“They’re grrreat!” – Tony the Tiger
After reading that, is anyone else feeling nostalgic?
Frosted Flakes may be great, but Kellogg’s response to recent backlash is anything but great. Let’s rewind for a minute.
A few weeks ago, Gary Pilnick, CEO of WK Kellogg Co, sparked controversy with his comments during an interview with CNBC. Pilnick interviewed outside the Boca Raton Resort, where rooms typically cost more than $600 a night.
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable, and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure,” said Pilnick.
The backlash was swift, with calls for boycotts and widespread criticism across Kellogg's social media platforms, including Gary's LinkedIn. Comments continue to trickle in, and they are facing a reputational crisis. There is a lot of chatter about what they should do next.
Kellogg's has since gone silent. I have not been able to find any apology, clarification, or explanation from the company on its website, social media, or anywhere else. Every article I can find mentions Kellogg's declining to comment.
In the face of widespread criticism and calls for a boycott, many (like me) wonder about Kellogg's communications strategy. Is the CEO rejecting the counsel of his communications team? Are they staying silent intentionally? Inquiring minds would love to know, but in my opinion, Kellogg's failure to tackle the situation head-on—or at all—is a misplay.
Kellogg's isn't beating down my door for advice, but if I were advising Pilnick, I would have advised and worked with him to respond to the uproar within 24 hours with, at minimum, a written statement. The statement must be empathetic and understand that consumers face inflation, shrinkflation, increasing prices, mass layoffs, and more. Most of all, though, they need to say anything rather than go quiet.
In a crisis, you need to control the message, or it will control you. Unfortunately, Kellogg's seems to be letting the message go uncontrolled without a response. Also, their reputation is being defined for them.
Silence is not golden, and it's certainly not grrreat. It's a recipe for disaster.
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