Written by: Vickie Sullivan | September 10, 2024
Choosing the Right Messenger: Avoiding PR Pitfalls Like Kellogg’s
Earlier this year, Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick caused quite a stir when he went on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street show. The plan was “to talk about his company’s cereal-for-dinner ad campaign amid news reports of the impact of inflation on household food budgets,” according to Ivey Business Journal. Instead, it was a “let them eat cake” type of moment, and people became outraged.
The result was a social media storm and another example that folks on those platforms do not play when they respond to tone-deaf messages.
The breakfast for dinner campaign looked good on paper, positioned as a helpful hack for rising grocery prices. Many folks did this before the promotion, so the idea wasn’t controversial. The real cause of this dumpster fire was the messenger.
Because Pilnick promoted the campaign in a media interview, this benign idea became a lightning rod. Folks frustrated with high food prices and corporate America were outraged that he said it. Instead of seeing the campaign as a helpful life hack, people tore into it and launched even bigger rants.
This event raises a question for heads of smaller businesses. Are you the best messenger for your company’s ideas?
2 Factors to Consider When Selecting a Messenger for Your Company
To help you answer that question, here are two big factors to consider when choosing who to carry the flag:
• The role. Kellogg’s CEO had no place telling others how they could save money at the grocery store. Why? Because the public sees companies like Kellogg as the cause, not the solution. (It’s like praising the arsonist for putting out the fire.)
• The context. I’m sure no one on the PR team considered how Americans view corporate CEOs when they included this question in the interview. The blowback wasn’t about Mr. Pilnick personally; it was about how the message came from a top leader at a multinational conglomerate (in this example, one that is rich and predatory). It is crucial to honestly assess how others perceive your profession before you make yourself the messenger.
Even if Kellogg had an army of grocery-shopping influencers speak before the interview, the CEO would still have made himself a target. So, stay out of the line of fire by being more discerning about the messages you send.
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