“Establish a crisis team with clearly defined roles and responsibilities and ensure your business has access to marketing and social media expertise,” he says. “If this isn’t available internally, consider an outsourced provider to assist with strategic planning and support.”
He also suggests regularly running through crisis exercises and drills with the response team and considering including complex social media issues, such as false posts and the spread of misinformation.
“Carry out a full analysis of your worst-case scenarios and engage media liaisons for these, should the worst occur,” Bentele says. “Ensure that when you do encounter a crisis, all parties are secure in their assigned roles. Training and preparation is critical; the businesses that survive crisis issues do not remain silent and will engage with their customers to regain their trust.”
Still, more needs to be done. A recent study on children’s products by the consumer group Kids in Danger found that only 25 percent of manufacturers with a Facebook page use it for product recall news.
In the fast-paced era we live in and 24-hour news cycle, companies need to be monitoring the conversation on social media and be proactive about handling any direction that it might take.
“With limited resources, media are becoming increasingly reliant on social media for their storytelling,” Steinberg says. “Frequently, as food-related social media posting ‘goes viral,’ a media outlet will directly reach out to the poster asking permission for usage, an interview, or other engagement. Seeing these interactions provides brands with an opportunity to engage with both the media and an unsatisfied customer, and be proactive in their crisis response.”
A Dangerous Disconnect: A Need for More Consumer Engagement
While food companies, federal regulatory agencies, and farmers are held responsible for ensuring the health and safety of food, not all are trusted to get the job done, according to new research from The Center for Food Integrity (CFI). The findings illustrate a dangerous trust deficit that breeds increased public skepticism and highlights the need for increased consumer engagement by the food system.
“If you’re held responsible and trusted for ensuring safe and healthy food, you are seen as a credible source,” said Charlie Arnot, CEO of CFI. “However, if you’re held responsible but not trusted, that’s a dangerous disconnect that can’t be ignored.”
Federal regulatory agencies are held most responsible for ensuring safe food, following by food companies and farmers, according to the survey. However, when it comes to trust, federal regulatory agencies rank eighth and food companies rank last on a list of 11 choices.
“A lack of trust can result in increased pressure for additional oversight and regulations, rejection of products or information, and consumers seeking alternate, and perhaps unreliable, information sources,” said Arnot.
The research urges farmers and food companies to engage consumers in a way that addresses their underlying concerns. “Consumers want to know that farmers and food companies share their values, so simply providing facts or information isn’t enough,” said Roxi Beck, director at CFI. “Meaningful engagement can be a game-changer.”
Transparency is a powerful trust-building tool, she said, and can be achieved in many ways, “ranging from photos and videos to blogs that invite questions.”
Segmenting by influencer audiences, including moms, millennials, foodies, and early adopters, CFI’s research surveyed U.S. consumers on more than 50 topics including most important issues, trusted sources, purchasing behaviors, pressures impacting food choices, and attitudes on farming and food manufacturing.—FQ&S
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