. 03, No. 09, September 2023
e-ISSN: 2807-8691 | p-ISSN: 2807-839X
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Qualitative Content Analysis Related to the Use of
Instagram @pertamina as Communication Technology in
Responding to the Post-Fire Crisis of the Plumpang Depot
in March 2023
Maria Adeline Cornelius
Department of Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Indonesia,
Indonesia
Email: [email protected]
Keywords
ABSTRACT
Situational Crisis Communication
Theory, Crisis Response Strategy,
Instagram, Content Analysis
On March 3 2023, a fire occurred at the Pertamina Plumpang Depot,
Koja, North Jakarta. Transparency and good communication
regarding Pertamina's responsibilities are important steps in
maintaining trust and minimizing negative impacts on the
company's reputation.Situational Crisis Communication Theory can
be applied in managing communication in crisis situations. The
Instagram account @pertamina shows empathy and concern in
dealing with the crisis caused by this fire. This article aims to analyze
the use of Instagram as a crisis response strategy after the
Plumpang Depot fire on March 3 2023, with a focus on the content
on the @pertamina account. The qualitative content analysis
method was used in this research, with the unit of analysis being
content on Instagram @pertamina in the post-Plumpang Depot fire
period, namely between the 4th and March 8, 2023. Data collection
was carried out through observation of content, including uploads,
captions on images, and captions on posts, and there were ten pieces
of content studied. In this research, it was found that Pertamina used
a crisis response strategy model in the form ofdeal response strategy
in responding to the crisis that occurred. The @pertamina
Instagram account is used as communication technology that
becomes a bridge to the public in dealing with crises with
consistency and in accordance with community expectations, such
as providing compensation, apologizing and showing regret,
without trying to prove the truth or alluding that the crisis
originates from factors outside the organization's control
INTRODUCTION
On the evening of March 3 2023, the Pertamina Plumpang Depot area, Koja, North Jakarta,
experienced a fire. This fire is similar to a similar incident that occurred in January 2009 at the
Pertamina Depot, Plumpang, North Jakarta. In this incident, a severe fire occurred in one of the premium
storage tanks number 22 with a capacity of 10,000 kiloliters (Tribunnews.com, n.d.). According to the
Main Director of PT Pertamina (Persero), Nicke Widyawati, the fire that occurred at the Plumpang BBM
Depot was not caused by an explosion in the storage tank, but rather by a technical problem in the
distribution pipe which caused very strong pressure so that a fire occurred (Okezone.com, n.d.). As of
March 16 2023, PT Pertamina (Persero) reported that the number of victims who died due to the fire at
the Pertamina Plumpang Depot reached 25 people. Apart from that, there were 220 heads of families
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(KK) who were affected by the pipe fire at the Plumpang Depot in total (Kompas.com, n.d.). The
Pertamina Plumpang Depot fire incident and how Pertamina responded to the consequences could
affect the company's reputation and impact Pertamina's image. However, this case can also raise
concerns about the safety and security of company operations. If the public feels that Pertamina is
unable to maintain the security of its site, it could damage trust and create a negative image. So it is
important for Pertamina to take quick and effective action in identifying the causes and taking post-fire
corrective and preventive actions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Pertamina is considered alert in handling the Plumpang Fuel Oil Terminal (TBBM) incident
(Antaranews.com, 2023). From technical emergency measures in the event of a power outage to
providing emergency posts for affected residents. Pertamina management previously stated that it
would take full responsibility for providing the best care for the Plumpang fire victims and their families
(Antaranews.com, 2023). Transparency and good communication regarding responsibilities carried out
by Pertamina is an step in maintaining trust and minimizing the negative impact on the company's
reputation (Situmeang & Lubis, 2012). Situational crisis communication theory (Situational Crisis
Communication Theory) can be applied to gain an understanding of how organizations respond and
manage communications in crisis situations such as this fire (Finet, 1994). SCCT is based on the idea
that public perceptions of an organization and the impact of a company's reputation can be influenced
by communication responses in crisis situations (Amalia & Febrianita, 2022).
In the past, communication in dealing with company crises could only be done through
conventional channels such as telephone, radio, television and printed press releases. Therefore, the
communication response takes longer, and the dissemination of information to the wider community
can be slower (Garnett & Kouzmin, 2007). Through technological advances, communication in handling
crises can be carried out effectivelyreal-time via email, text messages, and platforms that allow for faster
and more efficient responses. Social media plays an important role in facilitating communication during
a crisis (Prastya, 2011). Pertamina also utilized social media as a means to communicate with the public
after the fire incident in Plumpang. Pertamina usesplatform such as Twitter and Instagram as tools to
convey information, provide the latest updates, coordinate relief efforts, and respond to community
questions and concerns (Guo, Liu, Wu, & Zhang, 2021)(Marc André Kaufhold, Rupp, Reuter, & Habdank,
2020). Implementing SCCT principles can be used as a basis for a company in planning and
implementing effective communication responses to minimize negative impacts on reputation and
rebuild trust from stakeholders and the community (Amalia & Febrianita, 2022). Technological
developments have significantly changed the way companies handle crises, including faster
communication, access to social media, and better situational analysis capabilities. This allows
companies to respond to crises more quickly, responsively, effectively and efficiently (Boyd & Ellison,
2007).
Apart from providing direct and responsible assistance to affected victims, Pertamina also uses
Instagram to communicate and respond to the crisis and restore the image after the Plumpang Depot
fire (Guidry, Jin, Orr, Messner, & Meganck, 2017). On the Instagram profile @pertamina from March 4
2023 to March 8 2023, several content related to the treatment provided by Pertamina after the fire was
downloaded. Instagram is one of the communication technologies used by Pertamina to include
elements of empathy and care that are communicated and help build better relationships with
Instagram followers @pertamina (Roshan, Warren, & Carr, 2016). This article discusses the topic of
crisis response through the following research question: how does Pertamina use the Instagram account
@pertamina as communication technology in responding to the crisis after the Plumpang depot fire in
March 2023? Considering how corporate communication and public relations are currently adapting to
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Maria Adeline Cornelius
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digitalization, this article aims to determine the implementation of the use of Instagram by analyzing
the content on @pertamina Instagram as a strategy to respond to the crisis after the Plumpang Depo
fire on March 3 2023 using qualitative content analysis methods (Allen & Caillouet, 1994)(Roshan et al.,
2016).
METHODS
The aim of this research is to examine how Pertamina utilizesplatform digital media Instagram,
in an effort to deal with the crisis following the Plumpang Depo fire case on March 3 2023. By using a
qualitative approach, this research aims to understand social phenomena in depth and detail and
focuses on social phenomena. Qualitative research is often used in social sciences, such as sociology,
anthropology, psychology, and political science. This type of research with a qualitative approach is used
to examine aspects of social life, including behavior and meaning. Apart from that, the use of content
analysis is also a research method to understand message content, be it text, images, symbols, or audio
data, to determine textual meaning (Giannantonio, 2010). By using a qualitative content analysis
approach, it is hoped that we can reveal various information and see the efforts made by Pertamina in
responding to the crisis that occurred.
The unit of analysis in this research is communication material or responses from Pertamina on
Instagram @pertamina in the post-Plumpang Depo fire period, namely 4 to 8 March 2023. The reason
for choosing posts in that period was because content discussing the development of the Plumpang Depo
fire was only uploaded in the period 4 to 8 March 2023. Based on this unit of analysis, the object of the
research is the use of digital technology, Instagram, as a medium used by @pertamina to share
information related to the company's condition through photos, videos, stories, news. The data
collection technique used is observation of the research object, namely content, goodfeed, caption
onframe, andcaption to obtain accurate and detailed data and there are ten materials or content studied.
The analyzed data is then categorized according to the theoretical basisSituational Crisis
Communication Theory (SCCT), with the aim of finding the main themes that emerge. Next, an analysis
of the findings was carried out using the theory used.
RESULTS
In this research, the use of models was foundcrisis response strategy all of whom use itdeal
response strategy by the Instagram account @pertamina in response to the crisis that occurred.
According to (Coombs, 2006),deal response strategy is an effort that an organization can use to provide
an appropriate response and provide adequate compensation to affected parties, so that its reputation
can improve. This was implemented by @pertamina in responding to the crisis following the March
2023 Plumpang Depot fire using @pertamina's Instagram as communication technology (Kirkham &
Muthaly, 2015).
Analysis carried out on images uploaded by @pertamina shows that there is a Pertamina logo in
each upload. According to Aaker (2014), a logo can be an important asset in buildingbrand equity a
company. The Instagram account @pertamina also uses the featurehashtagIn every plumpang fire post
content, the hashtag #PertaminaPeduli is also used by Pertamina in every post related to CSR carried
out by Pertamina on Instagram @pertamina. Research conducted by Lin et al. (2016), the use of
appropriate hashtags can increase user interaction and engagement with shared content.
1. Tuesday, March 4 2023
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Caption : Pertamina focuses on handling residents affected by the incident atIntegrated Jakarta
TerminalCaption in bio : After the blackout inIntegrated Jakarta Terminal on Friday (3/3/2023),
Pertamina focused on providing the best treatment for victims and affected residents. Aid has begun
to be distributed to emergency response posts in the form of food, mineral water and sleeping mats.
Handling all medical costs for victims is also Pertamina's commitment. Evaluating and reflecting
internally is also the main thing to avoid a similar incident from happening again. Thank you for your
prayers and support, friend, hopefully things can recover soon.#PertaminaCares
Analysis : Compassion (deal response strategy)
In the first upload after the Plumpang Depot fire crisis, March 3 2023, @pertamina showed its caring
efforts by providing assistance to victims affected by the crisis as a form of compensation. This is
shown in the photo which depicts the provision of items needed by residents. Oncaption, also stated
that aid was distributed to emergency response posts.
2. Tuesday, March 4 2023
Caption : Bring back the smiles of the residents at the refugee post.
Pertamina collaborates with a group of housewives from Kalibaru Subdistrict, North Jakarta to
prepare a public kitchen to provide nutritious food for vulnerable groups, such as toddlers and the
elderly, at the Rasela Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space (RPTRA) Post, Rawa Badak Selatan
Subdistrict, District. Koja, North Jakarta, Saturday (4/3/2023). On the same occasion, the Minister
of BUMN @erickthohir greeted and cooked with the mothers while appreciating the efforts they
had made. Assistance will continue to roll out according to needs in the field. Thank you for your
continued support, friend.#PertaminaCares
Analysis : Concern (deal response strategy)
In this content, entitled “"Bring back the smiles of the residents at the refugee camps,"shows that the
company expressed its concern for the affected victims. Oncaption, the company stated that it would
provide nutritious food for vulnerable groups, such as toddlers and the elderly. The photo also shows
that the company together with the government, Erick Thohir, Minister of BUMN @erickthohir,
greeted and cooked with the mothers while appreciating the efforts that had been made.
3. Tuesday, March 4 2023
Caption : Together we can restore people to get back on their feet. Direct visit by Vice President
K.H. Ma'ruf Amin at the evacuation post gave positive energy to residents affected by the incident
at the Plumpang BBM Terminal to get up and recover quickly. Thank you for the support of the Vice
President of the Republic of Indonesia. Pertamina will continue to distribute the assistance needed
for the good of the residents.#PertaminaCares
Analysis : Concern (deal response strategy)
In this upload, @pertamina shows that the company and government, represented by Vice President
K.H. Ma'ruf Amin paid attention to the affected residents. This is written in the caption where ""give
positive energy to residents affected by the incident at the Plumpang BBM Terminal to get up and
recover quickly,"
4. Tuesday, March 4 2023
Caption : No one wanted the incident at the Plumpang BBM Terminal to happen. However, we
always prepare to remain alert under any circumstances so that the incident can be handled
immediately. Today, (4/3/2023), Pertamina President Director Nicke Widyawati met with the
families of the affected residents at RSPP, expressing his condolences and deep apologies for this
incident. Pertamina is fully responsible for all medical costs for injured victims and also
compensation for victims who died. Nicke Widyawati also met directly with the affected residents
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at the evacuation post and directly visited the location of the incident and provided
assistancesupport to the entire team who continue to work together to help victims and affected
residents, as well as synergize with relevant authorities to ensure that aid can be distributed evenly.
Thank you to all involved. We continue to work together for Plumpang to truly recover.
Analysis : Apology (deal response strategy)
In this content, Pertamina stated that it was responsible for the crisis that occurred and apologized
tostakeholders. Publicly, Pertamina accepts that full responsibility is an obligation and apologizes
to the partiesstakeholders over the incident that occurred. That matter delivered by Pertamina
President Director Nicke Widyawati,“I, along with all Pertamina staff, express our deepest
apologies for the incident at the Plumpang BBM Terminal. We will continue to provide the best
treatment for the victims. Please pray that the affected people will recover quickly and can return
to their activities."
5. Sunday, March 5 2023
Caption : Bringing back the joy of children
There is hope that things will get better soon, seeing that the children at the refugee camps can
slowly smile again and mingle with the volunteers. The officers who are members of the Pertamina
Peduli volunteer team continue to be ready at any time to help the victims after the Plumpang BBM
Terminal incident. Especially for children in refugee camps, the team held trauma healing with
various activities so that the children became cheerful again. The volunteers will continue to take
turns helping and meeting the needs of the affected communities at the evacuation posts. “We
expressed concern because no one wanted this to happen. We will prepare all the needs. "The most
important thing is that mothers are healthy and children can play happily," said Pertamina Main
Director, Nicke Widyawati when visiting affected communities at the Rasele RPTRA refugee post,
Rawa Badak, Koja, Jakarta (4/3/2023). Keep up the enthusiasm of the Pertamina Peduli team.
Continue to work together so that affected residents can recover from their grief. Of course with
the support and prayers of the accompanying Indonesian people.#PertaminaCares
Analysis : Regret (deal response strategy)
The @Pertamina Instagram account shows that the company feels sorry for the crisis that occurred.
Apart from various remedies, the company also expressed regret with the expressions contained
incaption which states that“No one wanted this to happen.”
6. Sunday, March 5 2023
Caption : Efforts and synergy for Plumpang to recover will not stop. It is our priority to ensure that
affected victims receive the best treatment and that all needs are met.
Pertamina is continuously committed to continuing to provide assistance to affected residents in
the form of logistics to trauma healing with volunteers#PertaminaCares. Thank you buddy. All your
prayers and support means a lot so that their smiles can return soon.
Analysis : Concern (deal response strategy)
In this upload, the company openly conveys its efforts in the form of assistance to victims affected
by the crisis. This can be seen from the photos as wellcaption written "continue to provide assistance
to affected residents in the form of logistics and trauma healing with volunteers#PertaminaCares.”
7. Sunday, March 5 2023
Caption : Thank you Mr President @jokowi directly visited the people affected by the Plumpang
BBM Terminal incident at the Rasela RPTRA evacuation post, Rawabadak, Koja, North Jakarta,
(5/3/2023). On this occasion, the President expressed his condolences, took time to chat with the
community and also handed over aid.#PertaminaCares
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Analysis : Concern (deal response strategy)
In this upload, @pertamina shows that the company, together with the government, is paying
attention to affected residents, and took the time to visit directly the temporary victim evacuation
site, RPTRA Rasela, Rawabadak, Koja, North Jakarta. The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, also
expressed his condolences and handed over his aid.
8. Monday, March 6 2023
Caption : Keep the spirit of Pertamina Officers amidst Plumpang's sorrow!
Continue to work together to restore affected residents and remain the best in providing energy
services to the community. You also have enthusiasm for carrying out your activities.Stand up strong
amid the grief of Plumpang, Pertamina Officer.Keep giving hands to the affected people and give the
best energy to the community. #EnergizingYou
Analysis : Ingratiation (deal response strategy)
In the @pertamina upload, during times of crisis, the company also reminds the public of the good
work the company has done in the past. This was conveyed tocaption who said that Pertamina
would continue to provide the best energy services for the community.
9. Monday, March 6 2023
Caption : Pertamina continues to focus on handling residents affected by the incident at the
Plumpang BBM Terminal, especially residents who are being treated in hospital so that they receive
the best service and treatment. In turn, Pertamina's board of directors and management monitored
the condition of affected victims at several hospitals in Jakarta. Apart from full attention to patient
care, Pertamina also provides a waiting place for families so they can follow developments in their
condition directly. Pray, friend, that the affected residents can recover soon. Pertamina Finance
Director, Emma Sri Martini when visiting affected residents being treated at RSPP,
(05/03/2023).#PertaminaCares
Analysis : Concern (deal response strategy)
In the content of this upload, the company expresses its concern for residents affected by the
actions shown in the uploaded photo. Oncaption It was also written that the company conveyed the
efforts made so that affected residents could get the best service and treatment. “"In addition to full
attention to patient care, Pertamina also provides a waiting place for families so they can follow
developments in conditions directly."
10. Wednesday, March 8 2023
Caption : Thank God, conditions in Plumpang are gradually becoming more conducive. On the
fourth day after the Plumpang BBM Terminal incident, the post began to be empty, many refugees
had started to return to their homes. Team#PertaminaCareswill continue to be alert to ensure that
residents who are still living temporarily in refugee camps have their needs met.
Analysis : Compassion (deal response strategy)
In the last content uploaded by @pertamina during the research period, the company continued to
provide or form compensation for the crisis that occurred. It is also written in the caption that the
company will continue to be alert to ensure that residents who are still living temporarily in refugee
camps have their needs met.
Discussion
The research results in this article show that the Instagram account @pertamina usesdeal
response strategy on every content uploaded after the crisis caused by the Pertamina Plumpang Depot
fire, March 3 2023. Ondeal response strategy, the organization acknowledged the crisis that occurred
and took responsibility publicly (Massey, 2001). The organization later issued an apology to the
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parties concerned and expressed their intention to rectify the problem and prevent similar crises from
occurring in the future. This strategy reflects the organization's transparency, accountability and
efforts to rebuild trust with the public andstakeholders. Deal response consists of five options that can
be used by organizations in facing a crisis, namelyIngratiation, Concern, Compassion, Regret
andApology. Each option must be tailored to the organization's needs when dealing with the crisis that
occurs.
Oningratiation, Crisis managers give credit tostakeholders or it can also remind the public
about good deeds or good work in the past that have been carried out by the organization. In
@pertamina's upload on March 6 2023, it was writtencaption "Continue to work together to restore
the affected residents and continue to provide the best energy services for the community." The thing
that is highlighted is the sentence "still the best providing energy services for the community"
indicating that so far Pertamina has provided the best energy services for the Indonesian people, in
accordance with the explanationingratiation regarding past good work carried out by the company.
As stated previously, Instagram in the context of communication technology has a significant role for
sharing visual content, such as photos and videos, and one of the interesting aspects of Instagram is
the use of hashtags which allow users to organize content based on certain topics to make searching
and discovery easier. relevant content. Pertamina uses the hashtag #PertaminaPeduli in every upload
which shows the company's concern for events or disasters that occur in Indonesia (Procopio &
Procopio, 2007). Pertamina also took part in providing assistance to victims affected by disasters, in
the form of goods and also the #PertaminaPeduli Volunteer team who helped in disaster-affected
locations. This is something deepingratiation response, namely that the public can see the good deeds
and work that Pertamina has done, not only in events caused by the company itself, but also natural
disasters or other events that occur outside the company as a form of the company's commitment to
corporate social responsibility (CSR).
@pertamina's upload on March 5 2023 showsdeal response strategy in terms ofregret, which,
when linked to the previous explanation, means that the company feels sorry for the crisis that
occurred. Pertamina provides various forms of accountability to affected victims and is written
incaption “no one wanted this to happen” which shows regret from the company's side to the affected
victims (Rainer, Grubmüller, Pejic, Götsch, & Leitner, 2013).
@pertamina's upload on March 4 2023 showsdeal response strategy in terms ofapology, which,
if linked to the previous explanation, is that the company shows attitudes and behavior that indicate
that the organization takes full responsibility for the crisis that occurred and apologizes for the
incident as written incaption "I, along with all Pertamina staff, express our deepest apologies for the
incident at the Plumpang BBM Terminal." Pertamina is fully responsible for the victims affected by the
incident and is committed to continuing to be alert in handling the ongoing crisis.
@pertamina's uploads on March 3 and 8 2023 showdeal response strategy in terms
ofcompassion, which, if linked to the previous explanation, is that the company is trying to provide or
offer assistance in the form of money or gifts and other goods to victims affected by the crisis as a form
of compensation. The first upload at the time of the crisis was on March 4 2023. In this upload
Pertamina attempted to show its concern by providing assistance to victims and affected residents
according to options.compassion by showing the gift of goods through uploading photos, which are in
line withcaption who explained that aid had been distributed to emergency response posts in the form
of food, mineral water and sleeping mats as well as oncaption It was also stated that "the medical costs
of victims are also Pertamina's commitment" which can be said to be a form of assistance and
compensation. Not only the first upload after the fire, the upload that uses optionscompassion in
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aspectdeal response strategy This was also carried out by Pertamina on the fourth day after the
Plumpang BBM Terminal fire incident. This can be seen fromcaption upload dated March 8 2023,
namely “Team#PertaminaCareswill continue to be alert to ensure residents who are still staying
temporarily at the pos refugee needs are met." Pertamina is committed to ensuring and meeting the
needs of affected residents who are still at the evacuation post on the fourth day, even though
conditions in Plumpang have gradually become more conducive in accordance with the caption
"Thank God, conditions in Plumpang have gradually become conducive" as a form of compensation
and company responsibility.
@pertamina uploads on March 4, 5 and 6 2023 with a total of 5 uploads usingdeal response
strategy in terms ofconcern, which, when linked to the previous explanation, means that the company
expressed concern for the residents and victims affected by the crisis that occurred. On March 4, 2023,
there were two posts that could be related to the use of optionsconcern, namely the first upload
showscaption "Bring back the smiles of residents at the refugee camps", which is a form of concern for
the current incident and a commitment to providing nutritious food for vulnerable groups. This thing
becomesconcern separate for the company because not all victims are affected in the same way, but
there are certain groups such as the elderly and toddlers who must be treated specifically. Meanwhile,
in the second upload, it is writtencaption "Together, restore residents to get back on their feet", where
this is the company's concern and commitment to recovering residents from various aspects and
hopes that residents can recover from the events that occurred. The Vice President of the Republic of
Indonesia was also present to provide positive energy and support to recover from this incident.
Likewise, with the upload on March 5 2023, two uploads indicated the company's concern for the
affected residents. The first upload containscaption "All your prayers and support means a lot so that
their smiles can return soon" and the second post "The President expressed his condolences, took time
to chat with the community and at the same time handed over aid." The company openly conveys
various efforts and commitments in handling fires, from logistics totrauma healing. This is a form of
follow-up to the concerns felt. Likewise with the concerns expressed directly by the President of the
Republic of Indonesia. The company is committed to dealing with incidents continuously. A form of
concern can also be felt from the upload on March 6 2023, which was conveyed via video upload
andcaption which reads "Residents who are being treated in hospitals to receive the best service and
treatment" with the intention of concern in the form of providing the best assistance so that residents
can recover and "Pertamina's Board of Directors and management are monitoring the condition of
affected victims in several hospitals in Jakarta" which shows the company's concern with form of visits
and direct monitoring of the condition of the victims and affected residents, ensuring that all receive
the best treatment and also that the company provides a waiting place for the victims' families in the
hospital.
From Pertamina's uploads in the period 3 to 8 March 2023, it can be said that Pertamina is
fully using the optiondeal response. If Pertamina chooses to handle the crisis usingdeny response, then
the company will continue to try to prove that there is no crisis or that the organization is not
responsible for the crisis that occurred and if Pertamina choosesdiminish response then the company
will minimize the responsibility of the given crisis. These two options,deny response anddiminish
responsecan reduce the company's reputation and the company can be considered irresponsible.
Pertamina chose to usedeal response in dealing with the crisis that occurred, by using Instagram as a
communication technology as a tool to convey information, provide the latest updates, coordinate
relief efforts, and respond to questions and concerns that the community has by uploading content in
the form of images and videos, added with captions.in frame (on photos and videos) andcaption that
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describes an activity orupdate regarding the condition of residents around the affected locations.
Pertamina implemented the use of communication technology using the social media Instagram in
responding to the crisis following the Plumpang Depot fire incident on March 3 (Marc‐André Kaufhold,
Gizikis, Reuter, Habdank, & Grinko, 2019)(Utz, Schultz, & Glocka, 2013).
In research (Amali, 2019) regarding the crisis at PT Lion Mentari Airlines in responding to the
Lion Air JT610 plane crash case, it is known that the crisis response strategy used when the crisis first
emerged was thediminish response by stating the reason that there are no facts that have been revealed
from the results of the investigation which explains that no one can prove that the cause of the plane
crash was an error or negligence on the part of the company or airline, so that the public's attribution
could become lower or weaker, especially in requests for responsibility. This is the airline's fault, so
attributions that were previously strong in society can be lowered to a weak level. The findings in this
research can then be compared with the crisis response communication strategy at Pertamina, where
the cause of the fire incident was not yet revealed at that time, but Pertamina took full responsibility
and chose to use a deal response in post-fire handling.
CONCLUSION
Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) serves as a guide for selecting crisis response
strategies and communication resources that can be used in maintaining an organization's reputation
during a crisis. SCCT provides recommendations for choosing a crisis response strategy that is
appropriate to the characteristics of the current crisis situation. This paper concludes that the
appropriate response strategy is to provide adequate compensation to the affected parties, known
asdeal response strategy, can improve the reputation of the organization.Deal response consists of five
options that can be used by organizations in facing a crisis, namelyIngratiation, Concern, Compassion,
Regret andApology. Each option must be tailored to the organization's needs when facing a crisis. In
the context of communication technology, Instagram has an important role in sharing visual content
such as photos and videos. One of the interesting features of Instagram is the use of hashtags, which
allows users to organize content based on certain topics to make it easier to search and find relevant
content. Current technological advances that continue to develop also have an impact on
practicepublic relations digitally through social media in building relationships, interactions, company
image, and crisis management.
(Amali, 2019) reviews how a company handles a crisis through various communication
channels. On the other hand, research by (Amalia & Febrianita, 2022)(He, Zha, & Li, 2013) focuses
more on crisis handling strategies by companies on Instagram social media. Both studies note that
companies use a variety of crisis response strategies, includingdeny, diminish, anddeal response.
However, research conducted on the @pertamina Instagram account found something interesting,
namely that the account faced the crisis with consistency, in accordance with society's expectations,
such as providing compensation, apologizing and showing regret, without trying to prove the truth or
alluding that the crisis originated from other factors. outside the control of the organization.
Future research needs to consider the use of social media other than Instagram to gain a
broader understanding, optimize use, and develop digital public relations practices to remain relevant
to current developments and gain broader public trust. Rather than just focusing on one particular
digital channel or social media, future research is expected to involve the concepts and contexts
described in this paper as part of overall corporate and public relations strategy. In this way, public
relations activities can be elaborated conventionally and digitally, thus enabling public relations
Inrernational Journal of Social Service and Research https://ijssr.ridwaninstitute.co.id/
IJSSR Page 2345
objectives to cover both channels and determine the right communication strategy to achieve
company goals, especially in crisis situations.
In order to measure and evaluate the results obtained from the role of social media in influencing
the company's image and reputation, further research is expected to use quantitative methods based on
field data whose validity and validity can be tested. In an effort to investigate aspects that have not been
researched in previous research, research that studies the level of effectiveness of social media in
relation to digital public relations practices that include automation and data analysis is an interesting
area that needs further research. This kind of research will produce data that can be used as a reference
in comparing social media optimization in handling company crisis situations.
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