How poor preparation led to a reputation damaging viral video.
Swedish automaker Volvo is under fire this week after demonstrations of their much-hyped safety systems backfired several times in front of a crowd of journalists. Compounding the issue is the response from the Volvo spokesperson, who violated Crisis Management 101 rules big time with his response after a particularly jarring incident. Check it out:
By (apparently) neglecting to prepare its spokesperson for the fairly predictable possibility of mechanical issues during a demonstration, Volvo has unleashed a viral video that’s drawing loads of negative attention world wide.
——————————-
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-
[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. , an international crisis management consultancy, and author of Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training.]