Product Recalls

The dread of all manufacturing companies, a product recall will have a negative impact on your brand. However, provided it is handled well – efficiently, transparently and with compassion – the damage can be minimised. In some cases, the way you handle such communications can actually lead to greater customer trust and loyalty.

Handling a product recall requires a co-ordinated approach involving your operations, internal comms, sales and marketing teams.

This dedicated task force will need clarity about the messages you want to convey to your various audiences (consumers, stockists, journalists); how such communications will be conveyed (website, press statements, social media); and who will be responsible for what (setting up a dedicated customer helpline; contacting stockists; investigating the cause; posting messages).

Perhaps you don’t need to make a full product recall but need, instead, to handle the potential fallout from a vocal consumer who’s complaining about your product on social media. We’ve helped clients handle all sorts of similar scenarios – from the legitimate to the downright fraudulent. Each situation needs to be handled separately – sometimes with a gentle touch, other times more pragmatically.

My business was facing a torrent of unfair criticism on Facebook. It stemmed from one negative post by an ex-employee and escalated like wild fire. Your level-headed, practical advice helped get the negative comments removed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I thought the problem would go away if I ignored it. It didn’t. I was reluctant to use you but can honestly say, your support and advice helped pull me back from the brink. Your patience, clarity of thought and advice were just what I needed to get me through the emotional roller coaster.

Your calm and steady approach was everything I needed when my business was being unfairly criticised in the national press. You stopped me from responding in haste, which I realise now, was the worst thing I could have done! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

One of my co-directors was found guilty of drink driving. I was concerned that if it got out, we’d suffer from negative press and loss of business. As it happened, there was no backlash but being able to contact you and have some pre-prepared statements and letters ready was reassuring.