UNAIR NEWS – Three Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) students on Team The Bajigirls Who Can’t Be Moved made a remarkable mark at the national level. They won first place in the Strategic Management Communication competition at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW), Salatiga, on Friday (September 18, 2026).
In the competition, all participants were challenged to solve a reputation crisis case study relevant to current technological developments. The UNAIR team served as public relations (PR) practitioners for a fictional company called Nge-Meal, a developer of a daily calorie-tracking app facing the threat of a boycott due to the phenomenon of AI hallucination, or errors in artificial intelligence systems.
Implementing three phases of reputation crisis management
In addressing the challenge, three Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) students, Elvena Christiyanti Aprilla Boaz, Claudya Liana Morizza, and Najlaa Thufailah Shafut, role-played as the PR team for Nge-Meal. They designed a communication strategy that focused on raising awareness and showing a commitment to improvement. The strategy was built around three main phases of reputation crisis management: response, recovery, and reinforcement.
“We tried to reassure the public that there was indeed an error in our AI system, but we also showed our commitment to improvement through active, transparent communication, quick responses to complaints, and engaging a range of stakeholders,” Boaz said.
Turning data analysis into relevant programs
In developing the PR strategy, the UNAIR team not only focused on creative messaging, but also strongly integrated business data analysis. The data became the main foundation for communication programs that make a tangible impact and fit public needs.
“The judges said our team had an excellent command of the material and was able to engage with the audience. They also assessed the program structure we presented as systematic, supported by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),” she said.
Through the competition, the team members said they gained valuable lessons that will be very useful in their future professional careers, particularly in handling real crises thoroughly as PR practitioners. They also advised others to be brave in trying new things and to focus on what is within their control. “If it’s beyond your control, just leave it to God,” she emphasized.
Author: Putri Andini
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
