Martin Eppler

This case study shows how social media analytics impact the way that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) engages with its stakeholders in humanitarian crises. Referring to the organization’s mission in one African context, the case illustrates the role that social media analytics played in detecting an unexpected stakeholder constellation and in strengthening the ICRC’s presence as protection provider. Through the case study, students learn what "managing stakeholders" means for an international humanitarian nonprofit organization that helps and protects victims of humanitarian crises. The case also shows the significance of social media analytics as a complementary decision-making tool to clarify stakeholder constellations, understand interests of key actors, and engage with them. Analyzing this case should enable students to evaluate the role of social media analytics for a humanitarian organization’s mission, understand the challenges of such tools, and to develop strategic communication approaches to make insights from social media analyses actionable.