11:19 PM
It
seems that fruit juice brands are about to come under fire. The Consumer
Reports’ most recent study shows that several children’s fruit juices were
tested, and the results showed higher levels of arsenic than what is regulated
for drinking water. They are measuring the levels against the regulations
issued on drinking water simply because there are no regulations on fruit juice.
As much as 10% of the 88 juices that were sampled resulted in higher levels than
regulated. This is becoming an increasing concern for parents and a good Crisis
Public Relations (PR) “learning” case.
There
is nothing like a good product scandal to bring attention to just how important
Crisis PR is to an organization. In the rise of a crisis situation it is first
important for the organization to plan for the crisis accordingly. Every angle
and scenario must be well thought out, and an organization must approach every
situation with the ‘prepare for the worst but hope for the best’ scenario.
Once
a crisis does arrive, it is then best to address the issue quickly and often.
Do not hide from the ridicule or public concern. Doing so will almost always
result in the organization looking more guilty than they are. Do not shy away
from responsibility. As with the Penn State scandal, the fact that the
administration refused to take responsibility hurt them far worse than if they
were to admit wrong-doing and vow to make the situation right.
Lastly,
it is always important to try and appear proactive rather than reactive. Call
press conferences before the crisis can break, if applicable. It is, at the
very least, important to address the concerns when they are small rather than
waiting until they become big.
The
FDA has already issued a statement, addressing the concerns of arsenic in
children’s juices, “We welcome the research that Consumer Reports has
undertaken and look forward to reviewing the data that formed the basis for
their story and their recommendations,” the agency said. “We continue to find
the vast majority of apple juice tested to contain low levels of arsenic,
including the most recent samples from China. For this reason, FDA is confident
in the overall safety of apple juice consumed in this country. By the same
token, a small percentage of samples contain elevated levels of arsenic. In
response, FDA has expanded our surveillance activities and is collecting
additional data.”
But
where are the fruit juice companies? Why aren’t they speaking up before their
products and sales can be hurt? I have yet to find a brand that has taken the
initiative to address the growing concerns; to either take responsibility or
assure its consumers that their children are perfectly safe when drinking their
product. Is this because they’re not?
That
is why it is vital to address a crisis as it approaches and before it can blow
up. Parents have every right to want to know what their children are eating or
drinking, and successful brands are motivated in producing not only the best
product for their consumers but in establishing that trust with them as well. And
if parents see that the company is not speaking up, it automatically makes them
seem guilty.
The
FDA, I think, is a successful example in what to do in this situation. They did
not shy away from the issue, and they did not try to place responsibility on
anyone. They took the report for what it said and assured everyone that they
were working to conduct their own studies to make sure that their children
were, in fact, safe. It would be wise for the identified fruit juice companies
to follow suit quickly.
Sources:
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