Home > PR > Social Media as a Crisis Control Tool – Orbit Baby & Consumer Reports

Social Media as a Crisis Control Tool – Orbit Baby & Consumer Reports

August 26th, 2009
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Take a look at the link below for an example of a great way to manage a potential crisis using social media. Orbit Baby

Orbit Baby video

Full disclosure… we own an Orbit system car seat and base and have been extremely happy with the product. We have not been in an accident – thank God.  But we did receive the initial email that went out to registered owners of the company’s products.

In the past, our limited experience with Orbit customer service has been excellent.

That having been said, the way the company has dealt with a possibly horrific PR situation has been, in my opinion, a wonderful example of the way social media and the Internet can be used to defuse a potential crisis and reassure a customer base.

It is not often that a company can absorb a review by an industry leader like Consumer Reports gracefully while addressing the issues at hand. But I believe that if any company can get through this type of situation, a company with the new media savvy of Orbit Baby will.

As a parent of a toddler who rides in an Orbit seat everyday, after reading the explanation and viewing the video, I feel comfortable that the seat is as safe as they come.

Take a look for yourself and let me know your opinions. How do you think they handled the situation?

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  • dabneyoliver
    Thank you so much for this article. We (Loomis Group) are the PR firm for Orbit Baby and have been infuriated with Consumer Reports handling of the testing.

    Having worked closely with Orbit Baby for some time now - we know and trust them for all the right reasons. They truly care about making a quality product, they care about their customers and they above all care about safety. We have found that they are willing to do whatever it takes to do the right thing and make sure that owners of their products know that their children are secure and well protected.
  • @dabneyoliver - Thanks for the comment.

    Interesting situation. I've actually used Consumer Reports for a number of purchases in the past. And because of that, I understand the power they have in the marketplace. Which brings up the question - given a failed test or tests, how does a company respond?

    I think it's a testament to your group and Orbit Baby that the response was handled so well. And not just the response, but the significant cost that Orbit Baby must have gone to in order to duplicate the tests is impressive.

    Of course, the fact that your group and Orbit Baby knew the channels that would be most effective is what initially interested me. In my opinion, really well done.

  • janicelbrown
    Great article - thanks for posting. From what I can see, nice job at being proactive. I give the CEO an A for being serious, warm, quietly confident, informative, empathetic and reassuring -all very natural, although the smile at the end is a tad forced. He's a very strong spokesperson, and his belief in his product is natural and obvious.

    I liked how they combined hard facts with the strong visual picture of his own children using the product. And encouraged conversation and contact, by providing several ways for concerned parents to interact with the company. And repeating them several times.

    Your article makes me want to know more about how they used social media to find the right influencers and have the right people (customers, influencers) find this video, and what they achieved for results.

    Having handled PR for a number of corporate crises in the past, I think that social media has *huge* potential for companies in getting their stories out and engaging customers and other constituents directly. Conversely, social media enables groups of consumers and others to find each other and self-organize into powerful "lobbies" in ways not possible before. Businesses need to be prepared for this.

    All corporations should update their crisis communications plans to include social media - if they haven't already.
  • @janicelbrown - Thanks for the comment. And you're dead-on. As a parent with a child that rides in one of their seats everyday, the fact that Orbit Baby was as proactive as they were was really comforting and inspired confidence.

    I think your question about influencers is a good one. What I would say is that being able to touch the right influencers in a time of crisis has a lot to do with digging your well before you're thirsty. In other words, as with most things in social media, without real and honest long-term participation, having a respected voice, whether an individual or large corporation, is almost impossible. So being active in the communities in good times, before the challenges hit, is really important.

    This can be a good lesson for many executives that hammer on the "ROI of social media" question. I would ask them this.

    If Orbit Baby avoids what could have been a crisis through their social media participation, is that proof of significant ROI? Seems to me that it is.
  • janicelbrown
    Chris:

    I think crisis avoidance is definite proof of ROI, but I would also be interested in some more specific observations of consumer behavior as the result of this campaign.

    BTW, "dig the well before you are thirsty" is one the tenets of my own communications consulting business (see http://www.janicebrown.com/how.php). Completely agreed of the importance of this, and the transparency and speed of reaction enabled by social media makes cultivating influencers more important than ever.

    Good blog -- keep up the good work.
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