Which PR Crisis was More Damaging – Pepsi or United?
In the age of social media and smart phones, customers have the power to instantly destroy a brand’s reputation. United Airlines and Pepsi were both hit by customer backlash after PR blunders – United with its rough handling of a passenger, Pepsi with its ad featuring the reality show actress Kendall Jenner — went viral. We spoke with Professor Henri Weijo, a marketing and consumer behavior expert, to discuss how the companies handled their PR crises and how brands can avoid similar mistakes. Q: How did United Airlines and Pepsi differ in reacting to to their PR blunders? Weijo: United made the classic PR mistake of not apologizing and admitting fault immediately. They took their sweet time in releasing a statement and made matters a lot worse by initially issuing a “We’re looking into the matter” non-apology. To their credit, Pepsi pulled the ad and apologized right away. They also made a smart decision...