Case Studies

Multinational company facing lawsuit

A large, multinational consumer goods company faced two related, reputational challenges. First, a former employee filed a lawsuit alleging he was terminated due to his sexual orientation. Shortly after, the same individual revealed the company’s state tax records, showing it had failed to pay state corporate taxes for several years.

I worked with human resources and crafted a statement explaining the reasons for the employee’s termination and proactively engaged with influential local reporters covering the case. I then worked with the tax department and prepared a statement and talking points outlining how the company’s substantial investments in the state over recent years had resulted in tax credits that exceeded its tax liabilities. I shared this information with national reporters and conducted interviews with a reporter from MSNBC on the matter.

As a result, the company successfully navigated both challenges, avoiding any significant reputational harm.

Getting ahead of an issue - Ingredient transparency

A large multinational consumer goods company was facing increasing pressure from regulators, NGOs, and consumers to disclose the ingredients in its products. Rather than sit back and see what unfolded, I spearheaded an initiative to proactively disclose the ingredients through a dedicated website.

I began by meeting with regulators and NGOs to understand the specific information they were seeking. With this insight, I led the development of a website that listed the ingredients for each product, explained their purpose, and highlighted each ingredient’s safety profile.

As a result, the company significantly enhanced its reputation, and transparency became an integral part of its values. The company received praise from regulators, NGOs, and retail customers, positioning itself as an industry leader.

Fast food chain food safety issues

A major fast food company was facing a barrage of intense media scrutiny over food safety incidents at their restaurants. I led the creation of fact sheets outlining what had happened, the measures being taken to prevent future incidents, and the actions the company was implementing. I provided the fact sheets to the media and also engaged with key reporters covering the food industry to provide context and clarity around the situation.

Additionally, I advised the company to undertake a strategy of messaging that emphasized the company’s commitment to actually cooking food in their restaurants, rather than preparing it in a central location and reheating it. This became a key competitive differentiator for the restaurant chain, as the food safety issues went away.

Major automotive company - labor negotiations

A leading motor vehicle manufacturer was facing labor unrest and the potential for strike action from the United Auto Workers Union. Allegations of unfair pay were gaining traction in the media and on social media platforms. 

I collaborated with the company’s labor relations team to develop clear talking points that addressed the facts regarding worker pay. I suggested and led an initiative where company leaders engaged with labor relations experts, industry analysts, and academics—key individuals likely to be interviewed by the media—ensuring they understood the facts surrounding workers' pay and benefits, and could provide a balanced perspective, countering the narrative being promoted by the union.

Multinational pest control product recall in Vietnam

Media reports in Vietnam claimed that a mother and her young children had tragically died after inhaling fumes from a pest control product, manufactured by a major multinational consumer goods company. The media called for an immediate recall of the product.

Upon reviewing the situation, I quickly realized that these allegations did not match the product's safety profile. I led efforts to collaborate with internal product safety experts and local investigators and determined that, unfortunately, the family had died inhaling fumes from a portable cooking device. I then worked with a local agency to correct the media coverage, while ensuring the company expressed deep empathy for the tragic incident. Additionally, I made sure the local sales team was provided with the company’s official statement. This work ensured that the negative impact on the company’s reputation was minimized.

Product recall - sippy cups

A licensed third-party manufacturer faced multiple instances of individuals posting claims, (accompanied by pictures), suggesting that children’s sippy cups were unsafe due to a build up of mold. 

I collaborated with the company’s product safety experts, and develop talking points and a visual guide to advise parents on how to keep the sippy cups safe and what steps to take if they had any concerns. I then ensured this information was shared across various social media platforms where the issue was being discussed. The discussion on social media quickly took a more positive note.

Pest control product allegedly used in poisoning of celebrity in Kenya

A recording artist in Kenya was reportedly fatally poisoned by a pest control product. Upon reviewing the description of the poisoning provided by local law enforcement, it became clear that the reported effects did not align with the potential impact of the product’s ingredients.

I took the lead in crafting a clear statement and talking points, and conducted interviews with several local media outlets to clarify the situation. Additionally, I ensured the local sales team was well-prepared with the company’s official statement.

Financial institution – Alleged data breach

Media outlets began reporting an alleged data breach at a financial organization. Although the breach had not occurred, many customers saw the news and demanded clarification on whether their data had been compromised.

I quickly consulted with the company’s data security experts to understand what had and had not transpired. I then developed talking points, a statement, and Q&A materials for the sales and customer service teams. Since the media did not update their coverage, I led proactive outreach to the company’s largest customers and ensured the customer contact centers were thoroughly briefed on the situation, with clear guidance on the talking points and Q&A.

Violent incident at hospital

A hospital in the Midwest encountered a crisis when an individual entered one of its buildings, entered a patient’s room, and shot the patient. I quickly gathered the facts, and in collaboration with the legal department, I prepared a statement that allowed the hospital to take control of the narrative. 

We then proactively distributed the statement to local media outlets likely to cover the incident, ensuring we were controlling the narrative. As more facts became available, more information was placed on the hospital’s social media and website to reassure current and potential patients, including explaining changes that were being made to the hospital’s security systems. This work ensured that the negative impact on the company’s reputation was minimized.