Product recalls can be a public relations (PR) headache for organizations in all industries. The media can distort the truth about recalls, and this can jeopardize an organization’s reputation. This is where the role of the PR team comes in. These trained professionals manage the reputations of organizations in a product recall management situation and influence the opinion and behavior of customers and the media.
In the latest post in our series about the impact of recall management on different business departments, we inspect PR teams.
What Does a PR Team Do?
PR teams manage the reputations of organizations in various scenarios. Their job is simple: Turn a negative situation into a positive one. PR employees create plans of action that improve communications with customers and the media and generate consistent messaging that underscores an organization’s values and objectives.
The PR team is essential during a recall crisis. Although other departments (operations, production, management, etc.) are among the first to respond to a recall notice from the government, PR employees have an important role to play later on. These professionals
improve brand reputation with clear communications.
A successful PR department carries out the following duties during a recall management scenario:
- Improves communications between an organization and the media.
- Improves communications between an organization and its customers.
- Improves communications between an organization and its clients.
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Why is the PR Department So Important During a Product Recall?
Any product recall can be “bad for business.” People often think companies that recall products have ineffective production processes or poor health and safety protocols. This isn’t the case. Although some recalls result from inadequate workflows and supply chains, recalls can happen to any company at any time. Every year, there are hundreds of recalls and safety alerts from government agencies such as the FDA and Department of Agriculture (USDA)
In a PR context, the reason for a product recall doesn’t matter. What’s important is how organizations manage their reputation during product recall management. Organizations that fail to improve PR during a recall could experience:
- Bad media coverage
- A lack of trust from existing customers
- A drop in sales
Recommended reading: 12 Tips for Creating an Effective Product Recall Plan
How Do PR Departments Handle Product Recall Management?
Although PR departments aren’t responsible for removing faulty products from shelves or managing supply chains, these talented employees play an important role in improving product recall responses. Organizations that fail to communicate information with the media and the public can experience several negative consequences.
Primarily, PR teams need to ease the fears of customers during a product recall crisis:
“Ultimately, a brand’s biggest challenge in the face of a product recall is regaining consumer trust,” says PR Week. While the media moves on, customer mistrust can linger for a much longer time. Sometimes the turnaround can be achieved by using good and timely PR, or a change in the manufacturing process that demonstrates to consumers that the problem has been fixed”
For PR teams to do their job, they need:
- Access to important recall information
- Good collaborative tools for communicating with other departments
Without these two things, PR teams won’t be able to carry out their duties effectively. The latest digital tools provide PR teams with both. A good product recall management solution, for example, generates the latest recall information in one centralized system and lets teams communicate with other departments more effectively.
Recommended reading: 3 Surprising Factors That Impact Product Recall Response Times
The Benefits of a Recall Management System for PR Teams
Benefits of a good recall management platform for PR teams include the ability to:
- Access recall notices and share information quickly
- View real-time reports
- Safeguard sensitive recall information and protect data from hackers
- Access information via the cloud
Trievr is a cloud-based on-demand recall management system for PR teams and other departments that want to improve product recall response times. With features like real-time reports, collaborative tools, enhanced security, and recall templates, PR teams can optimize communications during product recalls.
Final Word
PR teams communicate important information to the media and the public during a recall situation. These professionals have the power to influence opinion and prevent organizations from losing the trust of customers. However, PR teams need the right digital tools to do their job.
Trievr is a product recall management system that comes with a wide range of features for PR teams. Click here to learn more or try a free 15-day trial.