Maggi Noodles Scandal
12:44 AM
Sam
, Posted in
INDIA - On Friday Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke addressed a press conference
in an attempt to diffuse the damage caused by the Maggi noodle scandal
that had engulfed the firm in India.
The consensus from PR professionals across social media was that it was about time; concerns over the safety of some products had been rumbling on for the best of a part month, yet this was the first occasion the global powerhouse had presented a "human face" to share its views.
Until then it had relied on short press statements, which were then clumsily presented on social media, usually in PDF form.
So why was Nestlé’s communications strategy was so sluggish and what should have been done differently? According to Integral PR chairman Sharif Rangnekar, Maggi suffered due to its dominance in the market.
"I have seen several brands failing to engage with key stakeholders once they develop a 'trust' among consumers and virtually hold the market to ransom. This is when many brands stop engaging with government and other authorities that matter. As a result, they have no 'friends' or any 'advance warning' that can change the status quo."
In 2012 major newspapers wrote about the potential health risks of fast food products in India. Two years ago, similar reports emerged but didn’t lead to any government action or public outrage.
"Probably this was the time that brands like Maggi should have taken note that the ground they are standing on can change," he added.
In addition to a lack of longer-term planning, Nestlé’s short-term response was also sorely lacking, added Eastwest PR’s India director Sanjay Bose.
"In an industry that is prone to a crisis – and the food industry certainly is – there is something like the ‘golden hour’ where you need to do something as soon as possible or lose your life. I think Nestlé lost precious, critical time in just getting themselves to take stock of the situation and plan a strategy rather than being prepared and facing up to the situation from the word go. The moment you give room to speculation, you are doomed-the best bet is to nip it in the bud-the faster, the better."
The consensus from PR professionals across social media was that it was about time; concerns over the safety of some products had been rumbling on for the best of a part month, yet this was the first occasion the global powerhouse had presented a "human face" to share its views.
Until then it had relied on short press statements, which were then clumsily presented on social media, usually in PDF form.So why was Nestlé’s communications strategy was so sluggish and what should have been done differently? According to Integral PR chairman Sharif Rangnekar, Maggi suffered due to its dominance in the market.
"I have seen several brands failing to engage with key stakeholders once they develop a 'trust' among consumers and virtually hold the market to ransom. This is when many brands stop engaging with government and other authorities that matter. As a result, they have no 'friends' or any 'advance warning' that can change the status quo."
In 2012 major newspapers wrote about the potential health risks of fast food products in India. Two years ago, similar reports emerged but didn’t lead to any government action or public outrage.
"Probably this was the time that brands like Maggi should have taken note that the ground they are standing on can change," he added.
In addition to a lack of longer-term planning, Nestlé’s short-term response was also sorely lacking, added Eastwest PR’s India director Sanjay Bose.
"In an industry that is prone to a crisis – and the food industry certainly is – there is something like the ‘golden hour’ where you need to do something as soon as possible or lose your life. I think Nestlé lost precious, critical time in just getting themselves to take stock of the situation and plan a strategy rather than being prepared and facing up to the situation from the word go. The moment you give room to speculation, you are doomed-the best bet is to nip it in the bud-the faster, the better."
