Case Study

Fortune has written an article that is a case study for anyone interested in PR and crisis communications.  It has to do with instant noodles called Maggi made by Nestle.  They are sold widely in India and were the favorite of mothers for children, cost-conscious students and others looking for a cheap but nutritious snack.  The crisis began when an Indian laboratory discovered elevated lead levels in a package of the noodles.  Nestle said that it wasn’t possible and that its own advanced laboratory hadn’t found anything of the sort.  When the news leaked to the media, a firestorm resulted and Nestle had to pull tons of noodles from the market   The problem was partially of communication, which was poor, and an arrogance on the part of Nestle, which exacerbated the problem.  The article is lengthy but it merits a read.  One questions whether Nestle has learned how to communicate in a crisis as a result of this.