Things could have gone a lot differently had Tiger Woods been driving a Toyota headlong into a tree in the wee hours following Thanksgiving.
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Mike Rose
Nuffer, Smith, Tucker |
The world’s most recognizable athlete and automaker would have had a war of words over whether it was the overanxious accelerator or libido at fault.
Such comic relief could only happen on “Saturday Night Live,” right?
Instead, we’re witnessing crisis management case studies unfold — future textbook fodder for leaders in produce on what not to do when crisis breaks.
Successful brands, whether trade or consumer, reflect character — who you are and what you stand for. Clarifying that character is paramount — and this is precisely where Woods and Toyota’s foundation began to crumble when their crises broke.
Woods hooked/sliced (take your pick) and Toyota drove straight off the track.
Character, whether at the individual level as in the case of Woods or corporate like Toyota, is the centerpiece of an authentic and transparent brand proposition, and it’s built on values.
The Woods brand consistently delivered on its expectations — integrity, dignity, determination, competitive fire and loyalty — on and off the golf course.
The brand experience was highly attractive to be repeated by fans, endorsers, news media and even his competitive foes, all telling of great stories and experiences with anything Tiger.
For Toyota, quality was the axis of its brand. The automaker entered the U.S. market decades ago amid a storm of skepticism on reliability, and Toyota quickly and has since silenced the naysayers, albeit until recently.
In produce, character is often reflected in the quality of products delivered to customers and consumers alike — freshness, taste and appearance — and in environmental stewardship, labor relations and food safety standards.
Moreover, these stakeholders have an expectation from producers that products will be delivered at the right place, right time and at the right price. It’s all about doing the right things in meeting expectations in building and ensuring trust.
Expectations were high when word got out that Toyota had a mechanical problem and Woods wasn’t all that we thought he was off the course.
Surely, two brands with such purportedly high character, massive followings of consumers and top rankings in their respective industries would do the right thing: Aggressively address the issues head-on, right their wrongs, profess mea culpa and produce solutions.
But then their molds began to crack. The smart brands, or at least those with smart teams, realize that and are equipped to address any cracks — quickly.
That’s where the cracks in the Woods and Toyota brands began to widen. Rather than address any issues head on, both brands went into bunker mode and were silent. They lost control of their brands. Others filled the void while the two were mum.
Similar scenarios could unfold any moment in produce: A grower or shipper could experience the threat of recall because of contamination or be challenged for its treatment of migrant workers, or one of the industry’s leading voices on a particular topic — say, for instance, food safety — isn’t walking the walk.
The timing and manner of response, and returning to character and values, will lay the groundwork.
Case in point: Back in 2006, multiple E. coli outbreaks tainted perceptions of the spinach sector, from consumers, regulators, customers, news media and elected and appointed government officials from California all the way to Capitol Hill.
Initial perceptions hovered around carelessness, slow to respond and an industry too rigid to acknowledge or accept the need for change.
But the industry’s character came to light when a collaborative group of leaders from production, industry associations, retail and foodservice developed a system to effect change and improve food-safety standards.
The months of action, and the continued work to date, have slowly eroded those perceptions and have won praise among critics.
Why wait for “if” a crisis will happen at your organization?
It will eventually happen, and it’s a matter of how prepared you want to be. Like any great brand, it’s more about what people say after you’ve left the room than what you say about yourself, and the Woods and Toyota brands were molded perfectly to suit that.
They gave up control of their brands with their inaction. It can be regained, but these will be the longest drives of their lives.
Mike Rose is vice president of Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, a San Diego-based public relations firm where he manages the firm’s crisis and issue management practice.
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