Given the right guidance, Norfolk turkey producer Bernard Matthews – currently ranked as the UK’s 12th biggest food brand, with 2006 sales being worth between 300 -305 million pounds, (Source: TNS World Panel w/e/ April 2006) can save and enhance their brand reputation in the competitive poultry market. (The latest published figures for frozen poultry alone estimates its market value at approximately £359 million – figures: The Marketing Pocketbook 2007).The Bernard Matthews case is unique. Firstly apart from a single swan, it is the first outbreak of avian flu in the UK). Also, unlike other recent food scares, such as the Perrier Water case of February 1990, when the company globally recalled 160 million bottles of water because of carcinogen benzene contamination caused by a dirty faulty filter, removing products from the shelves for twelve weeks, at this stage it appears that the Bernard Matthews case involves unpreventable natural causes – namely the H5N1 avian flu virus. The other key aspect is that unless people have been in very close contact with infected birds, the virus only effects other birds.Top ten brand crises prevention measuresFrom a brand vindication point of view, Bernard Matthews needs to follow the following ten steps when handling the crises1. Be frank in relations with the press and public, keeping all available key facts on hand.2. Put the consumers’ interest first – acting promptly and responsibly, being accessible to answer all questions -probably via a website.3. Remain coherent in its message, centralising all press and media coverage.4. Understand the emotional affects of worries about any outbreak for both employees working at the factory and of course consumers, such as parents with children or the elderly.5. Offer the media responsible access, background information and progress reports.6. Stick to facts rather than what may be interpreted as marketing hype.7. Act responsibly and carefully.8. Liaise and publicly speaking jointly with authorities such as local councils and DEFRA.9. Offer access to the highest person at Board level to the media. Also ensuring that statements concentrate on the welfare and safety of consumers and employees before any consideration of profit.10. Immediately destroy any birds that could be carrying the virus – however remote the chance of contamination.Above all, the company and all involved in the food chain including growers, suppliers of raw ingredients, packaging, storage and distribution, must be seen to be honest and responsible. If Bernard Matthews follows the ten-point plan, given time, the brand will survive – especially if all future packaging features some kind of reference to any additional quality control checks implemented since the outbreak.Classic brand crisesBrand Forensic research points to other classic brand crises cases. Renowned examples include:The BSE beef outbreak of 1990. This prolonged crises cost the industry an estimated £4bn and resulted in a two and half year ban. One of the worst public relations disasters in modern food industry memory, it wasn’t helped by the then Conservative Agriculture Minister calling a photo-shoot of him tucking into a burger with his four-year old daughter in midst of the ‘mad cow’ scare.The salmonella scandalThe egg market cracked when in the 1980s Edwina Currie, the Health Secretary suggested that most British eggs were contaminated with salmonella. A combination of official measures and a celebrity TV chef eventually settled the crisis. The British Egg Council introduced chicken ‘passports’ health certificates against the bacteria and Delia Smith spent three primetime slots on TV revealing the many ways to serve eggs – resulting in sales increasing by some 54 million eggs.Cadbury chocolatesIn June 2006 more than a million chocolate bars from seven of their brand portfolio were removed from shelves after being suspected of being contaminated with salmonella via a leaking pipe at their Herefordshire plant. The outbreak cost the company £20 million as well as causing damage to their reputation. Initially Cadbury’s withdrew its £10 million sponsorship of the popular TV soap, ‘Coronation Street’. (It would have looked ridiculous to have branding messages about chocolate treats going out at prime time when everyone was discussing whether or not a tummy ache was caused by a Cadbury’s bar).

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