If ever we needed guidance on how to deal with a reputation crisis, KFC’s marketing department in the UK recently delivered an ingenious response to a potentially damaging logistics failure, that left many of KFC’s 870 restaurants without their key ingredient – chicken.
The trouble originated when KFC’s new logistics partner, DHL, failed to ensure that the supply chain operated correctly – resulting in most of the UK’s KFC’s closing their doors to the public, while chicken was held up in suppliers’ warehouses and DHL trucks.
Cue public consternation and dismay as consumers’ access to buckets of chicken was thwarted. People began contacting the police to make complaints – enough for one local constabulary to tweet the following, rather well thought out and expressed message:
While DHL began to slowly sort out their logistics issues, and stores were able to open up, albeit with limited menu items, KFC’s marketing department and their advertising agency partner crafted an inventive response that ran in print but was quickly picked up by social media outlets to go viral.
Using the letters in the brand’s acronym to imaginative effect, KFC ran the following full page advertisement in a number of UK newspapers.
Without blaming DHL, KFC turned a crisis on its head and strengthened its brand in the process. Taking the blame, apologising for it, and letting its customers know that the situation was in hand, ensured that a larger fck up was averted – in a way that may have made the Colonel turn in his grave, but certainly would bring a smile to most people’s faces who appreciated the unsubtle but incredibly effective change to the brand’s acronym.
Transparency and honesty are everything to a reputation
“Now, more than ever, a reputation – or lack of it – is visible in the few seconds it takes to Google a business’ name.”
Many business owners understand that their reputation is their most valuable asset and will do everything they can to promote it and to protect it. Some think ‘protecting’ means responding angrily to negative feedback and blaming everyone other than themselves, without ceding that the basis of most negative feedback is actually invaluable information that can be used to make their businesses better. Being open to feedback and honest about issues raised are key to every successful business. Now, more than ever, a reputation – or lack of it – is visible in the few seconds it takes to Google a business’ name. Responding to feedback – good or bad – and encouraging every customer to leave reviews creates the sort of transparency that increases consumer trust and will only result in more new customers and a higher percentage of returning ones.
Nobody respects the blame game
“It is very hard to respect anyone who tries to protect their reputation by attempting to tarnish someone else’s.”
In responding to the failure of its logistics partner to deliver, KFC could have thrown DHL under a bus and diverted the blame way from themselves – or tried to. In reality the failure may not have been of their making but it was ultimately KFC’s responsibility – and they took it on the chin. In the same way that a subcontractor’s failure or negligence is the responsibility of the lead contractor, KFC owned the mistake and even branded it as theirs – in a way that is rather hard to forget. It is very hard to respect anyone who tries to protect their reputation by attempting to tarnish someone else’s.
Reputations require attention and focus
“A business today without an online reputation is like a an All Black prop kitted out in a deep sea diver’s suit.”
A business’ reputation is its lifeblood and its driving force – it is the greatest tool a business possesses and it is the one thing that nearly every consumer is looking for. It is baffling that not every business owner or marketing manager is not monitoring their business’ name regularly on Google – or promoting review sites to their customers to leave feedback. A business today without an online reputation is like a an All Black prop kitted out in a deep sea diver’s suit. Without the very access to the information they are looking for, consumers will move to competitors with visible online reputations – and no business wants that.
To find out more about how to to create and build your online reputation – contact NoCowboys. They are experts in online reputation marketing and have been helping thousands of Kiwi businesses since 2006.
