Company image producing food is the most sensitive to crises, although long-term forecasts for the food sector are positive. The market is to grow by min. 3% by 2024. However, problems in a single company may have a negative impact on the perception of the entire sector. How can you protect your company's image in the food industry? How to prevent a small crisis from turning into a storm in a teacup? Find out in the post below.
The food industry is very diverse. In the sphere of PR, an intimate restaurant will have different needs than an extensive wine bar. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an appropriate, individual strategy. One that will strengthen company image, will help her delight customers' palates and gain their support regardless of the circumstances.
How to prevent a small crisis from becoming the size of a storm in a glass of water?
Check how we can help you.
What constitutes the company's image With the food industry?
There are a dozen or so basic distinguishing features that affect the company's image in the food industry. Belong to them:
- product price,
- product quality,
- sensory characteristics of the product,
- composition of the product,
- consistent product quality over time,
- package,
- the image of the producer / trader,
- brand of the product / manufacturer,
- country of origin of the product,
- nutritional and health-promoting value of the product,
- marketing incentives (reductions, competitions).
As you can see, the list goes on and on. Each of these metrics can contribute to the company's success. At the same time, each of them is potential the source of the crisis, which could damage the company's image.
An image crisis can strike anyone
In 2018, McDonald's agreed to pay two University of Houston students $ 25,000 each. For what? For placing a fake advertising poster in one of their restaurants. As a result, McDonald's changed the company's image in a negative direction positive PR. Although it was associated with some costs. What happened? Two students, Jevh Maravilla and Christian Toledo, noticed one thing.
The posters on the walls of their local McDonald's in Pearland, Texas, didn't show a single Asian. Young Americans in the Philippines set out to correct this lack of diversity. They took a photo of them eating McDonald's products and made a large poster of it. They managed to hang it thanks to a McDonald's T-shirt they bought for a few dollars at a local thrift store. The poster looked extremely realistic. Even more remarkable was that it hung in a McDonald's for weeks! After 51 days, the students announced on Twitter that the poster was fake. Most commentators expressed the hope that it would stay on the restaurant wall anyway.
The tweet went viral in no time. He gained wide media coverage. This included the comment from the host of the American talk show, Ellen DeGeneres, who invited students to talk about their feat on TV. The activities of the students did not escape the McDonald's company. $ 25,000 in prizes have been awarded to them as part of an upcoming marketing campaign. McDonald's tweeted them, "Your dream deserves to be rewarded." It was a master step in terms of the company's image. The generous gesture brought McDonald's extraordinary publicity. The Asian community especially appreciated the goodwill of the company. Jevh and Christian also created YouTube video. They showed how they did their work. The video has over 1.5 million views so far. “Remember that people of all races deserve recognition. I think I did my part to contribute to that, ”states Maravilla in the YouTube video.
The power of one click
Nowadays PR, to be exact communication strategyis more important than ever. It's time to realize this. There are many communication channels that our recipients actively use. Example? Google search. Social media. Thematic portals. Pages where you can find customer reviews and testimonials. These are just some of the possibilities. To create complete company image single channel communication is not enough. If you want to build your business, you must act in many ways. You need active social media. You have to take care of positive reviews on the Internet. Take care of publishing interesting articles on the web. All these elements are related to each other – suggests Bartosz Zieliński, Managing Director, PR agency Commplace.
Communicating a food company should also be responsible. Why? The products they offer can have a great impact on the health of the recipient. In addition, groceries are the largest cost in the household budget. According to a 2018 study by the Central Statistical Office of Poland, expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for the highest share.
A company's image needs a strategy
The characteristic feature of a crisis is that it usually comes suddenly. Many food business owners aren't prepared for crisis management. Some people take steps to overcome it. However, when it appears, it will not be enough. It will be necessary communication support. It is worth thinking about it before the storm. Preventive people focus on prevention. What tools can help with this?
1. List of possible threats with a hierarchical listing of the probability of their occurrence.
2. Handbook of anti-crisis measures, containing information on procedures implemented during a crisis.
3. A set of questions and answers about the source of the crisis and the planned remedial steps.
4. A package of information and recommendations for employees so that they know what steps to take in the situation.
5. Communication strategy with the media and consumers.
Food companies should be prepared for all sorts of eventualities. A solid anti-crisis system it must be operational before any problems arise. With food safety, consumer complaints or the image of a brand representative. If a crisis occurs, the teams must cooperate directly with the consumer. To do the best understand the problem. The further image of the company depends on it. What action should be taken? Including monitor the internet around the clock. Ensure consistent communication in various channels and quick response to customer inquiries. Do you want to prepare well for it? Contact us.