There have been plenty of examples recently of the power of social media and the internet in creating and overcoming corporate crisis. Most recently the Greenpeace and Nestle spat demonstrated more than just the development of the original issue itself (the environmental effects of the palm oil manufacture). The handling of the initial feedback by Nestle showed that if you are going to get involved in the debate, you need to keep your cool and stick to the issues – as highlighted by this excellent presentation from Scott Douglas.
The result of nestle’s fan page moderator getting personal went way beyond the original issue and became the story in itself. It reminds me of the classic West Wing episode where Josh Lyman decides to comment personally on the Lemonlyman website, only to wonder why he suddenly turns from hero to villain and CJ threatens personal injury with a motherboard.
The lesson? Stick to the issues; stay focused on the facts and look for the collaborative option. The best communication is two-way and changes behaviours on BOTH sides. This is a prime example of how to get the balance completely wrong and pay the corporate consequences. Ironically, KitKat was originally a Rowntree brand – the organisation that was set up by staunch Quaker, Joseph Rowntree. Interestingly, they were equally censorial back in the early ’80s when I was a Student at York University – York being Rowntrees’ home. Whiel News Editor of the student mag, Nouse, we decided to run a fairly derogatory front page about Kitkat and Rowntrees latest union activities in South Africa. Strangely, Rowntree asked us in less than polite terms to pull the publication. Clearly we were being more than provocative and now, with corporate communication experience under my belt I can appreciate the issues of brand and reputation management. However, a collaborative approach would have had a far better impact on student and company behaviour than heavy-handed corporate ‘big brother’. Joseph Rowntree must be rotating gently in his grave.
Tags: communication, Crisis Management, public relations, Social Media