This document provides guidance on preventing, preparing for, addressing, and recovering from a food recall crisis. It emphasizes having effective product development and quality assurance systems to prevent issues, and being prepared with a communications plan that informs all stakeholders, manages public relations, and recovers customer loyalty. The key is a quick, transparent, and responsible response that makes customers whole and tells the company's positive story to turn the crisis into an opportunity.
1 of 40
More Related Content
How to Survive and Thrive During a Food Recall Media Crisis
1. How to Survive and
Thrive During a
Food Recall Media
Crisis
1
4. Prevent it!
Effective product
development
Rigorous
specifications:
build, adhere,
change with great
care
Independent QA
Only you can prevent product
recalls
4
5. Management Communication
Project Management Communication
CEO
Finance HR Legal
Sales &
Marketing
Supply Chain
QAPurchasing
R&D
Effective product development systems
Machineable
product design
Innovation and
new processes
Cost-savings
initiatives that affect
product design
Supplier qualification
5
6. Rigorous specification process
Integrated product design process
QA testing new resources; new products; new
formulations
Cross-functional involvement in and
approval of final product specs
Monitor and adhere to specifications
6
7. Independent QA
Direct, clear access to CEO
Dotted line reporting
Avoid straight-line (only)
to Manufacturing
7
11. Do you have a Plan?
Marketing communication plans and
process in place
Specific Public Relations contact
Can mobilize and execute broad
communication initiative . cohesively
Existing media list and relationships
Media capable traditional and social
Tested it via dry run(s)
11
12. Fix the Product Issue
Inform Sales Team
Inform Supply Chain
Partners
Brokers, Distributors,
etc.
Retailers
Inform regulatory agency
(e.g. FDA)
Inform Constituents
Inform Media
Inform Consumers
Structure and Leverage
Feedback Loops
Protect and make whole
Protect and maintain
reputation
Cohesive
Communications Plan
12
13. Fix the Product Issue
Knowledge = Product Liability
and Responsibility
Theres nothing to spin
13
14. Key Elements
Scope of the problem
Geographies, brands, skus = = Clear and
complete
How to identify
What they need to do, when, how to
inform that it has been completed
Where to get additional information, who
is their key contact
14
17. Fix the Product Issue
Inform Sales Team
Inform Supply Chain
Partners
Brokers, Distributors,
etc.
Retailers
Inform regulatory agency
(e.g. FDA)
Inform Constituents
.
Inform Media
Inform Consumers
Structure and Leverage
Feedback Loops
Protect and make whole
Protect and maintain
reputation
Cohesive
Communications Plan
17
18. PR
Craft key
messages
Distribute
Handle media
and influencer
communications
Hotline
CRM/database
capturing
Analysis/reporting
of inquiries
Alerts
Announcement
ads
Public Service
Announcements
Customer Service AdvertisingInteractive
Online crisis
management
Web-based
communications
Reputation
monitoring
Social media: FB,
Twitter, YouTube
Crisis Communications
18
19. Key Elements
Scope of problem
Geographies, brands, skus =>Clear and
complete
How to identify
What recipient needs to do
Where to get additional information
Who to contact for additional (emergency)
help
19
23. PR
Craft key
messages
Distribute
Handle media
and influencer
communications
Hotline
CRM/database
capturing
Analysis/reporting
of inquiries
Alerts
Announcement
ads
Public Service
Announcements
Customer Service AdvertisingInteractive
Online crisis
management
Web-based
communications
Reputation
monitoring
Social media: FB,
Twitter, YouTube
Crisis Communications
23
24. You Cant Control the Message
1 Way
Company controlled
Mass market
Persuade to buy
2+ Way Dialogue
Consumer controlled
Niche/micro-target market
Engage to earn relevance
24
27. Key Elements
Scope of problem
Geographies, brands, skus =>Clear and
complete
How to identify
What recipient needs to do
Where to get additional information
Who to contact for additional (emergency)
help
Make whole rebuild customer loyalty
27
28. Manage the Message..
Media Contact identifies appropriate
Spokesperson
Media Contact supports Spokesperson
Crafts talk points
Media trains Spokesperson
Present with interviews
You may need to hire a PR/Crisis
Communications company (from your
Rolodex)
28
30. Marketing/PR Crafts Key
Messages
ONE Media
Contact
All Media Requests
go to Media Contact
Media Contact
decides which/how
to respond
30
31. Select the Messenger
Media Contact identifies appropriate
Spokesperson
Title and expertise (CEO, Quality Assurance
NOT Sales)
Articulate, credible, and appropriate for that
medium
31
34. Dry Run
Walk through a
hypothetical Product
Recall
Post-audit, fix
readiness gaps
Document
procedures
34
35. Recovery
Move On: Consumers are very forgiving
Tell and widely publicize your positive story
Rebuild customer and consumer loyalty
Make Whole PLUS
35
36. PR
Craft key
messages
Distribute
Handle media
and influencer
communications
Hotline
CRM/database
capturing
Analysis/
reporting of
inquiries
Alerts
Announcement
ads
Public Service
Announcements
Customer Service AdvertisingInteractive
Online crisis
management
Web-based
communications
Reputation
monitoring
Social media: FB,
Twitter, YouTube
RECOVERY Communications
Make Customers Whole PLUS
Tell YOUR Story
Promote event
Tell YOUR Story
Promote event
Refund +
Repurchase Offer
Promote event
Re-trial
Repeat
36
37. Food Recall Crisis = Opportunity
37
Resume positive
brand communication
Incent trade partners
to restock and
promote your brand
Incent consumers to
retry your brand
Provide additional
incentive for repeat
business and goodwill
38. -15%
+7%Share prices of companies that
mishandle a crisis one year later
Share prices of companies
that handle a crisis well one
year later
Source: The Impact of Catastrophes on Shareholder Value; Sedgwick Group,
Knight and Pretty
Food Recall Crisis = Opportunity
38
As well as multiple channels to communicate, there are now multiple formats in which to express your opinion. A crisis isnt just refined to the written word anymore. With more and more people owning multi-media publishing tools to undo your official messaging, leveraging the power of video is becoming an increasingly important part of your response.
Heres another way of looking at the cost of not planning this study out of Oxford shows that there is a real material value in crisis planning and preparedness. The study claims that there is a 22% difference in stock market performance between companies that are seen as handling a crisis well and those that do not. Now for any of you who are responsible for the P&L, a 22% difference is huge. Just picture what the market capitalization value of that might be for a sizeable company--- the average S&P 1200 company had a market value of $23 billion year. If it lost 15% that would be about $3.5 billion and if it gained 7% thats more than $1.5 billion. So the value of handling a crisis well can easily reach a billion dollars or more!