In the first two years after the term “Swine Flu” was used to describe the illness that mutated and jumped to humans from pigs, the U.S. Pork Industry suffered losses estimated to be in excess of $5 billion. This despite the reality that what came to be known more frequently as H1N1 – partially as a result of the outcries from farmers – cannot be contracted from eating pork.
This quote, taken from BCM President Jonathan Bernstein’s feature article in our latest Crisis Manager newsletter, describes what he calls “The H1N1 Effect,” which is when consumers make purchasing decisions based on fear, conjecture and media hype rather than looking at the facts to determine the real risk level.
Because of the damage this phenomenon can cause, it is crucial that businesses involved with products that could impact consumer safety include the possibility in their crisis management planning.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/