Blue Bell Ice Cream RecallMargot Smirniotopoulos and Adam ScheidlerJuly 20th 2015

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

Fast Facts•1907 in Brenham, Texas •23 states •$570 million in 2014•#1 Ice Cream Company

* IBISWorld Report

• Not so cool• Milk and sugar• Cherry on topAgenda

• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

Competitor: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

*Jenis.com

• Established in 2002• Listeria outbreak detected in April 2015• Products back on the market late May 2015• No layoffs• Reintroduce product flavors

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

Where we are now?•First Listeria outbreak reported•Additional reports impending•Processes in place

Where do we want to go?•Communicate next steps•Position the brand as learning from the incident

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

Goal: To rebuild consumer trust in the Blue Bell product and brand.

1. Adopt a set of crisis messages.

•We are heartbroken

•Customers are family

•Working around the clock

•We will ensure safety

2. Manage 100% of the conversation on owned-platforms.

•Website

•Social media

•Newsletters

3. Initiate a proactive media strategy.

•Frequent

•Transparent

•Accountable

Objectives

Internal

•Town Hall Meetings

•Newsletters

•Direct e-mails via distros

External

•Press Conference

•Media Roundtable

•Proactive engagement

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

• Relative content• Monitor online conversations• Engage consumers and critics

Becoming a Leader in Food Safety•Case studies•White papers•Forums and seminars•Partnerships•Advocacy

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

• Internal v. External• Qualitative v. Quantitative• Baseline, mid-campaign, final

Agenda• Company overview• Industry Landscape• Situation• Communication Goal and Objectives• IMC Strategy • Social Media Strategy• CSR Strategy• Measurement

SWOTSTRENGTHSLoyal, niche fan base

No previous issues with health or sanitation

Small enough organization to handle resolution quickly

 

WEAKNESSESNot enough capital to hold onto employeesFew dairy competitors have gone through the same crisis; no directly applicable case studies to learn from

OPPORTUNITIESReintroduce the brand as a highly

health-conscious organization, use the crisis as a learning moment

Gain new customer base as most people (outside of its fan base) will

follow news about its response to the outbreak

 

THREATSNot enough capital to see through the resolution of the outbreakPossibility of recontamination 

 

Sourceshttp://www.cdc.gov/listeria/sources.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/listeria/statistics.htmlhttp://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/05/a-tale-of-two-recalls-blue-bell-and-jenis-ice-cream/#.Vavc2u1Vikrhttp://www.axiapr.com/blog/thepublicrelationsblog/pr-success-stories-tylenol-crisis-averted-with-responsive-crisis-prhttp://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/05/21/inadequate-cleaning-testing-at-jeni-splendid-ice-creams-plant-fda-says/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fhealth+(Internal+-+Health+-+Text)http://www.columbusalive.com/content/stories/2015/05/21/business-leaders-and-fans-react-to-jenis-recall.htmlhttp://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2015/04/jeni-s-recall-quick-transparent-action-helping.html