PARIS — As companies scramble to deal with an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, the coronavirus outbreak is proving a reputational minefield for players in the fashion and retail sectors.
“We made a mistake and we lost a lot of trust by doing so,” Adidas said. “It might take some time to win that trust back. But we will do everything to make that happen.” “One of my favorite rules is: ‘People above process and bottom line, always,'” she said. “It’s where you put your priorities and how you demonstrate that in both your actions and your communications. Crisis management is always taking the right actions and simultaneously communicating effectively.”
“Crisis communication is a tool to support a strategy that really needs to be defined ahead of time,” he said. “Communication must always be based on objectives, because if you don’t have clear targets, then it’s basically hot air.” “There are two things that need to be looked at right now: how are you going to sustain yourself? And the second, what do you want to be proud of when all of this is said and done? That’s when you need to be careful not to have those knee-jerk reactions based on fear,” Agnes concurred.
Meanwhile, Primark recently agreed to pay an extra 370 million pounds to suppliers for product that was already in production and due for delivery by April 17, after initially canceling orders and refusing to pay for some goods already being manufactured. Companies should be mindful that many of these stakeholders, including staff and suppliers, are likely feeling pain right now.
While some may question the ulterior motives of companies mobilizing production facilities to make masks and other medical supplies, firms can weather criticism provided they remain true to their values, Agnes said.