Rule Number One

In a week when major retailers have been accused of being slow to respond to the ongoing horse meat scandal it was a pleasant surprise to receive a personal email from the group chief executive of the Co-op.


It’s entitled An Apology from Peter Marks.

He’s been well advised.

Rule Number One: When the …. hits the fan apologise - say you’re sorry.

And I quote:

“I believe that as a result of this food scandal we have let you down….I strongly believe that all food retailers must accept ultimate accountability for the products we sell to our customers. We cannot blame the government or the regulators, or even our own suppliers. At the end of the day, the buck stops here.”

In contrast, in an interview last week, Tesco boss Philip Clarke sidestepped Rule Number One and chose instead to focus on the importance of the trust that we, the customers, place in retailers.

And he made not just one but three promises, including the development of a new ‘field to fork’ website which I have to say sounds like a ratings winner. Come children, gather round it’s time for Buttercup’s Bolognaise Journey followed by Breakfast with Babe.  Not sure I really want to watch The Silencing of the Lambs though.

Other than that Mr Tesco promised that they’ll try harder and make sure we’re not out of pocket (although they’ve already been accused of increasing the prices of meat-free meals).

Asda boss Andy Clarke has also finally spoken, vowing to leave no stone unturned in order to get to the bottom of the scandal, while Iceland boss Malcolm Walker has described the whole episode as a ‘storm in a teacup’.

Although Waitrose appears to have sidestepped the horse-meat scandal it has admitted finding traces of pork in its ‘beef’ burgers. (Meanwhile Morrison’s (we own our own farms) is reporting a 50% rise in sales of fresh burgers.)

Anyway, from what I can see only Peter Marks has actually said ‘sorry’. Rule number one boys, rule number one.

Sometimes you just can't win...

It’s a real pleasure to listen to a radio interview when, regardless of what is thrown at him/her, the interviewee leaves with his/her credibility intact.

It takes a huge amount of skill and experience to handle a ‘hostile’ interview or to cope with the pressure of the media when something has gone terribly wrong.

Of course having a crisis communications plan in place helps to ensure that a business can cope with dramas and disasters. But what’s particularly unpredictable is when a journalist has a bee in their bonnet about an issue and appears determined to find a scapegoat.

Suddenly the tone of the interview changes and you’re on the back foot – not only fighting to preserve your own reputation - but the morals of the entire sector, or so it feels.

And sometimes you just can’t win. When Radio Four’s James Naughtie got his teeth into Asda corporate affairs director Sian Jarvis, the poor woman had no chance.

Regardless of what she did or didn’t say, with the best will in the world I think it’s extremely unfair to hold Asda responsible for ruining the health of our children. Their job is to sell stuff. They don’t give it away, people choose to buy it. Just like people choose to stock up on cheap booze or to indulge in fast food.

Surely, I hear you say, it’s time people started taking responsibility for their actions – and stopped blaming everyone else for their problems. Good luck explaining that to the press – ever tried to get a bone off a dog?

http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Food-Safety/Asda-boss-in-PR-gaffe-when-radio-interviews-turn-nasty/?c=ktLArBcbayepAzZlD3Agcg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily