PR Can Help Heal Westland/Hallmark Meat
| posted by Marc HausmanThe Westland/Hallmark Meat Company’s recall of 143 million pounds of ground
beef as a result of an animal abuse scandal documented in video by the Humane
Society of the United States is disturbing on many levels. The American people
long ago weighed in on what they think about individuals (or companies) who
torture animals. Just ask Michael Vick.
I’m going to focus on what the
Westland/Hallmark Meat Company can do now to survive. This scandal has the
potential to be a company killer.
-Take immediate, aggressive action. In
fact, they’ve already done this. The company voluntarily suspended operations
pending the outcome of a federal inquiry. Additionally, several employees
directly involved in the torture of animals were fired.
-Apologize…again
and again. Westland/Hallmark’s president Steve Mendell told the New York Times
that he was “shocked and horrified” by the videos. That’s a start. There needs
to be an apology in every interview to go along with their formal statement of
remorse (http://www.westlandmeat.com/).
-Open
a direct line of communication with the market. An executive blog could be an
effective tactic to express remorse and solicit comments. The comments are going
to be ugly. Yet, by taking the issue head-on it will demonstrate a real
corporate commitment to change.
-Once changes have been implemented,
communicate proactively about the new processes put in place to ensure this type
of abuse will not occur again. Keep everything open and honest, and continually
self-assess progress.
-Partner with third-party organizations, including
the Humane Society, for independent validation. And make sure to foot the bill
for the cost of implementing these programs.
While there will be those
who call for a complete shut-down of Westland/Hallmark, I believe that’s an
overreaction. There is no excuse for this and it’s up to the company to rapidly
put in place corrective measures.
I do believe people are inherently
good and this was just the appalling behavior of a few rogue employees. A public
relations program designed to foster an honest dialogue with the market won’t
change what happened. Yet, it will facilitate the healing process.
Comment
Recent Comments | 2 Total
February 27, 2008 at 1:16pm
Nicole HarperWhy would you even give them this advice???? You are right along side with the fired employees.
February 29, 2008 at 10:23am
Marc Hausman@Nicole - your comment illustrates the raw emotion Westland/Hallmark has dealt with in attempting to manage this terrible situation.
Does my willingness to share insight on how public relations can be used to manage a corporate crisis put me in the same category as individuals who tortured sick animals? I sure hope not.
I'm working from the assumption that the company's management was unaware of the activities of a few rogue employees. If this behavior was a condoned business practice, than this company needs to be shuttered.
If not, management has the responsibility to put in place a program to ensure the company's survival. It is simply not fair for all employees to lose their jobs because of the guilty actions of a few.
Consider what happened to the accounting firm Arthur Andersen because of their involvement with Enron. The guilty actions of a few, cost thousands of employees careers they had worked for years to build.