Nutrional Foods

TO: Board of Directors, Nutritional Foods

FROM: Brittany Benton, Business Consultant

RE: Nutritional Foods Analysis

DATE: February 2, 2014

Introduction:

Many companies have issues that have need of public relations assistance at one time or another. Yet comparatively few companies have strategies in place for handling these eventualities, and many companies experience considerably more harm than might otherwise be necessary because they have not planned for the crisis. When the crisis is of an ethical nature, the importance of building and maintaining an ethical work environment becomes apparent. Certain products are particularly susceptible to a rapid loss of public trust due to their nature, food products are unquestionably among these. Consumers expect their food to be safe, and can be hesitant to return to a food manufacturer once a problem has been discovered and traced to that manufacturer. This is the situation that faces Nutritional Foods, and the steps that the company takes in the aftermath of a possible poisoning case could determine the success of the company's future.

Facts Summary:

Nutritional Foods is facing perhaps the most difficult crisis that a company in its industry can face, the possible poisoning of consumers, including kids. Upon receiving the original reports, the company sent managers to the two counties where the problems were reported. When two additional problems were reported in two added counties, the company sent managers to those counties as well. The company sought as much information as possible, including batch numbers of the products in question. At 7pm of the same day that the problems were reported, the company announced that it was pulling all batches of the product in question from retail shelves; this announcement resulted in another 50 calls reporting poisonings, only five of which came from health care professionals. The company also convened its Crisis Action Committee the morning after the first report, and now...