Shen Zhiyong: Talking about the crisis PR of health products enterprise from Spirulina lead

With the development of China's economy, the growth of residents ' income, the quickening of the pace of life and the advent of the aging society, the consumption of health products is becoming more and more popular, from the past optional consumer goods to the necessary consumer goods, China's health care products market development into the fast lane. Relevant data show that 2009 China's health care products market in the 13.4 billion U.S. dollar market scale ranked second in the world, the annual composite rate reached 31%, the future is expected to replace the United States as the largest single market. However, because the industry standards and norms are not sound, the industry is mixed and some enterprises are quick to profit, the publicity is not standardized and other issues, making the health care products industry market reputation, public relations crisis frequently, this undoubtedly to a large extent restricts the healthy and rapid development of China's health care products industry.

With the development of media platforms such as Weibo, media and public opinion are becoming more and more complex, and the crisis PR of enterprises has become more and more normal and public. For health care companies, because of the high sensitivity of food and drug itself, learning how to prevent and respond to public relations crisis is particularly urgent. The author thinks, the health care product enterprise crisis public relations key lies in the following three aspects: promotes the consummation industry standard to evade the profession systematic risk, the standard management, avoids exaggerates the propaganda, the precaution, strengthens the crisis public relations response.

Promoting the improvement of industry standards and avoiding systemic risks

With the rapid development of health industry, there exist some outstanding problems such as the lag of standard of laws and regulations, the lack of standard in some links and the construction of the credit system. The biggest sticking point of the Spirulina incident is also due to the lack of clarity in the standard limits of lead, resulting in chaotic public opinion and a large number of enterprises into crisis. Although the state Food and Drug Administration has finally confirmed the "algae as the only raw material supplemented by a small number of accessories," the product, its lead index limit is 2.0mg/kg, the product that does not take algae as the sole raw material group side, its lead index limit is 0.5mg/kg "standard, make many enterprise's product become" qualified product ". But the damage done to the business has become a reality, and the potential damage to corporate branding and consumer confidence is greater.

In this case, because the standard problem, the enterprise is in fact very weak and passive status, I believe that, if the standard is clear, many enterprises are fully capable of producing products in line with the standard, which is also the protection of excellent enterprises. The author thinks that, through the Spirulina event, Spirulina production enterprises and even health products industry should actively unite to promote government departments to speed up the pace of industry standards, which is to avoid the health care industry systemic risk of an important link.

Standardize business and avoid exaggerating publicity

Mention of health care products, few people do not know the Giants, three plants, the dragon and other enterprises, these enterprises rely on radical advertising and dazzling publicity means to become the star enterprise of that era, but are difficult to escape the doom of the short-lived, in the financial writer Wu Xiaobo that the famous business failure of the "Big Lost" book, These companies have been selected. These enterprises, as the Enlightenment of China's health care products market, show the great potential of health care products market, but also because of their radical business model and out of fact propaganda damage the market reputation of health products.

In recent years, the market regulatory system gradually improved, supervision and supervision of the strength of the increasingly stringent, health care products have entered a virtuous cycle, the development trend from advertising marketing to the brand management, but the health products and products, academics phenomenon still exist, exaggerated product features, The phenomenon of false propaganda has also been criticized by the media and consumers. This not only does not affect the reputation of health care products market, but also for the outbreak of the crisis buried hidden dangers.

April 10, the state Food and Drug Administration issued a letter that will "carry out comprehensive management of health food, emphasis on strict word, heavy chaos." "The strengthening of supervision, for the rapid development of China's health care industry is undoubtedly positive news."

Prepare for a rainy day and strengthen public relations crisis

The causes of the crisis are manifold, besides avoiding systemic risks and standardizing their own operation, enterprises need to strengthen the consciousness of crisis management and prepare for the prevention and response of public relations crisis. If the day-to-day operation of the crisis to strengthen public awareness, through professional training, the establishment of crisis public relations of the early warning and response system, so even if there is a crisis can calmly deal with. But in the final analysis, enterprises still have to standardize their own business behavior, first of all to ensure that there is no mishap, and then do a crisis warning, no crisis is the highest state of crisis management.

Enterprises should have a correct understanding of the crisis. There is an old saying in China, "the skeleton Can not be published", this also reflects a lot of enterprises to deal with public relations crisis mentality, usually do not face negative reports, can shield on the screen, always want to focus on the net, and give up the opportunity to improve their own by negative reporting. Good companies should be able to learn from the negative and make timely adjustments to avoid a bigger crisis.

The following principles should be grasped in the process of public relations crisis: 1, the first time to grasp the truth, and the initial judgment of the incident; 2, the first time to issue a declaration, to show the attitude and the specific solution to the problem, can not hesitate and delay, lest lose the right to speak; 3. Concerned about the interests of consumers, to dare to assume responsibility, To cooperate with the public and the media rather than against the opposition; 4, actively cooperate with the government authorities, comply with the official findings of the investigation; 5, the establishment of a unified information export, the need to accurately convey information; 6, based on facts, but to talk about feelings, to have humanistic care.

Here are a few points to note: First of all, in the face of crisis enterprises to actively respond to, can not choose to silence or avoidance, the result is that enterprises will lose the right to speak in the public opinion is in a very disadvantageous position; second, the crisis is often a variety of "rumors" or unconfirmed rumors, if the media reports are not rigorous, Rumors often lead to confusion in public opinion. The best way to deal with rumors is to "open" and draw on "The judgment of the authoritative third party"; Thirdly, in the process of coping with the crisis, enterprises should not only communicate at the fact level, but also communicate with each other at the emotional level, and the communication that concerns and respects the interests of the stakeholders and the emotional demands is the most effective. (The writer is a senior public relations consultant in Shen Zhiyong, CEO of Beijing Andy Wise Trust PR Consulting Co., Ltd.)

Spirulina lead Excess health care products crisis PR Shen Zhiyong