Marijuana Business Magazine - April 2018

Outline Your Game Plan A recall plan should clearly outline a chain of command “in which relevant members of the C-Suite, lawyers and members of the risk management and communications departments are made aware of the situation,” said Aubrey Gordon, president of Sprocket Com- munications, a Denver public relations and social media company. “Each person should have a defined role and a ‘tier’ when it comes to reviewing drafts of statements and media releases related to the crisis – which ensures that external com- munication properly reflects how the company wants to respond.” Before a recall occurs, marijuana business owners must be prepared to answer questions posed by reporters, public relation experts agreed. “Media training is definitely a staple with our agency, and when it comes to crisis situations – it’s a must,” Gor- don said. “It’s always helpful to talk through would-be questions from media in advance – even better when we can videotape a mock Q&A and the spokesperson can hear themselves answering those questions.” She added that well before a real crisis occurs, a company’s designated spokesperson – whether it’s the CEO, the head of marketing or the risk manager – should sit down with the PR team to practice answers and review tough questions. “It’s a good time to practice body language as well,” Gordon noted. Vasquez even suggested releasing a video response from the CEO follow- ing a recall.The video could include a simple and straightforward example of what happened, an apology and a brief description of steps taken to address the situation. “This is certainly more personable and has much more meaning than just words on a page,” she said. What to Say After a Recall Gordon said following a recall, a com- pany should: • Issue a statement that acknowledges the situation. • Emphasize its commitment to adhering to local and state rules and regulations. • Reaffirm its commitment to the safety and satisfaction of its customers. “Once the situation is fully assessed, you can look at giving more spe- cific details, such as percentages and numbers,” Gordon said, referring to the amount of products covered by the recall. “However, those numbers should be presented as facts and not as subjec- tive commentary. It’s important that the company sticks to the facts and leans into transparency.” Freese said once items have been recalled, it is important to gather as much specific data as quickly as pos- sible.That includes the items being recalled, product tracking codes or batch numbers, and why the recall was necessary. For example, the problem could have originated from a supplier, a lab, an extractor or an edible maker’s kitchen. Also, consumers need to be told where they can make returns, how they can be reimbursed, or if they can exchange the tainted product for something else. What Not to Say “It’s important to stick to the facts and not go off on tangents,”Vasquez said. “Speculation and conjecture are rampant on the internet and on social media. We want the media and the public to hear it from the company’s executive’s mouth directly and use this as the primary source of information.” EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recalls of marijuana products do happen. And the number of recalls is likely to escalate. With that in mind, it is more important than ever to have a recall plan ready to address such a situation. Here are ways to prepare and respond: • Even though you can’t prepare for a specific incident, make sure key players like executives, lawyers and public relations specialists understand their roles. • Media training is crucial. Executives need to know how to answer tough questions from the press. • Be straightforward as far as the cause of the recall, your response and efforts to make sure it doesn’t happen again. • Don’t go off on tangents. Your most important role is to ensure public safety. Your second goal is to limit the financial damage to your company. From left: Aubrey Gordon is the president of Sprocket Communications in Denver. Karen Freese is principal of Freese Branding + Consultancy in San Francisco. Janet Vasquez is principal of JV Public Relations in New York. 64 • Marijuana Business Magazine • April 2018