Samsung officially stopped production on its Galaxy Note7 smartphones on Oct. 11, following an earlier recall of the product and months of increasing scrutiny from the media, its customers and investors for a malfunction that caused the phones to dangerously overheat. Here are three ways the electronics giant has executed its crisis messaging amidst the allegations facing it.
Owning up. On Oct. 11 Samsung issued a brief press release on its company newsroom urging customers to power down and trade in their phones, stressing that "consumers’ safety remains our top priority." The announcement was echoed by a brief statement citing "consumer safety reasons" on the company's investor relations site.
Providing a make-good. Samsung has launched a microsite solely devoted to the recall and offering an exchange program that allows customers to trade their Note7 devices in at participating retailers. The site provides a phone number for customers to call with questions and concerns, links to retailers participating in the program and an FAQ urging consumers to power down their devices before trading them in.
Social media damage control. Samsung announced the end of the Note7's production on Twitter and Facebook and pinned the tweet to both profiles.
In light of recent cases, we are putting your safety first and have stopped sales/production of the Galaxy Note7. https://t.co/OuGdjk4dTD
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) October 13, 2016
Samsung has been individually responding to all customer tweets expressing frustration with the product, directing consumers to its dedicated customer support handle.
The company has been noticeably silent on its Samsung USA Facebook wall, however, where frustrated customers have been posting lengthier complaints without character limits. Perhaps allowing for some venting is just what the electronics company needs in order to diffuse some of the heat it's currently facing.
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