CRISIS CREED: WHY PR EXPERTS ARE WRONG ON ERISCO FOODS CRISIS
By Ishola Ayodele In the tumultuous world of crisis management, where swift and well-judged responses can make the difference between recovery and ruin. Erisco Foods, a titan in the Nigerian tomato paste industry, found itself ensnared in a web of controversy when a Facebook influencer, Chioma Egodi, publicly voiced concerns about their Nagiko Tomato Mix product. What should have been an opportunity for dialogue and resolution quickly spiraled into a case study on how not to handle customer complaints. On October 5, 2023, I had the privilege of addressing the topic, 'TOMATO TALES: Case Studies on Navigating Today's Complex Terrain of Customer Complaints,' in the context of the Erisco Foods Crisis. My perspective, which deviated from the advice of many crisis management experts, posited that Erisco Foods' response couldn't have been different, not due to a lack of awareness of best practices, but because their perspective on the situation was fundamentally diffe...