It can be incredibly difficult as a business to publicly admit that you made a misstep.
Savvy executives and communicators know the importance of making a timely mea culpa statement that demonstrates ownership and empathy, and clearly outlines steps being taken to support impacted consumers and stakeholders.
Less savvy leaders may fumble an apology, trying to minimize involvement or shirk responsibility. Let me tell you that this almost always results in a major backfire and all-around Not Good Look.
Here’s an example of how a backwards apology landed a well-known brand in even hotter water. Zara, a wildly popular global fast-fashion brand based in Spain, has been long-lauded for its on-trend, affordable clothing lines. But while going against the grain has proven successful when it comes to Zara’s clothing designs, the same can’t be said for one of its late 2023 advertising campaigns … to say nothing of the bungled apology that soon followed.
The shocking campaign featured white cloth-wrapped mannequins posed amongst what appeared to be rubble, and was prominently promoted at the same time eerily similar images of the war in Gaza were first being splashed across our screens. Instead of immediately pulling the campaign, which was criticized as making a mockery of war and the traditional way for dressing the deceased in Muslim culture, Zara kept running it, until public outcry got the better of them.
They then issued a half-hearted apology that seemed to say the problem lay with the consumers’ reactions to the unsavory advertisement, rather than the international clothing giant’s series of tone-deaf decisions around the campaign: “Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images … and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created.”
And, what do you know? This statement caused even further backlash, with consumers expressing that they felt gaslit by the company and that it was clear Zara’s values were misaligned with those of its customers. Calls to #boycottzara soon followed, and the company has stayed mum on the whole thing since, despite seeing its brand sentiments plummet to a 76.4% negative value in the aftermath of the crisis. Not a good look at all for a brand once envied for its fierce customer loyalty and allegiance.
This was a preventable crisis – one that has no strategic value and could have been avoided. If you find yourself in this position …. apologize, fix the problem, and assure the public it will not happen again. Remember: a ham-handed apology has the potential of only amplifying your crisis and causing more reputational damage.
Here is a quick exercise you can run at your next team huddle or monthly all-hands meeting, to help test if your organization is prepared to manage a crisis like this should it land on your doorstep:
Discussion Questions:
- How would you handle this situation if it happened to you?
- How would your apology statement differ from Zara’s?
- What would you do to restore consumer trust and loyalty after such a public outcry?
- What would you do to prevent a future crisis arising from advertising campaigns?
Bonus question: if you are a global company, does your approach differ by region? How so?
Kith facilitates crisis preparedness workshops that will help your company attain the clarity, trust and speed you need to respond confidently – no dithering! – to any crisis. We’d be happy to have a conversation about how we can help your company be ready to chart an effective course to reputation protection.
