The Fickle, Critical Food Customer.
In directing the communications for many of the food industry’s largest trade associations, over 200 food recalls, restaurant and food handling crises, surreptitious internal videos, and related food industry issues, we’ve learned a thing or two about which types of recalls garner the greatest public interest and concern; the playbooks of the leading food plaintiffs law firms; the way food regulators think and act; and when is the right time to rebuild and market post incident. Food issues are always sensitive, with foodborne illness, contagious disease, baby and pet food recalls, sustainability, ingredient litigation and unauthorized videos leading the list.
Recalls. Safety crises. Labeling issues. Litigation over “natural” and “organic.” Supply chain issues. Slaughterhouse issues. Even the world’s most cautious companies are at risk of these and other brand-damaging events. And at the time of a crisis, it doesn’t matter that your brand has effectively provided safe, affordable food to consumers for decades. What matters is the way your business handles the incident at hand—and although you may be checking all of the regulatory boxes, it’s still easy to miss the mark, leaving consumers and other stakeholders feeling anxious and angry.
As food industry insiders, we know what to do next
One of the food industry’s leading communications and crisis counselors, LEVICK has spearheaded the front-page national spinach recall, Bob Evans, Arby’s and the USDA to deal with potential crisis situations.
When Rachael Ray’s Nutrish cat food was recalled, we worked on two fronts to provide recall communication assistance and celebrity reputation management. When the world’s largest mango recall occurred, we counseled the importer responsible for the recall to go above and beyond minimum recall requirements; when he was publicly recognized by the produce industry for putting health & safety over products, he specifically recognized LEVICK as assisting in his decision. And when pregnant women calling into a call center expressed concern about how a pickled beet recall would potentially impact their unborn babies, LEVICK recommending the manufacturer hire an on-call OB/GYN doctor to address their concerns and assure them there was no danger.
As food industry insiders, we know exactly what fears and anxieties affect consumers – and how they can best get the safety reassurances they deserve before, during, and after crisis of any magnitude.
Experience:
- Anti-obesity campaigns
- Food and restaurant brand protection and re-emergence
- Foodborne illness
- Food labeling issues
- Food litigation
- Food poisoning
- Food safety issues
- Food science outreach
- Food trade association public affairs
- Organic and natural litigation
- Recalls
- Restaurant lawsuit PR strategy
- Slaughterhouse issues
- Supermarket branding
- Supply chain issues
- Unauthorized video and handling issues
