I’ve been disappointed with the PR response from Menu Foods Income Fund, manufacturers of the poisoned pet food that has sickened and killed a number of dogs and cats in the United States. I understand this issue was remarkably complicated, as the company makes pet food for over 90 companies. However, when things are this bad, you’ve gotta act fast:
Menu Foods received its first consumer complaint about the food on Feb. 20. Sometime between Feb. 23 and Feb. 27, the company started a taste test, which killed nine of 25 cats. Subsequently, the company learned of three other cats and one dog that had died after eating its food.
It wasn’t until March 16 that the company alerted the public. A week later, the company’s CEO, through a news conference, communicated with the public.
A month is far too long to wait after your own tests confirm your product is killing pets. Second, a crisis of this scale demands a team of skilled professionals working to get information out and answer media calls until the situation is rectified. In contrast, Menu Foods only had one full-time PR person who was authorized to field calls from the media. It would have been far better to hire a qualified agency as soon as they realized the scope of the problem.
Why do I suspect Menu Foods had an ill-conceived, untested plan if they had one at all?
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