“In terms of crisis management, the worst thing is to say nothing” : here is the prescription of Géraldine Michel, head of the brand and values chair at the Sorbonne, for companies caught in the turmoil of a food crisis. “We must communicate about recalls, do not hesitate to expand them, adopt new health codes and keep a low profile on the rest”, adds the teacher. “We must not give the impression that nothing is done”, insists Laurent Vibert, president of Nitidis, a crisis communication agency.
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Instructions followed in part by Nestlé and Ferrero, which respectively own the Buitoni and Kinder brands involved in serious food poisoning.
Mobilize quickly
In their first press releases, the groups clearly emphasized their recall policy. Special numbers devoted to consumers were quickly set up. “We got into action even if we didn’t understand exactly what was going on, we started on a massive recall of our entire range”, details, for example, Jérôme Jaton, industrial director of Nestlé in a nine-minute video attached to the Buitoni press release of March 30.
Particular attention should be paid to the victims. Regarding Buitoni’s pizzas, the situation is mentioned a few seconds at the end of the video and benefits from the following line in the press release: “We would first like to show our support for the families affected. This situation is all the more intolerable to us as children are concerned. »
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Not enough for Florian Silnicki, director of the crisis communication agency LaFrenchCom: “You have to show empathy: the emotion is heightened because children are victims. It is important to see that the highest level of the company is mobilized, that there is a human responsibility. It is very difficult to accept the idea that the brand is not on your side. »
Getting to the heart of the matter
After the first press releases, you have to get to the heart of the problem to try to restore confidence. “The most important thing is to reassure with proof”, testifies Géraldine Michel. By claiming in the March 30 video that there is no ” never “ received an alert at its Caudry plant, despite the extent of the failures revealed, the Buitoni group missed a step. No trace of the scandal appears either on the website of the parent company, Nestlé.
Almost a month after the first health checks, many points remain unresolved. “There is a real opacity, plague Olivier Andrault in charge of the food mission for the UFC-Que Choisir association. How come we still don’t know the ingredient that caused the deaths? The precise number of contaminated products? The effectiveness of reminders? »
Kinder is also implicated. The affair came to light on April 4 but it took five days for Ferrero to mention in a statement. “internal failures”.
“Denial is never good”
“What is missing the most is the acceptance that there have been dysfunctions, explains Laurent Vibert. This makes it difficult to respond to customer concerns. Denial is never good. »“The brands must announce the failures themselves, corroborates Florian Silnicki. If it’s the health authorities or the journalists doing it, you’re on the defensive. »