A food recall usually ends much faster than the reputation crisis that often goes along with it. As food recalls dominate headlines, one lesson has become increasingly clear: consumers judge companies not only by whether an outbreak occurs, but by…
Safe drinking water exists because we all follow sanitation standards. We pay for fire departments even if our own house never burns. We obey speed limits, stop at red lights, and wear seatbelts. These are not simply personal choices. They…
When customers have confidence that a company will behave in their interest even when no one is looking, it reflects the most powerful form of trust. Without that bond, people question corporate leadership’s competence, challenge integrity, debate whether customers are truly valued, argue on social media, and…
Recent revelations that Toyota Motor Corp. cheated on Japanese safety certification tests for seven vehicle models poses a significant reputational threat that the world’s top carmaker needs to quickly address.
The phrase “10-year-olds at Sephora” is lighting up the Internet, sparking conversations about whether the beauty industry and social media are pushing unnecessary and potentially harmful products on young girls. Scroll through Tik Tok and you’ll see tweens giving make-up tutorials.
Companies face increasing peril to their reputations – and sales — as online rumors and misinformation proliferate. Take the example of Purina, the pet food maker. Complaints that its food has caused illnesses in pets have proliferated online in recent…
The terror is hard to imagine: a refrigerator-sized “door plug” blows open at 16,000 feet, exposing Alaska Airline passengers to howling winds, sucking one boy’s shirt off and ripping cell phones out of people’s hands. Boeing, the maker of that…
A robocall that appeared to be an AI-generated voice imitating President Joe Biden should serve as a fresh reminder to corporate executives of the peril they could face from deepfakes. The bogus Biden robocalls went to New Hampshire voters, urging…
High on the list of reputational risks companies face: the use of child labor, either in their own factories, or in the factories of suppliers. Many large U.S. companies have been forced to confront this issue. In a series of…
Tesla’s Autopilot Part II When there are strong indications that a product may be responsible for deaths and injuries, companies should act right away. They shouldn’t wait for government investigations, multipart investigative stories and lawsuits. The latter is the position…