PR Crisis Discussion - Blog Post Assignment

    

In a blog post, discuss a company that had a PR crisis. What was the crisis and how did they handle it? How could they have measured their communications effectiveness during and after the crisis? What could they have done differently?

When you're finished with your post:

1. Click the link above to submit the link to your blog post.
2. Post a link to your blog post on the PR Crisis discussion board for Module 11.
3. Comment on your peers' posts.

What was the crisis and how did they handle it?

Gucci is a famous luxury brand in the world. In China, it has great public’s praise and corporate image. Last year, it experienced a serious crisis in Shenzhen China which in my recollection. Sep. 23, 2011. Two former employees of Gucci public a letter online named < an open letter to top management from mass resignation employees> which made media reported for a long time.  Since that time, Gucci become a “Sweatshop”, “Abuse employees”, “management confusion”, “employees overworked”.

After employees abused event’s exposure, it damage Gucci’s social image deeply, Gucci use PR means immediately.  Firstly, Button their lips from top management to laborial staff, and they made a statement that pointed out this event was distorted and enlarged. Everything they did is wanted to stop negative massages’ spread and become worse. But this action did nothing to do to solve this crisis. Media continue follow-up report and government start to investigate.

 

 How could they have measured their communications effectiveness during and after the crisis?

What they did after this crisis is trying to hide everything. Employees and managers silent on this topic and publish a statement explain that this event is not exist. The words to clarify themselves can’t change public thinking.

The only way for Gucci to measure this PR crisis is after their action, how is the negative reports and disgruntled discussion from people? I have only to say, this PR crisis is totally failure. They want to cover and hide the truth, whatever the truth is, what they did just make people don’t trust them anymore.  The core of it is communication, not about how to pretend it never happen.

 

 What could they have done differently?

In my opinion, their PR crisis can’t do any help to this situation but make it worse. It can’t cover the management confusion. I think what they should do is:1. Enhance their internal communication in the company; provide a way to make employees an top management communication directly. 2. Multinational corporation like Gucci, Converse, Zara have this kind of scandals in China. Actually it have already have thorough management system in mainland. They should treat their employees equal in different places.

After crisis, most companies anxious to clarify the event or list the truth, they trying to use their own words to change media’s report direction and public perceive. But this method usually useless.  The first thing they should do is to get the trust from public. Make business practice hyalinize temporarily. And find out management loopholes and  improve it. So that the social image will reverse.