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.

Ice Road Truckers

Did you see last night’s Channel 5 Eddie Stobart documentary? http://www.five.tv/shows/eddie-stobart-trucks-trailers-and-tinsel/episodes/eddie-stobart-trucks-trailers-and-tinsel

What great PR! – an hour long special showcasing how the company’s truck drivers, gritting crews and logistics team battled against some of the worst snowfall in years to keep shops stocked with Christmas essentials.

It had it all – a chirpy, upbeat (and attractive) young woman trucker, the driver who kept his legs crossed to ensure his toy delivery was bang on time “well Father Christmas is never late”, and the lads who worked through the night to grit the depot by hand.

And while the PR bosses must’ve squirmed when one of the truckers insisted on cameras being turned off when he got his artic temporarily stuck up a snowy country lane, after missing the Tesco turning, it all came good in the end.

A great PR job guys – you made it look deceptively easy.

To be fair, it’s highly unlikely most businesses will find themselves the topic of a documentary, which is probably just as well. It’s not for the faint-hearted!

I worked closely with the film crew during the filming of a Delia Smith documentary a number of years ago and all I’ll say is that it’s a very delicate balancing act between what makes good TV and what you/the client wants to portray. You’ve only got to listen to The Real Housewives of Orange County bickering during a reunion show to get the gist…

So, unless you’re extremely media savvy then proceed at your peril when a documentary crew comes calling – you might not like what you see!

All I can say is well done Eddie Stobart.

http://www.stobartgroup.co.uk/NewsCentre/NewsArticle/Eddie-Stobart-Delivers-Christmas-In-Festive-TV-Special/