Whenever there’s a recall, your natural response is to think, “Oh no! Does this affect me?”
If you’re an ice cream lover, Blue Bell made your stomach churn. If you’re a Volkswagen owner, you screeched to a halt recently. Skippy, on the other hand, handled things more smoothly.¹
As a company, here are the top three things you should consider when facing a recall.
Show Concern
When health and safety are in question, demonstrate that the public’s welfare is your top priority.
By voluntarily recalling some peanut butter, Skippy’s parent company, Hormel, did just that, “This recall is being initiated out of an abundance of caution.”
That’s the optic you want to create: You’re going the extra mile to protect the consumer. Remember J&J’s recall of Tylenol in the ‘80s? Blue Bell did the polar opposite by denying it right up until they were forced to recall products.
Job #1 is to reassure. When in doubt, recall.
Inform Your Customers
Whenever product contamination occurs, the public has the same questions:
“Do I have something in my house that could cause me to get sick? How can I tell if what I bought was affected? What do I do if I did, in fact, buy something that’s been recalled?”
When there’s an information void, rumors, and speculation fly. Keep your customers informed. This alleviates their fears and buys you goodwill.
Whole Foods does an excellent job of this by having a product recall area on its site dedicated to keeping the public informed.
Never Lie
This is a given that transcends all industries and all issues: Don’t lie because the truth will come out eventually.
Blue Bell exacerbated the situation because it reportedly knew it had a listeria problem two years before the recall but failed to take the proper steps with the FDA to rectify it.
1. Your audible groans are totally justified. I couldn’t resist.
For a deeper glimpse into our world, see our book on Amazon, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting Your Clients In & From the Media.
If you don’t already subscribe, please sign up for our blog, Insights on High-Stakes PR.
You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn where we share amazing tips on how to protect your reputation and mitigate damage during a crisis.