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Digital crises 2024

Digital crises have become a major issue for companies and organisations, faced with volatile reputations and increasingly reactive audiences. Saper Vedere is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its studies on digital crises, conducted by Nicolas Vanderbiest, with a detailed look at the crises of 2024. With only 31 crises recorded, the year saw a significant drop in the number of incidents compared with previous years. However, their impact and nature have changed significantly. Here's a look at the main trends.

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Fewer crises, but greater impact

While the total number of seizures has fallen, their intensity has increased.

22% of crises reached level 3, an unprecedented level of impact.
45% of crises involved video, confirming the growing importance of the video format on social networks.
TikTok will account for 10% of crises in 2024, confirming its key role in the viralisation of controversies.

The fragmentation of social networks is more marked than ever. Instagram and TikTok are continuing to rise, while X (formerly Twitter) is experiencing a significant decline.

Distribution of media used to comment on crises:

This breakdown illustrates the shift in conversations and the rise of image- and video-based social networks.

Crisis themes: a return to societal controversies

While some issues, such as sexism, have become less prevalent(6% of crises in 2024 compared with 20% previously), others have become more widespread:

Wokism (17% of crises): a highly polarising subject, often present in tensions around brand communication.
Anti-science (20% of crises): the debates on AI and "quantum biology" illustrate this trend.
Criticism of brand communications (43% of crises): misunderstandings, blunders and campaigns perceived as inappropriate are at the heart of the controversies.

The most significant crises of 2024

1. CrowdStrike and the biggest computer breakdown of the year

A major incident involving CrowdStrike and Microsoft has disrupted a number of global services. The outage led to a fall in the stock market and a wave of indignation.

2. Pernod Ricard and the boycott of OM supporters

The partnership between Pernod Ricard and PSG angered Marseille fans, who called for a boycott of the Ricard brand. Under pressure, the company was forced to back down.

3. CNews and the controversy over abortion

An erroneous sequence broadcast on CNews and Europe 1 presenting abortion as the leading cause of death caused massive outrage. ARCOM imposed a fine of €100,000.

Lessons to be learned

The study highlights several key lessons for companies and institutions:

The importance of proactive monitoring: most crises could have been anticipated with better monitoring of social networks.
The central role of video: companies need to adapt their communications accordingly.
AI, a source of crises: whether due to algorithmic errors or accusations of bias, artificial intelligence is at the heart of numerous controversies.

Conclusion

The year 2024 was marked by a decrease in the number of digital crises, but they nevertheless intensified! Companies need to develop reputation strategies adapted to the new uses of social networks and an increasingly reactive society.

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