ASSIGNMENT PROPOSAL
To: Dr. Nguyễn Thị Phương Thu.
From: Group 4 (Nguyễn Huyền Đan, Nguyễn Kiều Trang, Đàm Thị Thúy Nga, Ma Quang
Trường, Nguyễn Thị Linh, Nguyễn Quốc Khánh) – BC-03
Date: 17/09/2023
Subject: Assignment Proposal
Proposed problems: Twitter (X) commandeereed two users' handles: Opposite responses.
1. The company profile:
1.1. Definition:
Twitter is an American communications company that operates worldwide as a microblogging
and social networking service. It is now one of the most widely used social media platforms
around the world.
1.2. Establishment:
In March 2006, Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams created Twitter. The
company became a public platform in 2013.
1.3. Products and services:
- It offers a service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected
through the exchange of quick, frequent messages.
- Businesses use Twitter for brand awareness and public relations -- part of their social
media marketing strategy.
1.4. Employment:
Since Elon Musk took the reins at Twitter as its CEO in October 2022, its workforce has dropped
by 80% and reportedly hovers at around 1,300 employees.
1.5. Achievements:
- According to a recent survey studying the number of Twitter users by country, the United
States is home to the most users, with at least 98.5 million there. Incidentally, Twitter is
also one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in the US.
- There are many politicians, diplomats, writers, and businessmen who are highly active on
Twitter and engage frequently with their followers such the former US President - Barack
Obama, the Indian Prime Minister - Narendra Modi, the famous author of the Harry
Porter – J.K. Rowling.
1.6. Elon Musk’s takeover and rebranding Twitter to X.
In the latest news, Elon Musk, renowned entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has made
significant headlines with his bold pursuit of various ventures. One such development was his
takeover of the social media platform Twitter, which led to a rebranding effort resulting in the
platform being renamed as "X."
X is currently facing a series of contentious issues resulting from the rapid and ongoing changes
implemented since its acquisition by Elon Musk in late 2022. Following a significant reduction
in staff and a comprehensive personnel restructuring, Musk has continued to introduce alterations
to several familiar features on Twitter. Despite the introduction of various new features, many of
them were swiftly abandoned due to their lack of effectiveness and efficiency.
The incessant and abrupt string of transformations within a relatively short timeframe has
transformed X into a social media platform characterized by frequent controversies, leading to
substantial crises. Elon Musk himself has disclosed that X continues to grapple with a substantial
debt burden after experiencing a significant decline in advertisement-generated revenue. The
tumultuous and controversial nature of Musk's restructuring endeavors has caused a considerable
number of advertisers to withdraw from the platform out of concerns that their brand promotion
efforts will be negatively impacted.
2. Description of two chosen incidents.
2.1. Elon Musk's X takes @X handle from longtime Twitter user – July 25, 2023
When Elon Musk announced that Twitter would go forward under the name X, his company
didn’t even hold the @X account. Until July 25, that username belonged to Gene Hwang, a San
Francisco photographer who held it since 2007. Hwang said he received an email from the
company he had suspected might be coming: X had taken the handle and offered little in return.
It said he could have his pick of any unclaimed or inactive usernames, along with some smaller
perks. “Additionally, as a reflection of our appreciation, you will also be provided with a
selection of X merch and an exclusive visit to X’s HQ to meet members of our team,” the
company said in the email.
2.2. Twitter commandeers @music handle from user with half a million followers –
August 6, 2023
Social network Twitter, recently rebranded as X, has commandeered the handle @music from an
open-source software developer. He created the account in 2007 and had built a community of
around half a million followers there. While Elon Musk-led X gave Jeremy Vaught no choice but
to surrender the desirable username on its platform, he was offered the option to choose from a
list of other handles related to the topic of music. Vaught was disappointed that X would take
over a handle from a user who invested 16 years into its platform with nothing but impersonal
correspondence, more akin to a technical support help ticket.
3. Research questions
3.1. For both cases:
Has X provided any justification or explanation for taking control of the @X and @music
username?
Were there any specific timelines or deadlines provided by X for resolving these
incidents?
How did X handle public relations and media inquiries related to these incidents?
Did X offer any formal channels or mechanisms for affected users and the public to
submit feedback or concerns?
3.2. Comparison:
How did the nature and significance of the @X and @music usernames differ in terms of
their importance to the affected individuals and the broader online community?
How did the incidents impact X's reputation and user trust in each case, and were there
variations in the long-term consequences for the platform?
Were there any public relations or crisis management strategies that X employed in one
incident but not the other, and how did this impact the outcomes?
In hindsight, what lessons can be learned from the comparative analysis of X's
communication in these two incidents, and how might X improve its communication
strategies in the future based on these lessons?
4. Analysis action plan:
4.1. Reasons to study the situations.
This case involves a widely recognized social media platform - X (Twitter) and a prominent
figure - Elon Musk. It reflects issues in business communication and reputation management
recently. The primary focus of this case is the apparent breakdown in explanation
(communication) between Twitter (X) and the affected users. We aim to analyze the impact of
these actions on users' perceptions of Twitter (X) and their overall satisfaction.
4.2. Theoretical frameworks.
Our approach to analyzing will be based on Chap 9 and 10’s content - Negative and Persuasive
Messages. By incorporating different processes such as alignment in the process of handling
communication crises. The 5 Rs for effective apology in the Digital age (Recognition,
Responsibility, Restitution, Remorse and Repeating). We will assess Twitter (X)'s
communication strategies and evaluate their effectiveness in maintaining trust and transparency.
4.3. Lessons from this case
Through this analysis, we expect to gain insights into the importance of clear, consistent, and fair
communication in business, ways to present reasons persuasively and write persuasive messages.
We hope to identify strategies and best practices for addressing communication breakdowns and
managing the reputational fallout.
