Not to sound flippant, but at least we HAVE recalls. The fact that the crisis management (a.k.a. product recalls) response is pretty good in this country has to be reassuring. On the other hand, outsourcing manufacture to people and places that are struggling to keep up with their GDP quotas (see China) is, and will remain, a two-edged sword.
Consumers don't expect manufacturers to be perfect, but they do expect honesty and integrity. A prompt recall is reassuring, however disconcerting. Recalls don't necessarily slime a brand, unless it becomes habitual. By then, sales will have cratered so badly it won't matter because the company would have gone out of business.
Yes, well-executed U.S. product recalls are the embodiment of the brand promise and an interesting snapshot of how the brand behaves under stress. The great brands hold themselves accountable to take responsibility for the ongoing quality promise to consumers (e.g. Iams, Mattel, Tylenol). The less spectacular brands also show their true colors when they hide in a bunker and hope sub-standard quality will go unnoticed.
Posted by: Tammy Katz | September 28, 2007 4:16 PM | Permalink to Comment