Articles by Levick Experts

Although the E.coli spinach outbreak, which occurred in the autumn of 2006, may seem long ago by media cycle standards, the story has legs. Every few weeks additional related news surfaces, with the persistent danger of the impact extending beyond spinach, affecting all fresh vegetable produce.

Recently, for example, media outlets reported that a farm transitioning to organic status was identified as the source of the outbreak. The news has organic food skeptics shouting to the rafters about the dangers of “going organic.” Those cries now reverberate worldwide via the blogosphere as well as traditional media.

Food industry critics of all sorts – from fast-food to all-natural – are strategically prepared 365 days a year to launch food health threat advisories. Bloggers live in a ready-aim-fire position, templates and generic copy in place, poised to simply fill in the name of the industry and the specific details of the crisis moments after it first occurs. They can thus “go live” even while food growers and distributors are still trying to figure out what actually happened.

In the case of the spinach crisis, the industry’s response was notably adroit. Industry representatives chose a most prominent venue for a press conference: The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. By doing so, the food industry sent a strong, honest message: “We know there’s a problem, we’ll address it squarely, and we want everyone to hear us.”

The spokespersons steered clear of the mistakes that trip up many others in similar situations. For example, they did not split hairs distinguishing between the types of spinach that are susceptible to the bacteria nor did they intone scientific data related to soil tests, risk analyses, etc. Marshaling evidence of that sort may win lawsuits, but it sows suspicion in the Court of Public Opinion.

Happily, the industry articulated in simple terms what it knew the facts to be, the measures it had already taken, and the steps it planned to take. Importantly, the spokespersons vowed to continue to keep the media informed whenever it received reports of new developments.

Longer term, defending industry groups can take several steps to balance the playing field on which plaintiffs’ lawyers and NGOs are typically so dominant.

• Media-train the crisis team two or three times a year in anticipation of inevitable crises. Videotape role-playing sessions in which food industry representatives rehearse meetings with reporters.
• Set up a rapid response system so that, if a negative story breaks at 11 pm, you’re ready to convene and strategize by 11:30.
• Identify, enlist, and groom outside supporters who will speak on your behalf in ways that appear impartial. The more publicly trusted the supporters, the better. Think Walter Cronkite.
• Monitor all blogs as well the traditional media. Information is power. Ignorance is vulnerability. Know in advance who the high-authority bloggers are in your industry.
• Set up your own blog now and optimize it (a simple technical process to maximize readership). When the crisis breaks, you will have your own ready-made and credible forum as well as an audience that already knows where to go for information.

The cumulative effect of such crisis preparedness is that the industry at risk becomes the source to which the public confidently goes for information and guidance. Indeed, that’s precisely what the spinach industry accomplished in the wake of the E.coli crisis. It’s called leadership.