Next steps and hurdles to recovery
“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.” — Joseph Hall
Samsung did well painting a picture of an issue that’s been thoroughly researched and resolved, but the proof is in the pudding. The brand’s next flagship smartphone is going to face a public just 
waiting to find a problem; and that, of course, will be a problem on its own. The most immediate risk is that we see an actual repeat of something that reminds stakeholders of the previous issues – anything from batteries that get uncomfortably hot to actually igniting. In this situation I see a huge possibility for fakers or trolls to deliver a blow to Samsung’s barely recovering reputation too. It would be easy to create a convincing video of your new device “lighting on fire while charging” when there was nothing actually wrong it at all, and a quick way to go viral. In fact, I’d be more surprised if someone doesn’t try this trick.
What it boils down to is that Samsung needs to be ready to manage the crisis on both the communications and operations sides of the issue. False accusations needs to be firmly swatted down before they can catch on, and any actual device-related hitches need to be figured out at lightning speed. If people are left in the dark, if rumor, innuendo, and fear are allowed to creep up, then the efforts of the recent past will be for naught.
For part 1 of this article click here.
Erik Bernstein
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com