For food brands, social media can be a life or death matter—as these social media disasters and success stories go to show. What was once just an isolated food safety incident can today quickly blow up into a viral sensation on the Internet.
At the 2013 Food Safety Summit today in Baltimore, Md., a panel of three experts presented "The Impact of Social Media on Food Safety," spotlighting how the way we communicate has changed radically in recent times and dissecting the challenges and opportunities these new forms have created. Here's what they had to say:
1. WHO: Tony Flood, Senior Director of Food Safety & Defense Communications at the International Food Information Council (IFIC)
WHAT HE SAID:
- The food industry no longer works in silos as it once did.
- The consumption of information has shifted from the once-a-day newspaper to the constantly updating internet.
- As the forms of communication change, companies must adapt.
- The cause of any social media crisis is emotion, not science.
- What can food companies do when faced with a social media crisis? "Trust and communication with the public is imperative," Flood said.
- Expect the unexpected.
DIVE TAKE: Consumers trust news and social media outlets much more than companies themselves. Companies need build trust with their consumer base by being personable and transparent. Companies should also seek "message multipliers" who can spread the word more credibly and dynamically than a corporate spokesman ever can.
2. WHO: Daniel Webber, Vice President of Digital Public Affairs at Edelman
WHAT HE SAID:
- The advent of social media has presented new opportunities, challenges and realities for food companies.
- Social media has no filter and everyone can use it—it's the easiest and cheapest way to interact with your consumers.
- However, through social media, things can blow up in your face without notice and the news can spread like wildfire.
- Social media pressures companies to be more transparent.
- If companies don't use social media, "they are operating from a deficit."
- If one food company has a problem, the entire industry faces the same problem by association.
- Social media virality relies on an emotional response to content, making it difficult for companies to fight allegations and, more problematically, for consumers to get the images out of their head.
- All company problems can be amplified by social media and the internet will tell consumers everything you don't want them to know. "Search engines never forget," Webber noted.
- Customer service hotlines are on the decline; social media is on the rise.
- Transparency is the new standard and consumer trust is necessary for social media survival.
- Companies can't lose the opportunity to direct the conversation.
- What can companies do? Observe. Plan protocols. Create and publish content that is dynamic and shareable. Drive people to content. Create partnerships. Practice and plan for the worst case scenario.
DIVE TAKE: The internet is not in anyone's control, and that can scare companies, especially those who are unfamiliar with the internet. But companies cannot avoid it—social media is the consumers' communication medium of choice. So if you don't like what people are saying about you, just change the conversation.
3. WHO: Jeanne Jones, Director of Consumer Affairs at ConAgra Foods
WHAT SHE SAID:
- In 2010, a video of a "dead rat" in a can of Chef Boyardee went viral, garnering 1 million views within 48 hours.
- This crisis caused ConAgra to completely overhaul its communications process with consumers.
- Before the crisis, ConAgra had separate public relations and consumer affairs departments that did not communicate with each other. There was no proactive consumer education process and no warning system. ConAgra's public stance was not to comment on problems.
- After the crisis, ConAgra integrated its public relations and consumer affairs departments. They set up a consumer reference library and an "auto alert" system. They learned to better communicate with their consumers and the media and implemented a process emphasizing trust and transparency.
- When communicating with a consumer about a food safety issue, ConAgra representatives follow the "Four R's": respect, remorse, resolution and restitution.
- ConAgra has had zero high-profile social media escalations since the "dead rat" crisis.
DIVE TAKE: Social media provides companies with a forum to tell their story. Consumers appreciate transparency and immediate response, instilling a trust in them that the company actually cares. In turn, this will lead to better brand reputation and social media chatter.
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