Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference ―Science at the Turning Point of History‖ (May 25-27, 2026) / Publisher website: www.naukainfo.com. – Lviv, Ukraine, 2026. - 362 p.

33 Table 1. SCCT crisis response strategy clusters Strategy cluster Subtypes Applicable crisis type Primary goal Denial Attacking the accuser; Scapegoating; Simple denial Victim crises (low responsibility) Reject crisis association Diminishment Minimisation; Justification Accidental crises (moderate responsibility) Reduce perceived severity Rebuild Compensation; Full apology Preventable crises (high responsibility) Restore stakeholder trust Bolstering Reminding; Ingratiation; Victimage Supplementary to above clusters Reinforce positive image William Benoit proposed Image Restoration Theory, which centres on the verbal strategies used by the organization to protect (or rehabilitate) an organization's image after a damage-affected reputation. As a general model, the strategy clusters into one of five main areas [5, p. 72]: denial, evasion of responsibility, reduction of offensiveness, corrective action, mortification. IRT has been applied to the analysis of corporate communication in scandals, focusing directly on rhetorical themes in crisis behaviour. Both frameworks emphasize speed and transparency, as well as consistency in crisis communication – skills that only grow more critical when implemented in multiple markets to cope with different regulatory frameworks and media ecosystems. 3. Case studies in international crisis PR To illustrate the practical application of SCCT and IRT, three landmark cases are examined below. Table 2 provides a comparative overview of their crisis types, responses strategies, and outcomes.