- \n
- What is crisis communication?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 7 disaster PR crisis management examples<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Crisis management part 1: how to prevent a PR crisis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Well handled PR crisis management examples<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Crisis management part 2: during a crisis, monitor people\u2019s reactions<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- PR crisis management examples that could\u2019ve been better<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Crisis management part 3: post-crisis analysis<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stay on top of things with media monitoring<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Luckily you can do a lot to protect yourself from future brand crises. Start from using Prowly's media monitoring<\/a> while you figure out your plan B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is crisis communication?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Crisis communication is a type of communication brands undertake in critical situations. The primary aim of crisis communication is to mitigate the impact on a company's reputation<\/a>, operations and stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPREVENT CRISES WITH 24\/7 MEDIA MONITORING<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n7 PR crisis management examples: don\u2019t do it that way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When things get tough in the world of PR, not even having a big brand or a powerful PR team can help in some cases. And frankly, you don\u2019t need one to come up with a good crisis strategy if you\u2019re a small brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we'll learn from the crisis communication examples<\/a> below, disaster can strike quickly and spares no one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
OpenAI and Sam Altman<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The news of Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, being fired from his position<\/a> in 2023 shook the world of tech. It's one of the prime examples of crisis management done poorly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Background<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Sam Altman was the CEO of OpenAI, the world's leading artificial intelligence platform. In a short time frame, he made a name for himself and the company. On November 17, 2023, the board and the company fired him, blasting the news of the event on a Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did the company react?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s say they didn\u2019t handle it well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The flash point was created way before the crisis happened - with no complex new CEO replacing the previous one announced to the public. As it turned out, not even the major stakeholders or investors, like Microsoft, knew about Sam Altman being fired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fridays are sometimes chosen for news dumps to soften the blow as news gets less attention during the weekend. However, they also say \u201ccrises blow out on the weekends.\u201d And it\u2019s way safer to monitor what\u2019s going on especially after dropping news like that. But - during the weekend following this climactic Friday, they did nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only after getting backlash from investors and notable tech figures did the new CEO step up and say that the process was not handled smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evaluation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
There are many reasons why this is a classic example of poor social media crisis management<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was no preparation beforehand, there was inconsistency in communication, and the news was dumped on a Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>Prepare a plan ahead of time, especially if you're promoting news about someone both well-known and liked in the company. Do not dump news on Fridays expecting things to settle down and blow over during the weekend. Ensure your communication is consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udca1 TIP:<\/strong> Consider writing a crisis press release<\/a>. Here you can find an example of a press release announcing the resignation of an old CEO<\/a> and the hire of a new leader<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musk Twitter rebranding<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The names of Twitter and Elon Musk<\/a> will be studied decades from now as textbook crisis communications examples of how things should not be done. But is it really that obvious?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Background<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Ever since Elon Musk purchased Twitter to the tune of $44 billion, he has been introducing a series of changes to the brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many were unexpected but coherent with Musk\u2019s character and beliefs: from firing people, banning journalists, unbanning users, charging for verification badges, and more. And in 2023, he decided to rebrand Twitter to X<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did the company react?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Musk went about with business as usual. He stayed active, as always, on X (Twitter) in his own characteristic, nonchalant way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rebranding wasn\u2019t announced, it just happened. The rebranding scared some advertisers and accounts away, but ultimately, as the dust settled, people started using the brand X instead of Twitter. Just as Musk said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evaluation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
One could say - different rules apply when you're Elon Musk and have a general tendency not to care about what the public thinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the PR perspective, it was misguided and many things could have been done better. This controversy surely got X many media placements - although today\u2019s PR doesn\u2019t live by the \u201call publicity is good publicity\u201d approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>Rebranding should be purposeful and not just create change for the sake of change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udca1 TIP:<\/strong> If you\u2019re planning on rebranding, make sure to plan the communication and use this press release guide as inspiration<\/a> to prepare your statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barcelona female team and their coach<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
This is one of the best examples of a crisis situation gone wrong - in August 2023, former football chief Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed a female football player<\/a> during a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Background<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Luis Rubiales is a football coach who grabbed the head of Jennifer Hermoso during a live airing of a football game, causing a proper crisis for the Royal Spanish Football Association (RFEF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not long after the incident, there was outrage by journalists and the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did the company react?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Initially, in the days after the event, Rubiales and the members of RFEF showed no regret and he was even praised for standing up against \"false feminism.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then everything took a turn as they realized the public was not letting the situation go. The new president apologized for the action, while Rubiales was fired and banned from football. But the change didn\u2019t happen quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evaluation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The crisis could have been prevented if the individual and company acted in a timely manner and admitted their wrongdoing. The scandal was covered globally and spread like wildfire, causing irreparable damage to everyone involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned:<\/strong>
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc Act quickly and apologize if you are in the wrong.
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc Recognize the mistake that happened and own it before the event scales to a more serious level.
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc And in situations like this - call a special board meeting to address the scandal and evaluate the options of making a real change - because a simple apology might not be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nSTART MONITORING THE MEDIA 24\/7<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWells Fargo account fraud scandal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Background<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Wells Fargo employees created bogus accounts in their bank in order for their employees to reach their sales targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The end result was that Wells Fargo had operational issues initially, and when the scandal was found, the company's reputation was on thin ice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How did the company react?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The initial response was to blame low-level employees and not accept full accountability as a company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the crisis unfolded and it was revealed how many accounts were affected, leadership took responsibility. The CEO stepped down and the top management was replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evaluation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
For the scale of the crisis, the leadership of Wells Fargo was too slow to take responsibility. Besides the reputational damage, the company had to pay out over $3 billion to regulatory bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>When a crisis happens at a large scale, the leadership should step up and be accountable. Many brand crisis examples follow this pattern - the damage could have been mitigated if the right people took a stand from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
United Airlines' passenger removal incident<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In April 2017, Dr David Dao was forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight<\/a> that was accidentally overbooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flight 3411 was overbooked and United Airlines had to remove someone from the flight at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They chose Dr. David Dao and removed him by force, injuring him in the process. The problem couldn\u2019t be buried under the carpet because someone recorded everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How did the company react?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially, the CEO of the company put blame on the passenger for reacting in the way that he did. Even though the mistake wasn\u2019t made by the victim, but the tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then internal emails were leaked, blaming the passenger for his actions rather than the company taking the blame for the situation. Eventually, the United Airlines CEO apologized to Dr. David Dao and the rest of the passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like many other social media crisis examples, this one came about because of a bad initial reaction from company leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also a refund should have taken place in this situation, combined with the right messaging and taking adult responsibility as a brand for what happened. Couple that with a lack of transparency and you have the recipe for a PR disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udca1 Tip:<\/strong> Read this full guide on social media reputation<\/a> to get a complete picture of your PR strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned:<\/strong>
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc React quickly and honestly and apologize for the errors you've made.
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc While apologizing eventually can mitigate some damage, it's the initial reaction that has the biggest impact.
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc Give something in return, like a specific refund, and take real action to show you take the blame and promise to do better by giving real life examples. Owning your mistakes can save you face and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nSTART MEDIA MONITORING AND PREVENT CRISES<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#6 Facebook and Cambridge Analytica Scandal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In the 2010s, the consulting company of Cambridge Analytica collected the personal data of millions of Facebook users, resulting in one of the biggest PR crises of the past decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facebook allowed the consulting company, Cambridge Analytica, to collect data from millions of users through a third-party app - to the tally of 87 million users. This data was then used in the 2016 presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How did the company react?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initial reaction was very slow and leadership showed a lack of transparency for the crisis at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It took a while for Mark Zuckerberg to explain what happened, why it happened, and who was affected. By the time they came out with an explanation and apology, the damage had already been done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The crisis affected a large number of people at an international scale and, given the force that Facebook is, a prompt reaction was lacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>Explain what had gone wrong and who was affected. The more time passes by, the more room you leave for misinterpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#7 The Silicon Valley Bank run<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In early 2023, the Silicon Valley Bank boasted profits of more than $200 billion. Soon after, the company collapsed because of low investment values as well as startups withdrawing their cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
A mix of various factors caused a massive bank run at SVB. In plain English, it means that everyone with an account went to withdraw their money in a short time frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How the company reacted<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
They failed to acknowledge their lack of control over their finances and they did not communicate early and properly about what happened. There was no real initial risk except for the poor financial management by the SVB leadership board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
SVB initially reacted very poorly with a series of finger-pointing, hoping that it would resolve the ongoing crisis. The biggest culprit was probably social media, which added fuel to the fire, as SVB depositors encouraged each other to withdraw their funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned<\/strong>: SVB failed to take ownership and, had the Federal Reserve not gotten involved, a massive crisis would have happened. Besides not keeping up with social media, the biggest fault of SVB was not living up to their own values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSTART MONITORING SOCIAL MEDIA 24\/7<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nCrisis management part 1: how to prevent a PR crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As you'll see from the successful crisis management examples below, disasters can be prevented by acting early and noticing the signs of trouble ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ideal tool for preventing crises? Media monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"social](\"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2023\/12\/social-media-monitoring-flow-for-PR-social-listening-flow-1024x512.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc With media monitoring you can find issues before they escalate and intervene early<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc You'll get to track the public sentiment<\/strong> of your target audience and the wider public, which helps you create unique communications plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc You also get informed about the competition<\/strong>: their trends and perception in the public, helping you determine the right course of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc Last but not least, you can perform reputation management and protect your brand<\/a><\/strong> by responding to negative comments early.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prowly.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Prowlys-Social-Listening.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSome key media monitoring features that help with crisis management include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- sentiment analysis<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- the ability to spot patterns and trends<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- quick engagement and response to burning fires<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- providing a feedback loop to your business or your client<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- helps you create a crisis plan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Media monitoring can help guide your crisis communication plan<\/a> by giving you the necessary information before a crisis even happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
P.S. If you're looking for more options, check out this Best PR Crisis Management Software Comparison.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPREVENT CRISIS WITH MEDIA MONITORING<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n6 PR crisis management examples: Well handled<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are brands big and small that have had major crises hit them but managed to evade the damage with style and grace. Here are some examples you can learn from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#1 Lego and Shell partnership<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In 2014, Lego got in trouble<\/a> for being associated with the oil company, Shell. Greenpeace condemned Lego for working with Shell, stating they indirectly supported their cause. Most specifically, the drilling of the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greenpeace launched a full-blown campaign, depicting the Arctic being made of Lego and covered in oil. Even though Lego themselves had done nothing wrong (besides selling blocks made entirely from plastic), their association with Shell was enough to start a backlash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How did the company react?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lego explained that they advocate for sustainability and that their partnership with Shell had a different focus. It was purely based on selling Lego sets at selected Shell stations and Lego did not support or endorse any activities related to drilling in the Arctic. However, words were not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lego decided to terminate their cooperation and partnership with Shell because their values simply did not align. They stressed that the decision was in the best interest of everyone: both Lego and the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>By prioritizing sustainability as a cause rather than profits or partnerships, Lego mended their public image and came out of the crisis as a winner.
\ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffc The biggest lesson to learn here is to ensure that your partnerships align with your values as a brand<\/a> and to be prepared to sever ties that harm your reputation. Actions speak louder than words.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n#2 Airbnb - COVID-19 pandemic response<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
COVID-19 shook the entire world, and hospitality was one of the industries that was almost killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Airbnb was caught in between a rock and a hard place - having to support hosts but, at the same time, allow guests to cancel their bookings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How did the company react?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially, Airbnb changed their cancellation policy, allowing anyone who booked before March 14, 2020 a full refund. The guests were relieved but the hosts felt unsupported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second step came when they extended their policies to cover more bookings, allowing guests to rebook at a later date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even further, Airbnb started a support fund of $250 million to compensate hosts for bookings they lost. Then they introduced health and safety guidelines to keep everyone safe. Last but not least, the CEO of the company spoke to everyone involved, ensuring they could come out of the situation unharmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and rapid action saved the public perception of Airbnb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the initial backlash was hard, it was largely mitigated by the financial aid. The company swiftly got back on its feet, despite COVID-19 lasting for months on end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>To be like Airbnb, stay flexible, communicate clearly, and support your entire community, even if it means putting your own money at risk. As always, acting quickly helps quite a lot. And often investing money to prevent a bigger crisis can paradoxically save you more in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#3 M&M's 2023 crisis turns fine thanks to media monitoring & responses<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In 2022, the famous candy brand M&M decided to change the shoes of their green candy<\/a> to sneakers. They also introduced a new character that was a representation of inclusivity. The reaction from the online community was unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
M&M decided to play with their branding and change up some of their mascots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first step was to remove the shoes from the green M&M and replace them with sneakers. Many saw this as a move to make the character less appealing and \"spread the woke agenda.\" In general the changes were minor and weren\u2019t meant to offend anyone - but more to connect and break the stereotypes.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3<\/strong> How did the company react?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially, they did not do anything, because a minor change in some fictional characters\u2019 outfits doesn\u2019t seem to be the world\u2019s biggest problem. But over time, especially after introducing a purple, peanut-flavored M&M, people reacted even more extremely.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
They then announced their intent to revoke it and replace it with Maya Rudolph, the actress, in a social media statement (above).<\/a> Ultimately, they showed the M&Ms and Maya Rudolph in some Superbowl ads, gaining massive media attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign<\/a> worked out really well because M&M accepted the criticism, no matter if it was right or wrong from their perspective, and thanks to media monitoring, worked out the right move for their public perception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udca1 If you want to dive deeper into this topic, learn how to manage public opinion with this brand perception guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>When a crisis is unfolding, tap into media monitoring to discover what journalists and media outlets are saying. Use that information to create new PR campaigns<\/a> and get the maximum out of the attention you're getting. Monitoring public sentiment and reacting swiftly is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSTART MONITORING KEY MEDIA MENTIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#4 Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In 2016, Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices started randomly exploding due to their batteries. As you can imagine, customers were not pleased - to put it mildly. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Note 7 had a battery issue that caused the devices to catch on fire and explode. Not only did it harm the company\u2019s image, but also had significant chances of harming their customers too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How did the company react?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially, it was a mixed bag. They acknowledged the problem and recalled over 2.5 million devices. But the problem was in the communication - which was inconsistent across different markets and lacked transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To make things worse, the replacement phones caught on fire too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Samsung decided to investigate what happened, publicly disclosing why and how the batteries caught on fire. Additionally, they added a new 8-point check for their devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All this on top of refunding and replacing the problematic devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>Even at the cost of financial damage, keep transparent and disclose what caused a crisis. And act! Give refunds, replace faulty items. In the long run, it will be worth the investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
#5 Tesla's PR crisis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To continue in the same fashion, Tesla had issues with their Model S catching on fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem with Tesla cars burning up meant a bigger issue was looming: the reputation of all EV cars was at stake. The public wanted to know more about how (un)safe the average EV is and the scandal came about at a very bad moment in Tesla's development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How did the company react?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initial response was led by Elon Musk, appearing now for the second time in this article. He published a statement on the Tesla blog, analyzing the incidents in-depth and providing statistical data about the safety of their cars. This time, the timing and messaging was perfect - especially since it was delivered by an authority - the head of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3 Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
This approach worked for two reasons. First, it was timely and led by the CEO of the company. Two, he did not appeal to emotion. He instead presented facts and argued that statistically, EVs are safer than internal combustion cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lessons learned: <\/strong>As always, be quick and have a reputable individual represent the company publicly. State the facts and be transparent about what happened and why. And if you're a CEO consider \u201cstepping down\u201d from the pedestal and communicate your messaging to the customers yourself to create the illusion of shortening the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSTART MONITORING SOCIAL MEDIA 24\/7<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#6 J&J Tylenol's cyanide crisis in 1982<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In 1982, a tragic crisis happened - seven people died in the Chicago area because of taking Tylenol made by Johnson and Johnson<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tylenol in question was laced with cyanide. The bigger problem? It was not just the reputation of J&J that was at stake, it was the reputation of all over-the-counter medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2\ufe0f\u20e3 How the company responded<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Very well for PR standards - they recalled all the Tylenol across the USA, costing them a whopping $100 million. They then created hotlines where customers could dial in to get an explanation on what happened. They then created new packages that could not be tampered with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3\ufe0f\u20e3
- 7 disaster PR crisis management examples<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n