Let’s face it. Every business is bound to have one bad press day. Whatever the reason, be it rumors or customer complaints, you can put bad press to bed like these companies did by following their approach.
Face Rumors Head-On
Take Amway, for example. The U.S.-based company has been in the cross-hairs of slander and accusations. But what have they consistently done? They’ve addressed the rumors and false claims head-on. Amway was recently the target of a slander campaign from individuals claiming that the company was a pyramid scheme. Amway took action by outlining exactly what their company does and how they conduct business, for all to see, on their website.
The blog post included topics including how Amway works and cited the stories of real people, some of the three million or so who do business with Amway, who have found success with their company. The post also contained a section that directly addresses the pyramid scheme claims. As you can see, there was no tip-toeing around the subject on Amway’s end. When addressing rumors, slander or accusations take note from Amway’s approach to squashing bad press.
Take to Social Media
Social media is becoming ever more present in the way we do business today. This is especially true when it comes to customer service and handling inquiries, complaints and issues. If you have established social pages, you have to be active. Wendy’s, for example, uses Twitter daily to interact with followers from around the globe. The fast-food restaurant has been a positive topic of discussion in the media and is at the top of their social media game. But what comes through on social isn’t always positive. When people tweet out their questions, complaints or ill-thought-out statements, Wendy’s is ready to roll, and not with some automated message that instructs consumers to call a 1-800 number.
Here’s how it all started. Wendy’s Tweeted a photo with the caption reading “Our beef is way too cool to be frozen.” A Twitter user replied “your beef is frozen and we all know it. Ya’ll know we laugh at your slogan ‘fresh, never frozen’ right?” What followed was a string of sassy tweets that engaged consumers in a humorous way all while educating those who may not have know much about the brand.
It’s all too easy for a business to get overwhelmed by negative comments and tweets, but not Wendy’s. Next time that you’re scrolling through your social feeds and providing feedback ask yourself, “What would Wendy’s do?”
Offer Evidence
Let’s take it back to 1993. Pepsi was dealing with a PR nightmare during this time. And it’s a situation that businesses today can still face. The company was accused of can tampering after reports citing that a syringe was found in one of its cans. After that news broke, reports starting popping up across the country. The syringe, and other tampering accusations turned out to all be a hoax. In fact, video surveillance that turned up during the investigation showed a woman inserting a syringe into a can while the store clerk was looking away.
Regardless, Pepsi still did their due diligence to address the issue by giving consumers a direct look at their canning process via video and comprehensive report. The rumors fizzled out within a few weeks and sales recovered within a month’s time.
