More than half of respondents in a PwC US survey said they do not use social media as a crisis management resource, a reflection of uncertainty surrounding the medium, the consulting firm said.

Phil Sampson, a principal in PwC's risk assurance unit, said companies are weighing possible risks and legal complications with using social media. "Yet, the majority is still hesitant about utilizing social media as a crisis management tool," he said.

Only eight percent of 300 respondents in the PwC survey said SM has become an "enabler" for their organization to identify and respond to crisis events. Thirty-seven percent said they are "modestly" using SM as a tool but not necessarily seeing any benefit.

Sampson said PwC is telling clients to first look through their crisis PR plans for ways to incorporate SM to reach employees, third parties, customers and stakeholders. A second step is to look more closely at crisis and risk scenarios to weigh whether SM could be used.