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Trust and Brand Recovery Campaigns in Crisis: Findus Nordic and the Horsemeat Scandal

På svenska

Author

Summary, in English

The aim of this study is to describe and analyze a transboundary crisis, focusing crisis communication, from the perspective of an involved major corporation. More concretely the intent is to increase understanding of how Findus Nordic in Sweden managed the crisis communication response and repair of its trust and corporate brand during and after the horsemeat scandal in 2013. The case study is founded in a theoretical framework that consists of three theories or concepts: transboundary crisis, image repair strategy and the rhetorical arena. Findus Nordic followed it´s corporate values and applied a consistent image repair strategy: denial and shifting the blame towards the supplier Comigel in an extremely multi-vocal arena. This strategy was supplemented with evasion of responsibility. Very close to the end of the public crisis Findus Nordic used the crisis as a possibility to recover their position and started a campaign that had positive effects in trust and the corporate brand. The launch of the campaign was very fast and might have been dangerous. But, according to the analysis the success of the campaign may be explained as a consequence of its sensemaking and auto-communicative approach.

Publishing year

2015

Language

English

Pages

134-147

Publication/Series

International Journal of Strategic Communication

Volume

9

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Topic

  • Communication Studies

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1553-1198