CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Prepared by: Natalie Edwards, Nathan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Prepared by: Natalie Edwards, Nathan Hart & Sarah Eman Date: December 12, 2017

INTRODUCTION

• Whole Foods Market Inc. is an American supermarket chain
• Founded in Austin, TX in September 1980 by John Mackey & Mark Stiles
• Serves the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom
• Current parent organization is Amazon.com (June 2017)
• Over 365 stores & 91,000 employees
• Features foods without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners & hydrogenated fats

INTRODUCTION

• Whole Foods was acquired by e-commerce giant Amazon in June 2017
• Increased company expansion & exposure, as well as product availability
• Company purpose = transform the “grocery shopping experience”
• Make grocery shopping something you look forward to
• Provide quality items and unique services to promote physical & mental wellness
• Goal = for their products to improve their customers’ overall quality of life

SITUATION

Although commonly viewed a success, Whole Foods’ brand has been negatively impacted by a few notable missteps relating to food safety over the last few years:

• June 2016 - under fire for violating FDA regulations when a U.S.

food safety inspector warned the company that many infractions were discovered at their Everett, Massachusetts, plant that would result in their food being “contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health.”

• November 2017 - a turkey purchased from one of their stores

tested positive for an FDA prohibited drug that is toxic to humans.

SITUATION

Within the area of food safety, the aforementioned instances & existing prodromes articulate an opportunity for Whole Foods to create a new PR campaign designed to help the company mitigate crisis, as well as promote the brand’s emphasis on food safety.

• Being a food supplier, food safety/contamination is the most common issue they are likely to face
• Must be ready to mitigate & minimize any food safety related crisis at any given time
• Create proactive campaign that aims to generate credibility & goodwill surrounding their food production process

Our crisis communications plan will leverage a new campaign entitled Whole 4 You, which seeks to mitigate any fears or doubts that Whole Foods’ products are unsafe to consume.

• Will show key publics how they identify with, satisfy &

demonstrate the following “pillars” with their business/food products: safety, quality, community, & health.

STRATEGY

Our crisis communications plan involves a proactive strategy that will be handled in three parts:

1 2 3

Crisis management Communicate clearly Minimise fallout Own the issue Offer solution Whole 4 You campaign, 4 “pillars” Food safety accreditation.

Final Stage Evaluation

STRATEGY

Through the promotion of our Whole 4 You program, we will achieve our objectives by leveraging the following areas of opportunity that will help us build traction for our campaign:

• Media trained Whole Foods spokesperson: Walter Robb (CEO)
• Media Contacts: Local & national news media outlets, websites & newspapers (NBC, ABC, FOX,

Houston Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, NY Times, Washington Post)

• Will reach out to our trusted media contacts to: publicize the launch of our Whole 4 You campaign,
• rganize interviews & cooking tutorials, inform the public about any in-store/offsite events we

will be hosting, update stakeholders with any important info we may have

MEDIA RELATIONS

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

STRATEGY

THIRD-PARTY ENDORSEMENTS

SOCIAL CAMPAIGN

• Align with the FDA, NSF

International & American Cheese Society to promote

• ur food safety accreditation
• Social media plan will be

created & will incorporate a viral video series and posts used to engage/inform users

• Engage with local health
• rganizations & health clubs

nearby Whole Foods locations in major cities across the U.S. - introduce/push our food safety initiative + freebies

STRATEGY

SPECIAL EVENTS CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

• Have community

members/customers serve as brand advocates for the campaign

• Build trust with current &

prospective customers by asking their opinions (in-store and online) in order to help better their

• perations/product options
• Leverage Whole Foods

employees as brand ambassadors for the company’s food safety initiative; feature employees & their testimonials in campaign content (videos, ads, media interviews, & social)

• Frequent, fun & interactive

in-store & off site promotional activities will be implemented within the community to appeal to current & prospective shoppers

GENERAL CAMPAIGN GOALS

The Whole Foods team set both general goals and measurable objectives that we aim to accomplish through our new, 6-month long Whole 4 You campaign. Each goal will be evaluated at the conclusion of the campaign.

• To mitigate crisis as quickly & efficiently as possible in regards to any food safety or

contamination issue that arises

• To regain control of the situation and conversation as timely as possible
• Minimize negative perceptions amongst key publics & stakeholders
• Generate content that contributes to positive perceptions of the brand in response to crisis
• Obtain NSF International accreditation to build trust
• To establish brand ambassador relationships

MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES (SMART)

• To generate awareness for our Whole 4 You campaign amongst our target audience & key publics by 50% by July of 2018
• To increase the brand’s Net Promoter Score (level of customer satisfaction & positive acceptance) by 2 points after

experiencing crisis by July 2018

• To increase in-store purchases by 10% by July 2018
• To increase sales (in-store or online through Amazon) by 8% by July 2018
• To establish a minimum of 5 ambassador relationships by March 2018
• To generate awareness amongst people living within 5 miles of a Whole Foods Market by 60% by July of 2018
• To increase Whole Foods’ social media following by 10% by July 2018 (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube)
• To generate website traffic (new Amazon landing page) by 5% by July 2018

AUDIENCE

Whole 4 You’s target audience includes:

• Whole Foods shoppers
• Prospective Whole Foods shoppers
• Whole Foods employees
• Amazon consumers
• Community members
• Food & Drug Administration
• Shoppers concerned about health

Whole Foods’ primary key publics & stakeholders:

• Whole Foods Market organization (365

stores & 85,000 team members)

• Current Whole Foods shoppers
• Prospective Whole Foods shoppers
• Whole Foods employees
• Amazon consumers
• Community members
• Food & Drug Administration
• Shoppers concerned about their health

AUDIENCE

TACTICS

The following tactics will be implemented to reinforce our strategies & to promote Whole 4 You & its 4 pillars: safety, quality, health, & community.

• These action steps will be used to generate goodwill for the

brand surrounding the issue of food safety, as well as create an impact amongst our key publics.

• In terms of the “voice” for our campaign, we will have

multiple spokespeople serving as brand advocates: key public figures/celebrities, community members, customers, & Whole Foods employees.

• Our CEO, Walter Robb, is the brand’s official spokesperson,

but only for media relations purposes.

TACTICS

THIRD PARTY ENDORSEMENTS

• Promote Whole Foods’ food safety accreditation from the NSF International, FDA, and the

American Cheese Society ○ In-store - have stickers on products and signs/posters promoting the accreditation ○ Feature a food safety accreditation logo on all promotional materials ○ Create a video explaining the accreditation & how it impacts the brand & customers

TACTICS

Social Campaign

• Create a viral video series featuring brand ambassadors - will show them

interacting with the brand (in their own unique way), preparing fresh meals (tutorials), & explaining the brand’s emphasis on food safety ■ Diverse, creative & likeable group of celebrity ambassadors

• Each video will emphasize a different “pillar” - will demonstrate the brand

abiding by & supporting: safety, quality, health, & community

• The videos will be displayed on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram &

YouTube) & will also serve as content for the website, internet radio, & :30 second TV commercials

• Create Snapchat account & utilize the “Story” option - pre-made videos + live

BRAND AMBASSADORS

AYESHA CURRY

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

KRISTEN BELL DEMI LOVATO JESSICA ALBA

BUDDY VALASTRO

TACTICS

CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT

• Feature local ambassadors in our video series (recruit them from social media)
• They will explain what food safety means to them & will show them using Whole Foods’

products (fun cooking tutorials & informational videos)

• Will make Whole 4 You appear more interesting, personable & relatable
• Build trust with current & prospective customers by asking their opinions via in-store and online

surveys to help better the brand’s operations & product options

BRAND AMBASSADORS

STAY AT HOME MOMS

FOOD BLOGGERS

WORKERS

HEALTH CONSCIOUS

ASPIRING CHEFS

SOCIAL BLOGGERS

TACTICS

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

• Creative videos featuring Whole Foods employees

serving as brand ambassadors

• Will include employees working “behind the

scenes” & working in-store

• Show where Whole Foods’ food comes from, how

it is processed, & put on shelves

• Explain why they love working for Whole Foods &

what Whole 4 You means to them

• Utilize employee testimonials for social media posts &

Facebook Live footage - guarantee that all food products are safe, fresh, and abide by health standards

TACTICS

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

• Host Whole 4 You farmers markets during the warmer

months & feature fresh Whole Foods items

• Nearby local stores, college campuses, fitness

centers, and at local sporting events

• Offer coupons to local businesses & vendors - encourage

them to eat healthier foods

• Create video & photo content promoting their community

“pillar” - explain how Whole Foods impacts the community by providing the safest & healthiest products in the country

TACTICS

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Host special events, cooking lessons, & food safety courses in-store (once per week)
• Whole 4 You Summer Kick-Off Event - food festival bringing the community together
• Whole Foods will host an event where vendors will create their own unique recipes & organic

dishes to share with everyone (Whole Foods products used to make the food)

• Will appeal to foodies, health enthusiasts & Whole Foods loyalists
• Will take place on May 27th in major U.S. cities (Chicago, Houston, LA, & NY)

TACTICS

MEDIA RELATIONS

• Schedule for interviews & cooking tutorials to take

place on local & national news networks

• Have brand ambassadors appear in these TV

programs (celebrities & locals)

• Contact specific magazines - Food Network, Eating

Well, Bon Appetit - to have an article featured on Whole Foods’ Whole 4 You initiative

TACTICS

ADVERTISING & PROMOTION

• Use Amazon’s channels to promote campaign on their website and social media platforms
• User can receive an Amazon or Whole Foods coupon for making a purchase online
• Linked to Amazon.com, build a landing page specifically for Whole 4 You to reach Amazon users
• Place banner & interstitial ads on both Amazon.com and WholeFoods.com
• Whole 4 You referral program - receive a coupon when you tell a friend about our campaign, share via

email or on social media (will help spread awareness about our food safety initiative)

• Paid & sponsored social media ads (print & video) will be utilized for Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram
• TV commercials, radio, posters, billboards, newspapers, email (advertise heavily in major U.S. cities)

CALENDAR & TIMETABLE

• Campaign will last six months
• Promote Whole 4 You
• Designed to engage current shoppers & prospects

BUDGET

• Current marketing & PR budget

is an estimated = $100 million (Statista).

• Budget for Whole 4 You =

$10 million

• Campaign’s grand total =

$9,497,000.00

MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION

After the 6-month campaign concludes, the success of Whole 4 You will be evaluated the following month (July 2018).

Evaluation of our Objectives

• Establish awareness and attitudes basemark through survey
• Re-conduct survey at the end of campaign
• Calculate NPS scores on behalf of the brand’s image (customer satisfaction)
• Measure amount of sales generated as a result of the campaign
• Measure amount of in-store purchases made within 6-month period
• Measure amount of brand ambassador relationships established

MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION

Evaluation of our Tactics

• Whole Foods website metrics - hits, unique visitors, time on page & bounce rate
• Amazon’s Whole Foods landing page - impressions, unique visitors, time on page & purchases
• Social media metrics - follows, likes, shares, comments, video impressions & tone of messages
• Advertising metrics - amount of impressions, reach, frequency, engagement & conversions
• Special events - amount of event attendees & participants
• Conduct a media analysis and check for tone, prominence and key messages
• Conduct phone survey in areas that our farmer markets were held to measure awareness and

customer attitudes

THANK YOU.

QUESTIONS?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen, Kevin. “Whole Foods under Fire from FDA for 'Serious Violations'.” Ragan's PR Daily, Ragan Communications, Inc., 17 June 2016. Fish, Genevieve. “8 Little-Known Facts About Whole Foods.” MyDomaine, MyDomaine, 16 Mar. 2016, www.mydomaine.com/whole-foods-surprising-facts. “Our Core Values.” Whole Foods Market, Whole Foods Market IP, 2017, www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/core-values. Paul, Katherine. “Turkey Sold by Whole Foods Tested Positive for FDA-Prohibited Drug That's Toxic to Humans.” Alternet, 17 Nov. 2017. “Whole Foods Market.” Whole Foods Market | America's Healthiest Grocery Store, www.wholefoodsmarket.com/. “Whole Foods Market Ad Spend Worldwide 2016.” Statista, 2017, www.statista.com/statistics/491449/whole-foods-market-ad-spend-worldwide/. “Whole Foods Shopper Insights and Demographics.” InfoScout, 2015, infoscout.co/retailer/whole_foods.