Image source: Liz Foreman via Flickr
Crock-Pot’s response to its recent public relations crisis offers several lessons.
Crock-Pot found itself in hot water after a popular television program blamed it for killing one of its characters. In a recent “This is Us” episode on NBC, a slow cooker’s faulty switch caused a house fire that lead to the death of the family’s father Jack Pearson, played by Milo Ventimiglia. Customers, some irrationally heated up over the tragedy, vowed on Twitter to throw away their Crock-Pots or never use them again. It didn’t matter that the pot in question was not labeled a Crock-Pot.
The TV show ignited more than a social media storm. Media coverage included articles in Marketplace, Popular Science and Self magazine which ran a story “Can Your Crock-Pot Actually Kill You?”
The incident illustrates that any brand can get burned by a PR crisis through no fault of its own. It also serves up these lessons:
Respond quickly. Crock-Pot immediately created a Twitter profile, @CrockPotCares, and responded to customers with the hashtag #crockpotisinnocent. While PR crisis management experts praised the slow-cooker brand for its swift actions, some express surprise that it lacked a presence on Twitter, a favorite venue for roasting companies. Monitoring social media can warn when simmering negative sentiment may soon boil over.
“Are you already on social media and monitoring the conversations daily? Or, like Crock-Pot, will you have to play catch-up when something unexpected happens?” asks Gini Dietrich, CEO of Arment Dietrich, on the Spin Sucks blog.
Show empathy. The brand expressed empathy over the loss of the TV character on Twitter and Facebook. Its Facebook statement described how the company “shares in your devastation.” Responding to emotions first before mentioning facts was the correct strategy. Rational answers to emotional issues may seem defensive. The Facebook message also described Crock-Pot’s traditional role in the family in emotional terms: “Don’t further add to this tragedy by throwing your Crock-Pot Slow Cooker away. It’s hard to pass something down from generation to generation if you throw it away (grandma won’t be too happy). ”
“This warm message is successful in assuring its customers that it relates to their sadness, while underscoring the company’s historical role in American kitchens,” says Stephanie Kantor Holtzman, vice president, public relations, at Jaffe.
Get the tone right. The proper tone, empathetic yet light hearted and not angry or defensive, gained the brand defenders. Other companies might have ignored the issue or expressed anger at NBC. “But the Crock-Pot team struck just the right tone, professing to be “heartbroken” over the TV death of the beloved Jack Pearson character, just as fans were,” says Marijane Funess at Crenshaw Communications.
Follow up with facts. Crock-Pot listed facts only after expressing empathy. In a media statement, it pointed out that a home has never burned down because of a faulty Crock-Pot, and it’s nearly impossible for one to cause a fire. The devices are low current, low wattage, typically no more than 200 or 300 watts, with self-regulating, heating elements.
Ask for help. Some companies can ask brand advocates and others to spread their case. The brand asked NBC and those involved in creating the show to help spread facts about Crock-Pot’s innocence. “I think there was a lot of misdirected hate at Crock-Pot, as opposed to a faulty slow cooker from the past,” Ventimiglia said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I own a Crock-Pot. I love Crock-Pot.”
NBC’s YouTube ad for the “This is Us” program featured the actor Ventimiglia urging Americans to discard their differences for the upcoming Super Bowl game. The video concludes with the actor serving himself chili from a Crock-Pot.
Continue to monitor reactions. Monitoring and measuring social media can reveal the effectiveness of the brand’s PR response. Since the episode, digital content engagement around Crock-Pot increased 154 percent, according to Business Insider. More importantly, conversations around the hashtag were overwhelmingly positive.
Bottom Line: A Crock-Pot’s alleged role in the death of a beloved TV character caused a PR crisis for its maker. However, Crock-Pot’s response contained the ingredients of a successful PR response. Media measurement revealed that the brand used the ideal tone and the right combination of empathy and facts.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
