A study of the Kansas City Chiefs crisis communication during the national anthem protests

Abstract

This study explores the background of crisis communication and corporate social responsibility as they relate to practices in the sport industry. By building off the literature review, the study here aims to further research done in the area where crisis communication and corporate social responsibility intersect. This study looks specifically at the Kansas City Chiefs communication practices as a result of the National Anthem Protest that impacted the National Football League during the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons. Qualitative research methods and Image Restoration Theory are used to answer the research questions and understand how the Chiefs used their corporate social responsibility with the military to aid their crisis communication tactics and formulate their message strategies during the National Anthem Protest. Within the data set, it was found that the Chiefs utilized the message strategy of reducing offensiveness most, and that they did not directly address or apologize for the controversy.