Comments on: 7 Lessons From Maple Leaf Foods’ Crisis Communications http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/ Exploring the intersection of communications, marketing and social media Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:16:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Ina_Steinbach http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-22417 Ina_Steinbach Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:47:49 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-22417 <strong>Twitter Comment by @Ina_Steinbach (Ina Steinbach)</strong> <div style='float:left;margin-right:10px;padding:0;width:60px;height:60px;background:url(http://www.chatcatcher.com/images/picbg.jpg) no-repeat top;'></div><div style='float:left;margin-left:-70px;margin-right:10px;padding:0;width:60px;height:60px;background:url(http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/66455317/Ina_Steinbach_06_normal.jpg) no-repeat top;'></div>@clab Kennst du schon diesen Fall von Maple Leaf Foods? Gelungenes Beispiel für Online-Krisen-PR. [link to post]<br /><br /> - http://twitter.com/Ina_Steinbach/statuses/1099922159<br /><br /> - Posted using Chat Catcher Twitter Comment by @Ina_Steinbach (Ina Steinbach)

@clab Kennst du schon diesen Fall von Maple Leaf Foods? Gelungenes Beispiel für Online-Krisen-PR. [link to post]

- http://twitter.com/Ina_Steinbach/statuses/1099922159

- Posted using Chat Catcher

]]> By: rob cagan http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-15202 rob cagan Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:41:43 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-15202 Did anyone listen to McCain’s so called "apology" and "action plan" to the loved ones of the dead consumers of their diseased meat products on You Tube. It’s not an apology, but rather a weak attempt at damage control. McCain states “…we believe we know what caused the problem and we believe we have corrected it”. Sorry Mr. McCain, you assert that “listeria is be everywhere in the environment”, and in this case you admit this killing bacteria was “found spots deep inside the slicing equipment where the listeria could have avoided our rigorous cleaning procedures. We fixed that by something called a deep sanitization”. Why wait for death to occur before cleaning and sanitizing due diligence. When you state “we believe” in the above statement, is that your terminology or your high priced lawyer’s script. Regardless, if you “believe” such language is sufficient to provide a level of comfort to all you intend to convince to feed your food products to their loved ones, you are insulting the intelligence of all who are watching and listening to nothing more than a public relation commercial. Surely your frig doesn’t contain any sliced meats from that processing facility. I personally provided you, your father Chairman of Maple Leaf, specifically Wallace McCain, way before this preventable tragedy that one of your companies was operating using ingredients with high levels of bacteria in a plant that was operating with pest infestation, providing you and many top executives, Officers of Maple Leaf, the Board of Directors of Maple Leaf, Board of Directors of the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund who own 1/3 on Maple Leaf’s stock and are represented on the Board of Maple Leaf and even Officers of the Toronto Stock Exchange who trade Maple Leaf stock with water test results and pest control reports documenting gross actionable negligence. The Managing Director of that Maple Leaf Company continues in that same official capacity today. As well, you brag this incompetent top executive; Peter Maycock is one of your trusted company Officers on your website. I once again repeat: SHAME ON ALL OF YOU! I suggest if any content stated above is untrue you should sue me. Did anyone listen to McCain’s so called “apology” and “action plan” to the loved ones of the dead consumers of their diseased meat products on You Tube. It’s not an apology, but rather a weak attempt at damage control. McCain states “…we believe we know what caused the problem and we believe we have corrected it”. Sorry Mr. McCain, you assert that “listeria is be everywhere in the environment”, and in this case you admit this killing bacteria was “found spots deep inside the slicing equipment where the listeria could have avoided our rigorous cleaning procedures. We fixed that by something called a deep sanitization”. Why wait for death to occur before cleaning and sanitizing due diligence.
When you state “we believe” in the above statement, is that your terminology or your high priced lawyer’s script. Regardless, if you “believe” such language is sufficient to provide a level of comfort to all you intend to convince to feed your food products to their loved ones, you are insulting the intelligence of all who are watching and listening to nothing more than a public relation commercial. Surely your frig doesn’t contain any sliced meats from that processing facility.
I personally provided you, your father Chairman of Maple Leaf, specifically Wallace McCain, way before this preventable tragedy that one of your companies was operating using ingredients with high levels of bacteria in a plant that was operating with pest infestation, providing you and many top executives, Officers of Maple Leaf, the Board of Directors of Maple Leaf, Board of Directors of the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund who own 1/3 on Maple Leaf’s stock and are represented on the Board of Maple Leaf and even Officers of the Toronto Stock Exchange who trade Maple Leaf stock with water test results and pest control reports documenting gross actionable negligence. The Managing Director of that Maple Leaf Company continues in that same official capacity today. As well, you brag this incompetent top executive; Peter Maycock is one of your trusted company Officers on your website. I once again repeat: SHAME ON ALL OF YOU! I suggest if any content stated above is untrue you should sue me.

]]> By: Stacey http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-14500 Stacey Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:34:13 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-14500 It's all PR. I don't think they are truly sorry for the ill and loss of lifes. That said.. It’s all PR. I don’t think they are truly sorry for the ill and loss of lifes. That said..

]]> By: john http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-14276 john Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:17:10 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-14276 The only reason he was so honest is because it looks better in court. The only reason he was so honest is because it looks better in court.

]]> By: AS http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-11320 AS Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:00:19 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-11320 I honestly feel sorry for the company, when I gather the facts and divide the numbers and do some simple yet powerful math (along my knowledge in biology) I and anyone for that matter should realize that the probability of the bacteria being found in my or your food was VERY VERY low. I mean words such as "BREAKTHOUGHHHHHHHHHH AND CRISISSSSS" are used and what happened? 12 people died????????? 12 people with weakened immune systems I bet, well you gota have your veggies!! I mean think about it people... 12 divided by the population of Canada, thats a REALLY small percentage now isn't it? So stop worrying and making a damn big deal out of this and worry about the hundreds of thousands of millions of people that are dieing from contaminated water, food, blah blah every day in the world around us. Canada is very, whats the word... panicky INO. And I'm a proud Canadian here in Toronto I honestly feel sorry for the company, when I gather the facts and divide the numbers and do some simple yet powerful math (along my knowledge in biology) I and anyone for that matter should realize that the probability of the bacteria being found in my or your food was VERY VERY low. I mean words such as “BREAKTHOUGHHHHHHHHHH AND CRISISSSSS” are used and what happened? 12 people died?????????
12 people with weakened immune systems I bet, well you gota have your veggies!!

I mean think about it people… 12 divided by the population of Canada, thats a REALLY small percentage now isn’t it? So stop worrying and making a damn big deal out of this and worry about the hundreds of thousands of millions of people that are dieing from contaminated water, food, blah blah every day in the world around us.

Canada is very, whats the word… panicky INO.
And I’m a proud Canadian here in Toronto

]]> By: Rayanne Langdon http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-9675 Rayanne Langdon Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:46:01 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-9675 You know what I really like about that TV spot? I've watched it a bunch of times, but didn't notice McCain's self-introduction. I like that he says who he is, but leaves his title out of it. Sure, it's still in the video--and I think that's important--but so many other presidents are sure to spit out those three big letters at every opportunity. You know what I really like about that TV spot? I’ve watched it a bunch of times, but didn’t notice McCain’s self-introduction.

I like that he says who he is, but leaves his title out of it. Sure, it’s still in the video–and I think that’s important–but so many other presidents are sure to spit out those three big letters at every opportunity.

]]> By: Catharine http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-7477 Catharine Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:36:54 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-7477 Indeed, it has been fascinating for us PR types to watch this unfold. Certainly, Mr. McCain was right to take the role of primary spokesperson, and he has done the job well. I'm curious to know what people thought of the advocacy ad that they ran on Aug 22? As a consumer, I appreciated the pop-up that appeared when I visited mapleleaf.com. I was glad I didn't have to dig around their site to find the list of recalled items. Indeed, it has been fascinating for us PR types to watch this unfold. Certainly, Mr. McCain was right to take the role of primary spokesperson, and he has done the job well.

I’m curious to know what people thought of the advocacy ad that they ran on Aug 22?

As a consumer, I appreciated the pop-up that appeared when I visited mapleleaf.com. I was glad I didn’t have to dig around their site to find the list of recalled items.

]]> By: Communicating Down the Righteous Path: The Maple Leaf Recall « Michael Allison’s Blog http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-7246 Communicating Down the Righteous Path: The Maple Leaf Recall « Michael Allison’s Blog Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:36:40 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-7246 [...] Fleet presents a comprehensive and straightforward analysis of the communication undertaken by the Maple Leaf. The company takes full responsibility and has [...] [...] Fleet presents a comprehensive and straightforward analysis of the communication undertaken by the Maple Leaf. The company takes full responsibility and has [...]

]]> By: Samuel http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-7107 Samuel Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:25:44 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-7107 I question the 'consistent' message. In fact the Globe and Mail is running with a story about the contradictions from the top two guys at Maple Leaf. On the one hand: "Tragically, our products have been linked to illnesses and loss of life." Maple Leaf chief executive officer Michael McCain, in a company video posted on website YouTube on the weekend. He repeated this statement in an open letter yesterday And on the other... "Maple Leaf products have not been directly linked to consumer illness and death." Michael Vels, Maple Leaf chief financial officer, on an analyst conference call yesterday Consistency is key. I'm surprised to see the backtracking. I question the ‘consistent’ message. In fact the Globe and Mail is running with a story about the contradictions from the top two guys at Maple Leaf.

On the one hand:

“Tragically, our products have been linked to illnesses and loss of life.”

Maple Leaf chief executive officer Michael McCain, in a company video posted on website YouTube on the weekend. He repeated this statement in an open letter yesterday

And on the other…

“Maple Leaf products have not been directly linked to consumer illness and death.”

Michael Vels, Maple Leaf chief financial officer, on an analyst conference call yesterday

Consistency is key. I’m surprised to see the backtracking.

]]> By: newmediaMike http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/comment-page-1/#comment-7024 newmediaMike Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:19:56 +0000 http://davefleet.com/2008/08/7-lessons-from-maple-leaf-foods-crisis-communications/#comment-7024 It definitely would appear that Maple Leaf Foods was indeed prepared with some sort of crisis plan. I've seen several of the commentators say that this was a "textbook" example. I'm not sure if it is a textbook example or not, but it definitely will be in the future. IMHO because of the way they handled this any reputation damage will be minimal and they will soon regain consumers trust. It definitely would appear that Maple Leaf Foods was indeed prepared with some sort of crisis plan. I’ve seen several of the commentators say that this was a “textbook” example.

I’m not sure if it is a textbook example or not, but it definitely will be in the future. IMHO because of the way they handled this any reputation damage will be minimal and they will soon regain consumers trust.

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