The 7 Things Nestlé Should’ve Done

Nestlé had a bad week. Greenpeace launched a campaign attacking their use of palm oil, complete with a parody of the Kit Kat ad that went viral. Nestlé’s response made it significantly worse.

Here are the 7 things they should have done:

1. Listened first. Before responding to anything, understand what’s actually being said and by whom.
2. Acknowledged the issue. Not defensively. Genuinely. ‘We hear this concern and we take it seriously.’
3. Separated the emotional from the factual. Some of the criticism was charged. Some was accurate. Respond to the accurate, not just the charged.
4. Responded in the same channel. Greenpeace went social. Nestlé should have responded socially, not with a press release.
5. Not deleted comments. Deleting comments on their Facebook page poured fuel on the fire. Silence or deletion signals guilt or contempt.
6. Shown the humans behind the brand. A person speaking is more credible than a corporate statement.
7. Made a commitment, not just a statement. Statements are cheap. Commitments are specific, measurable, and time-bound. ‘We will do X by Y date’ is worth infinitely more than ‘we care about this issue.’

Crisis response in a social media world is not complicated. It’s just hard – because it requires humility, speed, and the willingness to be accountable in public.