Company: United Fresh Produce Association
Agency: Levick Strategic Communications
Timeframe: Fall, 2006
September 14, 2006, was a bad day for the produce industry. That was when a spinach E. coli outbreak first made headlines, after two people died and dozens more became ill. The
United Fresh Produce Association, a leading produce industry trade association, moved quickly to protect the industry, with help from Levick Strategic Communications, which
specializes in the field of food safety, among others.
Challenge #1
One challenge was evident from the outset. Says Gene Grabowski, senior vice president of Levick Strategic Communications, "The reaction to the crisis was severe: restaurants
weren't serving spinach, and no one was buying it. Sometimes you can recall one brand, but this affected all spinach brands and growers, and it presented a hardship for all
growers. Supermarkets took it off the shelves, even canned spinach, which was safe, and chefs were taking extreme caution," creating more backlash.
At the beginning of the spinach crisis, information about what was happening among spinach growers and distributors was scarce, as was information about how media outlets were
responding. But the food industry was eager to pull together. "The entire industry saw they were in it together, whether it was radishes or endives," says Grabowski. "They
recognized that in a month-long or two-month-long period, as spinach fared, so would they. It was a tribute to the leadership of United Fresh Produce. Tom Stenzel [president and
CEO] did a good job. He kept things together, led by example, and became a spokesperson."
Ironically, Stenzel now refuses interviews on the subject of the spinach E. coli outbreak, because of the politics involved in association rivalries. "When there's an industry-
wide issue like this," says Grabowski, "you will have some element of politics. It's inescapable."
Challenge #2
The second challenge was achieving consensus. The difference between representing one company and representing an association lies in trying to meet the combined needs of
dozens or even hundreds of companies, according to Grabowski. It can take longer to get consensus, and you have to be mindful that even though they are all in the same industry,
the association members are also competitors. Or they might think it's not their problem.
"In a crisis, a produce farmer that is not in the spinach business might think that crisis doesn't affect them. But it doesn't take long to figure out that consumers might be
looking askance at other produce, too," says Grabowski, who gives a passing nod to opportunism, as well. "Others in the association might also see it as a marketing opportunity,
not a crisis."
PR practitioners working with an association will need more patience and diplomacy when handling a crisis situation, because they are effectively dealing with committees or
boards made up of many companies, not a single entity.
Fast, accurate, updated information is critical in mitigating a food-related crisis, so Levick immediately set up a 24-hour hot line to the UFPA to provide the PR team with any
new data ASAP, ranging from soil test results to death and illness reports. In addition, they took steps to prevent any leaks of misleading misinformation, setting up a monitoring
apparatus to review and analyze relevant blogs and print media.
The blogs were particularly important as a way to assess concerns of consumers and suppliers. Based on the comments they saw online, the team was able to develop message points
that targeted consumers, suppliers, restaurants and other business interests. The messaging underscored the coherence and effectiveness of the industry's response, disclosed
specific action points and itemized the concrete steps the industry was taking to safeguard the public.
The team also tailored the message points for narrower concerns. What types of spinach (fresh, frozen, etc.) were affected? What geographic regions were being watched with
particular care, versus those where there was much less apparent cause for concern? What was the latest FDA pronouncement?
Armed with constant updates, the team began working with media and lawmakers to increase awareness about the outbreak and prevent permanent damage to the industry. But even
there, challenges emerged. Grabowski acknowledges that it's not as simple as sending a press release to media outlets. Emotion tends to cloud the issues. For every food scientist
(or other third-party expert) that says everything is okay, you can find several that will prolong the chaos from the initial days of the crisis. Worse, the media often look for
consumers who can cry on cue and create an emotional story that will stay on the front page.
This makes media relations a bigger challenge. "You have to get out there with your own survey," says Grabowski, to collect the most accurate, up-to-date information. The most
critical element in the spinach crisis was to pin down the source so that people would feel the problem was being brought under control. "Fear of the unknown causes the most
anxiety," Grabowski notes. "Until you run to ground what the real source is, the news media will find ways to keep the story alive."
For those of you who smell a little PR cynicism there, Grabowsi was an AP journalist for 10 years, so he knows media. "A story about the danger being past will only make the
cover once," he says. "A story about ongoing anxiety can be done 20 times. This makes crisis media relations a challenge, but not impossible." With food, people are immediately
rattled, but they also adjust quickly. The secret is to level with them and tell them you are doing everything possible. Even if you don't have an answer right now, you can tell
the public the steps you are taking, and they will adjust.
Says Grabowski: "The media will keep telling you there's chaos and people are panicking, even if they are not. The headlines are seldom an accurate barometer of what's going
on. You must do your own polling. Don't take for granted that the headlines are true."
The goal was to limit the damages to spinach (a $300 million-per-year industry) while communicating the steps being taken to contain the E. coli outbreak and protect all bagged
produce. The team planned a communications and marketing strategy that relied on traditional and non-traditional communications tactics. At the same time, they planned a public
affairs strategy to educate and influence lawmakers, to increase funding for research on E. coli and other food-borne diseases. They developed briefing materials and worked with
lobbyists to get their message through to the California State Legislature, the FDA and Capitol Hill.
The strategy was to release information, gathered on a 24/7 basis, as fast as possible. The result would be a credible public portrayal of an industry in control. Daily press
briefings complemented press conferences that underscored industry commitment as conspicuously as possible and ensured that industry messages were communicated to key national
reporters. A crisis control center corrected negative or inaccurate coverage, while fielding all incoming media inquiries. The PR team media-trained industry spokespersons and
scientific experts, providing constant follow-up prep by phone.
The silver lining to the crisis was educational outreach and marketing opportunities. The crisis was a chance to inform consumers about how to properly prepare spinach and the
value of spinach in a balanced diet. The PR team created FAQs and 101s for media and consumers. And Stenzel went on a media tour to discuss safeguards his association is now
pursuing.
Contact:
Gene Grabowski, 202.973.1351, [email protected]
How To Handle ... A Food Crisis
Katie Paine, CEO of KD Paine & Partners, followed the spinach crisis closely and had some comments to make last October on how organic spinach grower Natural Selections
handled the business-threatening situation. Natural Selections has a good reputation in organic gardening and research (which would stand it in good stead as the crisis
developed). At first, the company took the position of "no comment," but a few days later it added information about the crisis to its Web site. Here are some pointers from Paine
for handling a food-related crisis.
- When the crisis involves food, it should get widespread coverage, since the idea would be to get the word out and stop people from eating contaminated food. The key is to
get the right information out there. In the case of Natural Selections, a detailed explanation of how to identify tainted spinach of the Web site was pretty helpful.
- The perfect spokesperson in a crisis would be someone who's trained in hostage negotiation. You'd know exactly what to say to talk the media off the ledge. Make sure whoever
is in front of the media has the patience of Job, the teaching skills of a university professor, and the sense of humor of Jon Stewart.
- Move fast. Really fast. Make sure you have your talking points down within hours, not days.
- There are complex nuances in any crisis, and the better handle your spokesperson has on it, the better off you'll be. Between the FDC and the folks at Natural Selections, they
managed to educate the public on what and why various developments happened.
- We're all vulnerable to crises, and the more deposits you've made in the "trust bank," the better you'll do. Your actions, such as corporate philanthropy, good corporate
governance, transparency and strong ethical values will go a long way towards helping you weather a crisis.
- More likely than not, a crisis will affect your entire industry, so don't gloat over your competitor's problem.
- This crisis should serve as a lesson to any of us, organic or otherwise, in how a history of doing good, [in Natural Selections' case investing in science and research], pays
off in ways you never imagined.
Contact: Katie Paine, [email protected]
Tips & Traps
Gene Grabowski, senior vice president, Levick Strategic Communications, emphasizes that the best tool in a PR toolbox during a crisis is knowledge. Grabowski, who is an expert
of long standing in the food industry, says, "If you are crisis expert but don't know the food industry, realize that it's a very small club. There are language, nuances and
realities you might not be aware of. Be careful what you prescribe."
Unlike many other industries, where job turnover can be best described as "churn," the food industry is one of the last places where people stay in the field for 20 or 30
years, Grabowski notes. This means PR experts have to allow for an "enormous amount of history. These people have 'been there, done that' - you need to adjust for that."
Be patient, and deal with what's real. Remember that a food crisis is universal, because everybody eats. So even if a food crisis doesn't immediately and directly affect your
client, you have to maintain a weather eye for sensitivities. "You have to guard against frustration, dealing with what's possible and pragmatic," says Grabowski. "The regulatory
process is slow, and you won't always have control of what phase you're in. With a food issue, you're at the mercy of tomorrow's announcement in the news. It's a rolling process
when you deal with food. More sick people and more outbreaks can be discovered."
Be flexible and stay in touch. PR practitioners must be resilient, maintain constant communication on all fronts, and continuously adjust to developments. When it comes to
dealing with the regulators of the industry, realize that they are under pressure and will be criticized if they don't do a good job. They might bristle at cooperating with you
when you most need to communicate with consumers and market your product. Because the regulators' "bottom line" is to protect consumers and make sure the administration isn't
criticized for not doing a good job, the PR team has to show more sensitivity and bend with the winds. "There's more politics in food safety issues," says Grabowski. If you go in
knowing that, you'll do a better job.