McDonalds Does Crisis Management Right

Jonathan Bernstein crisis management, Crisis Prevention, Crisis Response, reputation management

In a year where major corporations are making blunders right and left, McDonalds went against the grain and pulled off a highly successful recall of tainted “Shrek” glasses sold as part of a promotional offer. Not only did McDonalds make things right, they went above and beyond, as this quote from a Time article explains:

“It was pretty brilliant,” says Sophie Ann Terrisse, CEO of STC Associates, a brand-management firm, of the McDonald’s response. “They came clean right away, and not only did they do what customers expected, they did more.”

To wit: for every consumer who returns one of the 7.5 million Shrek glasses the company says it sold, McDonald’s is offering a rare premium above the purchase price: a $3 refund for an item that cost $2.49 as a stand-alone purchase, and $1.99 with a purchase of food. “You’ve got to give them credit for turning the recall into a value proposition,” says Terrisse.

Giving back more than customers actually paid is practically unheard of in the retail world, but by doing so McDonald’s has made clear that, for them, crisis management and consumer protection comes first.

The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/