What Nestlé Should Do, In 4 Steps

Following on from yesterday’s post on what Nestlé got wrong, here’s what they should do now – in four steps.

Step 1: Stop the bleeding. Cease any defensive or dismissive responses immediately. Appoint one human spokesperson. Make them visible and accessible.

Step 2: Acknowledge publicly. A short, genuine, human statement. Not a press release. Not corporate language. Something a person would actually say. Acknowledge the concern. Acknowledge the impact of the video. Don’t litigate the facts yet.

Step 3: Investigate and report. Commission an honest review of the palm oil supply chain. Publish the findings – including the uncomfortable parts. Transparency is the only currency that works here.

Step 4: Make a specific commitment. Not ‘we are committed to sustainability.’ ‘By [date], we will [specific action].’ A commitment with a deadline is a promise. Promises can be held accountable.

This is not complicated. What makes it hard is that it requires a level of organisational humility and speed that most large companies are not structured to deliver.

But the cost of not doing it is higher than the cost of doing it.