Mitsubishi PH: 'There is no defect in our Montero Sport'

by Dinzo Tabamo - Dec 1, 2015

In a press conference held in Mandaluyong today, Mitsubishi Motors

Philippines gave its statement on the accusations hounding its cash cow, the
Montero Sport midsize SUV.
There was a long presentation where MMPC identified possible causes of "sudden
unintended acceleration":
1. Pedal impediment - When an object (like a floor mat, for instance) jams one or
more pedals, preventing normal operation;
2. Pedal misapplication - When the driver unconsciously steps on the gas pedal
when he or she really means to step on the brakes;
3. Sticky gas pedal - When the throttle pedal exhibits a tendency to get stuck due
to dirt or oil build-up in the throttle body; and
4. Mechanical or electronic failure - When the fuel injectors (mechanical) or ECU
(electronic) feeds more fuel to the engine than is needed.
Note that all of these items are problems not specific to the Montero Sport; any car
can suffer from any of these. With the fourth item (mechanical or electronic failure),
Mitsubishi said that if this were the case with a Montero Sport afflicted with SUA,

that unit would exhibit the problem every single time the driver turned on the
engine--and not just rarely or whenever the unit felt like it.
Mitsubishi studied whether any of the above factors could happen to its vehicles,
and laid out what it had done and was doing to address the complainants. In the
end, MMPC reiterated that its Montero Sport model does not have design and
manufacturing defects that could cause unintended acceleration.
MMPC first vice president Froilan Dytianquin was one of the company executives
present at the presscon, and he gave a statement on the issue: "Sudden unintended
acceleration is not possible on the Montero Sport from a technical viewpoint.
There are safety check systems in the Montero Sport's electronics which will
eventually allow it to go on safe mode in case sensors fail. Today, you may have
noticed that we published another statement acknowledging our support and
cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industrys initiative to investigate
this issue. We are also open to any third-party technical diagnosis just to show our
confidence in our vehicles.
In his presentation, one of the slides Dytianquin presented was the now-famous
video aired by ABS-CBN, and shown in its entirety on our Facebook page. As with
our own observation, the Mitsubishi executive pointed out that the Montero Sport in
the clip worked perfectly fine.
MMPC added that this is not the first time this unfounded issue has been brought
up, but the company still takes each incident seriously. And it has arrived at the
same conclusion every time: There is no design defect--mechanical nor electronic-in its product.
A DTI hearing has been set, which MMPC will attend. The carmaker promised to
share the findings from this investigation, and would like to assure customers that
the Montero Sport is completely safe and reliable, and has no sudden unintended
acceleration issues.
For those who currently own a Montero Sport, MMPC is offering a free check-up at
any of its service centers. There, its personnel will also reorient owners on the best
and safest way of operating the popular SUV.
So there you have it. Well give you updates on any future developments on this
matter. In the meantime, we hope this gives a measure of reassurance to those
who currently drive a Montero Sport.
Photos by Dinzo Tabamo

http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/industry-news/mitsubishi-ph-there-is-no-defect-inour-montero-sport
DTI expert witness gets ridiculed on social media, explains his statement
6 days ago

Yesterday, the Department of Trade and Industry conducted a hearing

commencing its investigation of the complaints filed against the Mitsubishi

Montero Sport, which is being accused of having a tendency to exhibit "sudden

unintended acceleration."
An "expert witness" of the DTI--one Engineer Araga--has since gone viral on social
media after saying that frequent car-washing could have ill effects on the
Montero Sport. His statement was tweeted by ABS-CBN and DZMM reporter Alvin
Elchico, and screenshots of said tweet have been passed around by netizens.
On our own post on our Facebook page, Danny Araga wrote the following comment
(in italics and unedited) to explain his statement:
To all bashers, Mitsubishi Philippines presented that most SUA incident only
happened here in our country. No other country except Russia had a single incident.
What I was referring to was probably our "culture" how we take care our cars.
Actually, I gave carwashing as a cause "probably" because no other country that
were presented and I have also once visited are more attached to their cars and the
number of carwash stations around compared to others. Note that I have also
referred to flooding incident that have occurred in the past. As an engineer there
were no part in the presentation of MMPC that looked on external factors that might
caused this SUA incident. The discussion circled on the ECU problem which they
said have not indicated any fault, all 97 units. Thinking out of the box, water can
cause corrossion and electronic fault. I even pointed that MMPC can also looked on
the materials used. Note that one car company admitted that the installed
accelerator pedal mechanism caused the SUA due to their poor material selection. I
hope everybody would also consider that the car might also have weather proofing
issues that was not at all considered, car wash methodology using pressure
washers can cause this SUA incident.
Okay. We hope you're less confused now.
http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/industry-news/dti-expert-witness-gets-ridiculed-onsocial-media-explains-his-statement

The DTI hearing on the Mitsubishi Montero Sport case in 39 tweets

6 days ago

So yesterday, the Department of Trade and Industry held a hearing to address

the complaints lodged against the Mitsubishi Montero Sport--specifically regarding
the SUV's purported "sudden unintended acceleration," or its alleged tendency to
launch itself without human intervention.
The photo you see above was sent to us by a reader, informing us that we were
supposed to take part in the session. For the record, we didn't get any invitation-electronic, print or otherwise--from DTI. Fortunately, a reporter of ABS-CBN and
DZMM named Alvin Elchico attended the hearing and diligently tweeted the salient
points of the proceedings, and we'd like to share his tweets with you.
Presided over by DTI Undersecretary Victorio Mario Dimagiba, the hearing was
attended by several complainants (including "JR" from the now-infamous SUA video)
and their spokesperson, Atty. Charlie Tumaru. Also in attendance were executives
from Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, and representatives from the Department of
Science and Technology, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority,
Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers, and UP College of Engineering.
Assuming Elchico's tweets are accurate, we can see that the hearing was pretty
amusing--featuring one engineer who suggested that frequent car-washing could
have adverse effects on the Montero Sport. We'll just let you read the tweets and
decide for yourself.

Top photo from Raymond Per; Twitter screenshots from Alvin Elchico
http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/industry-news/the-dti-hearing-on-the-mitsubishimontero-sport-case-in-39-tweets

A guy compares the pedals of his Montero Sport and Fortuner, and finds
this

by Vernon B. Sarne - 2 days ago

The Philippine automotive industry has been rocked the past couple of weeks by the
"sudden unintended acceleration" charges filed against the Mitsubishi Montero
Sport--allegations that have been around for years, but for some reason have come
back with unprecedented media attention just as Mitsubishi Motors Philippines is
preparing to launch the all-new model of the best-selling midsize SUV.
And now, the motoring world is divided: One group (which includes us, for the
record) believes SUA doesn't exist, while another group (obviously including the
accusers or so-called "victims") insists that SUA exists and that the Montero Sport is
afflicted with it.
The funny thing is that many people who chime in on social media haven't even
been inside a Montero Sport, let alone driven one. And many are simply
sympathizing with the "victims," maintaining that it's always right to side with the
consumers instead of the big corporation.
But one Montero Sport owner named Allan Agati sent us an e-mail to contribute his
two cents. Instead of just carelessly posting comments on social media, he went out
and actually conducted his own little "research." You see, Allan happens to also own
a Toyota Fortuner--the Montero Sport's direct rival--and he set out to compare the
pedal layouts of the two. Here is his full message (in italics):
Dear Mr. Sarne, thank you for your article on the Montero Sport and its alleged
tendency to exhibit unintended acceleration. As a Montero Sport owner, I'm
seriously concerned about the issue. I am inclined to agree that driver input has a
lot to do with the accidents. Of course, I'd also like to be sure. I'm not an automobile
expert and will not pretend to be one. I'm not sure if this e-mail will even make
sense to you, but I'll send it your way anyway.
I got a link from another forum about a video on left-foot braking, and how driver
habits have a tendency to misapply pedals by basically swinging their right foot,
causing the unintended acceleration. I'll admit to being guilty of this, but more so
with my Montero Sport. I also have a Fortuner but have always favored driving the
Montero Sport precisely because of the ease of switching pedals, not to mention
the better suspension.
So I went and compared the pedals on my Montero Sport and Fortuner, and this is
what I noticed:

As you can see, the Montero Sports brake pedal is almost level with the gas
pedal. This makes for ease of pedal-shifting, but brings you closer to unintended
acceleration as there's a greater tendency for ones foot to step on both the brake
and the gas, or to slip and step squarely on the accelerator and not the brake.
The Fortuners brake pedal, on the other hand, is far more elevated compared to
the accelerator. So when I drive it and need to step on the brakes, I actually have to

pull my foot and leg back a little to place it squarely on the brake pedal. I can't just
swing my right foot from the gas to the brake like I usually do with the Montero
Sport.
Could this be why the Montero Sport is more prone to unintended acceleration?
Again, I'm not an automobile expert. My Montero Sports pedals could even be nonspec now for all I know (it's a 2012 model, while the Fortuner is 2015). But I'm
sending you this e-mail anyway in the hopes it could help somehow.
http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/motoring-news/a-guy-compares-the-pedals-of-hismontero-sport-and-fortuner-and-finds-this
Lady owner also points at Montero Sport's shifter panel as having design
flaw

by Vernon B. Sarne - A day ago

Earlier today, we published the letter of a Mitsubishi Montero Sport owner, who
had diligently compared the pedal layout of said SUV with that of its rival, the
Toyota Fortuner. In a nutshell, the guy said that the pedal layout of the Montero

Sport could be a factor in pedal misapplication, which results in what some people
believe to be "sudden unintended acceleration."
What the letter-sender was saying, in other words, is that, yes, the incidents are
likely caused by driver error, but that the Montero Sport has a design flaw (the pedal
layout, that is) that contributes to this error.
Well, another Montero Sport owner sent us a message after the publication of the
above-mentioned letter. This time, however, Kris Lee would like to focus on the
shifter panel, which she thinks has a less-than-ideal layout design. Here is her
message (in italics):
Hi, Top Gear. I saw your article featuring the difference between the pedals of the
Montero Sport and the Fortuner, but I think you must also write about the shifter
panel of the Montero Sport. I want to point out that in the Montero Sport, the driver
can quickly shift gears without stepping on the brakes. That's why there's a warning
sticker that reminds the driver to "always depress the brake pedal when shifting the
selector lever into a gear."

If we may add, the Montero Sport's shifter panel has a straight layout, as opposed
to the Fortuner's gate-type design. This means the selector lever can accidentally
be moved with one unconscious nudge--something that won't happen with a gated
AT shifter.

http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/motoring-news/lady-owner-also-points-at-monterosport-s-shifter-panel-as-having-design-flaw
Montero Sport owner organizing fun run in support of SUV

by Vernon B. Sarne - A day ago

Everywhere we go these days, we hear this sentiment from different executives

around the local car industry: "We don't want to be in the shoes of Mitsubishi
Motors Philippines right now." That's because the company's best-selling vehicle,
the Montero Sport, is currently in the middle of a quality-defect scandal, with
dozens of accusers alleging that the SUV suffers from the so-called (yet totally
unproven) "sudden unintended acceleration."
Because of this, the Department of Trade and Industry has cautioned the public
against buying the Montero Sport until the agency is done investigating the matter
(hopefully sooner than later). Needless to say, it's easy to imagine how the holidays
are turning out to be somewhat bleak for MMPC, its employees and its dealers. Even
if sensible figures in the motoring community have already voiced out their opinion
in favor of the Montero Sport--categorically saying that SUA does not exist-countless people are still being swayed by the publicized claims.
Thankfully for MMPC, many owners of the Montero Sport are passionate enough
about their beloved SUV to go out there and say their piece in the issue. Gel
Angeles, a marketing executive at San Miguel Corporation, is one of them.

Gel contacted TopGear.com.ph about an event he is putting together in support of

the Montero Sport. The event, called "Montero Sport Drive of Confidence," is set
for January 10 (Sunday), 2016. The plan is to meet up on Mother Ignacia Avenue in
Quezon City at 6:30am, and then drive by three destinations: ABS-CBN (near the
meeting place), DTI office (Jupiter, Makati), and MMPC plant (Santa Rosa, Laguna).
Basically, it's a statement to the motoring public that they have full confidence in
their much-maligned vehicles.
Angeles was a president of Montero Sport Club Philippines, but said the fun drive is
a personal initiative. He also added that MSCP, which counts around 270 active
members, fully supports the stand that SUA isn't real.
Gel owns a 2011 manual-transmission Montero Sport, and so is technically not
affected by the accusations (the incidents have involved only automatictransmission units). So why is he so concerned with the issue?
"Well, for one, the allegations have already taken a toll on the resale value of our
vehicles," he shared. "Also, some people are now avoiding us on the road. I've
specifically noticed motorcycle riders keeping a significant distance from my
vehicle."
Fair enough, but if he owns and drives an MT Montero Sport, how did he become
convinced that the AT units aren't afflicted with SUA?
"I have friends who own AT Montero Sports," he replied. "Plus, at MSCP, we have not
had a single case of this so-called unintended acceleration among our members."
And so he now wants to rally all Montero Sport owners who still have complete faith
in the vehicle.
"Do you have full confidence in your Montero Sport?" he asked. "Do you want to
restore public confidence in our vehicles? Do you espouse responsible driving and
proper car maintenance? Make a stand. Restore public confidence. Unite in
confidence."
The event is open to all Montero Sport owners--no fees and no registration required.
With the way their beloved SUV is being battered in the media right now, isn't
January too late for such a display of confidence?
"December is already too busy, with all the Christmas parties and shopping," Gel
explained.
If you're a Montero Sport owner and you wish to join this "drive of confidence," just
contact Gel Angeles through his Facebook account.
Photo from Gel Angeles
http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/motoring-news/montero-sport-owner-organizingfun-run-in-support-of-suv
So whos afraid of the Montero Sport?

DESIGNATED DRIVER By Kap Maceda Aguila (The Philippine Star) | Updated

December 9, 2015 - 12:00am

MMPC Marketing Services Senior Manager Arlan Reyes, FVP-Marketing Froilan

Dytianquin, and AVP-Service Department David Doctor field questions at the
Mitsubishi press conference held at EDSA Shangri-La last week
Indulge me for a while, as Im going somewhere here.
Lest we go nuts, people rightfully struggle to make sense of the worlds chaos. We
have theories to explain most everything and scholars pore over, discuss, dissect,
and think of ways to critique them. One of the more memorable subjects to me,
anyway back in college was the study of communication theories.
The late iconic communication professor George Gerbner co-formulated the socalled Cultivation Theory, which basically asserts that the longer you watch
television, the more likely you are to believe the reality portrayed therein. Our
perception of the world is thus heavily influenced by the messages transmitted on
the boob tube.
An attendant concept purveyed by Gerbner is the mean world syndrome, a
phenomenon whereby a heavy consumer of mass medias violent-related content
leads to believe that the world is an intimidating and unforgiving place.
Now if youve been ogling a lot of TV lately, you must be terrified out of your wits to
even go near a Mitsubishi Montero Sport SUV. A media outfit and certain experts

have been warning all willing to listen and pay attention that these bestselling sport
utes are prone to, well, sudden unintended acceleration (famously truncated to
SUA).
So last week, one of the most awaited press conferences was neither for a
controversial star or a love team promoting a new movie. Rather, it was the
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) presser on the whole sordid SUA
affair. MMPC is firm and clear on its stand. Montero Sport vehicles are free from
design and manufacturing defects that could cause sudden unintended acceleration
(SUA), it bannered on its public statement. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines
Corporation (MMPC) itself defines SUA as being caused by the unintended release
of fuel supply to the engine.
MMPC cited four possible causes of the phenomenon. Pedal entrapment, which
MMPC first VP Froilan Dytianquin called a recognized issue, is caused by the use of
unauthorized, multiple, or improvised mats prone to slippage and may cause
entrapment in the gas pedal.
The second, he continued, is pedal misapplication caused by the driver
unintentionally stepping on the gas instead of the brake pedal. Here, Dytianquin is
careful with his words. Were not saying its an error its a driver unconsciously
stepping on the gas pedal, when the intent is really (to step on) the brake pedal.
The MMPC executive further quipped: People have long years of driving
experience; we will not battle (with) that.
Third is mechanical and electronic failure entailing the malfunction of fuel injectors
or the vehicles electronic control unit (ECU). A defective fuel injector might
continue to feed fuel even if the control unit says to only feed (so) much, said
Dytianquin. However, he maintained that it would a problem that should manifest
time and time again, and not be intermittent. For all the complainants vehicles
(close to 100), never was there a defective injector. Mechanical failure is not a
cause.
Then how about electronic failure? Cars right now are becoming complicated, he
submitted. Theyre run by computers or to be exact, an ECU or electronic control
unit. This control unit dictates everything (such as) how much fuel should be
infused in the engine. Dytianquin added: This control unit will rely on inputs. What
are the inputs? The engine speed sensor and acceleration pedal position sensors. In
our case, we have backup sensors on the accelerator pedal position.
If one of the sensors fail, the ECU will automatically go on safe mode or what we
call limp mode. Safe po yan. It will never give you 100 percent (power) in a
Montero. Plus, the fact that its on safe mode, it will advise you through a warning
lamp.
This warning lamp, averred Dytianquin, cannot be overridden. It is significant,
thus, that MMPC has never observed a trouble code in the claimants vehicles (and)
thats one of the things (we) look at, because its a trace or evidence.
The conclusion: Nothing electronic has caused SUA, he declared.

MMPC imports Montero Sport units from Thailand, which also supplies other
territories or countries with identical vehicles. Since its introduction in 2008, 88,000
Montero Sport units have been sold locally a majority (66,000) of which are
automatic transmission variants.
I asked Dytianquin if so-callled SUA incidents have been reported in other countries
supplied with Thailand-produced Monteros. This issue actually surprises us If you
look at the countries (where) Thailand is exporting these vehicles, apparently, there
were no cases (of) SUA.
Still, MMPC welcomes third-party investigators to examine so-called SUA units.
Days after the press conference, the anti-Montero juggernaut appeared to continue
unabated. The clash of opinions ensued on social media, with people basically
continuing to be unapologetically obstinate with their precious judgments despite
contrary evidence. The verdict was out before the Department of Trade and Industry
has even turned in its study. The Montero Sport is, in the words of a particularly
zealous interviewee, may sapi (possessed).
I believe there are two kinds of accusers, said Top Gear Philippines editor-in-chief
Vernon Sarne, who I interviewed via Facebook. The flat out scammers who are lying
to weasel their way out of culpability, and the sincerely mistaken who got into an
accident and now wholeheartedly believe that they stepped on the brakes and not
the gas pedal. That is why the video we posted is particularly telling, because it
proves how an adamant accuser is actually mistaken all along.
As the issue has gotten further traction, emotions continue to run high. Even
motoring media have been cast in a bad light in the mad scramble to draw battle
lines. Some particularly self-righteous individuals questioned why many of us to
insist theres no such phenomenon. There could only be one explanation, came the
insinuations. We must be in cahoots with the car companies. Oh, please. We need
sobriety, we need calm, and we need to stop unfounded inflammatory statements
from being aired. Who stands to gain from those?
Certainly not a legion of Montero Sport owners. A particularly distressed friend of
mine texted me out of worry for her vehicle. Theres no such thing as SUA, I replied.
To further allay her fears, I told her to have her unit checked at her Mitsubishi
dealer. Its for free, and it should at least give her some added peace of mind. After
that, she expressed anger at reports stoking the whole SUA issue.
SUA does not exist. If it did, it would have been replicated or diagnosed by now,
concluded Sarne.
Our own motoring editor Manny de los Reyes recently wrote: It is impossible for
any car to just take off on its own without somebody stepping on the gas.
Unfortunately for MMPC though, and I repeat the words of fellow STAR columnist
Cito Beltran who said in his CTalk column: A car is easier to fix than a ghost or a PR
nightmare.

Indeed, what a scary world we live in if we believe it to be one where cars are
possessed and decide against the wishes of their drivers. Thats one alternate
reality best left on the pages of Stephen King novel.
http://www.philstar.com/motoring/2015/12/09/1530492/so-whos-afraid-monterosport
3 Great Examples of Crisis Management on Social Media
Posted by Stephanie Fisher
Aug 2, 2013 10:43:00 AM
In recent years the game has changed for crisis management. The public has
certain expectations for a company's response to a PR disaster or potential crisis.
Those expectations include things like swift response, open and honest
communication, and open dialogue through social media. Never before have people
been able to reach out directly to a brand so easily as they now can through
platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Over the years we've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of crisis management
through social media. Here I wanted to highlight 3 examples of big brands who
successfully handled true disasters and potential crises through deft use of social
media.
SOUTHWEST
The Southwest Flight 345 that landed nose first at LaGuardia is the most recent
example of a big brand who knew exactly how to handle a crisis through social
media. Quick response time and open, honest communication on Facebook and
Twitter were key in helping the brand control the story and maintain good faith with
its customers.
Here are a few examples of their Facebook and Twitter posts just minutes after the
accident, promising updates (which they followed up immediately with statements
and information):

Most of the comments from fans included notes of support and appreciation for
Southwest's open communication and quick response.
Southwest has a long history of responding appropriately to crises through social
media, and the crisis planning of their communication and PR team is evident.
Lesson learned: Have a PR plan in place, including social media response, with
clear roles and scripts for those who need to respond immediately to a crisis.
RED CROSS
Sometimes social media can be the cause of a PR crisis. Just take this Twitter snafu
that the American Red Cross quickly handled back in 2011. This is every marketer
and social media monkey's worst nightmare: accidentally firing off a personal tweet
on the company's Twitter account. This kind of thing can happen easily when one is
using Hootsuite on a mobile phone, for example (which is exactly what happened
here). Red Cross responded brilliantly. The rogue tweet from @RedCross went like
this:
Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Heads Midas Touch beer when
we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd
You can imagine how a tweet of this nature would make an honorable humanitarian
organization look bad. How did Red Cross respond? With transparency, humor and
good grace.

Now, deleting a tweet isn't always the best idea since a) if you have a big audience
who notices these things, it can look shady when you delete things and b) anything
"deleted" can surface to haunt you later, especially on social media. But, Red Cross
did the right thing by acknowledging that the tweet went out, they deleted it, and
explaining with humor that it was all a mistake. It never turned into a major crisis.
They didn't stop there, though. Red Cross went beyond that response and turned a
potentially harmful tweet into an opportunity for engagement. They took to their
corporate blog to explain the situation, show their humanity, and engage with fans
and followers. The employee who made the mistake 'fessed up to it on her personal
Twitter account in the same manner, with humility and humor.

Lesson learned: Be careful using Hootsuite! And, be honest with your

fans/followers when you flub-up. Social media folks are very forgiving, as long as
you don't use dishonest tactics to hide your mistakes. That is the ultimate no-no
when handling crises through social media (or offline too, for that matter!)
JC PENNEY
Sometimes a small issue can come out of nowhere, and initially seem harmless and
unworthy of response. Thus is the case with the JC Penney Teapot that looked like
Hitler. Did you hear about this one?
A user on the social bookmarking site Reddit posted a remark about JC Penney's
new teapot baring a slight resemblance to Adolf Hitler. The remark didn't remain
isolated to Reddit for long, and JC Penney was forced to response after The
Telegraph ran with the non-story:

Although this wasn't a crisis, JC Penney wisely chose to respond while not taking
itself too seriously. They realized that a small issue like this could quickly turn into a
social media PR crisis if handled improperly.
@jcpenney responded to hundreds of tweets about the evil teapot with a standard,
light-hearted message:

The whole debacle turned out to be a pretty good thing for JC Penney. The teapot
sold like gangbusters.
Lesson learned: Be sensitive to the power of social media. Even a small issue like
a silly comment or an unintentional coincidence that gets picked up by others on
social media can quickly snowball into a PR crisis. Address even small complaints

from your fans or others with grace and good sense.

Read more: http://blog.spinweb.net/3-great-examples-of-crisis-management-onsocial-media#ixzz3tqXVxrgg
Follow us: @SpinWeb on Twitter
9 PR Fiascos That Were Handled Brilliantly By Management
Crisis management requires more than an apologetic press release or a CEO's
disingenuous appearance on CNN.
News goes viral in a flash. Companies must be ready to respond to disasters swiftly
and decisively, using all platforms to communicate with the public.
Most importantly, companies that make mistakes must sincerely accept
responsibility for their actions -- not distance themselves from them.
There's no cure-all method to remedy company crises, but there are lessons to be
learned from past successes. Here are examples of nine companies that saved
themselves -- and their precious brands -- in the most dire of situations.
Johnson & Johnson's cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules (1982)

The crisis: Seven people died after taking extra-strength Tylenol capsules that had
been laced with potassium cyanide, a deadly poison. The killer was never found.
How J&J responded: The company put customer safety first. It quickly pulled 31
million bottles of Tylenol -- $100 million worth -- off the shelves and stopped all
production and advertising of the product. It also got involved with the Chicago
Police, FBI, and FDA in the search for the killer, and offered up a $100,000 reward.
Post-crisis, the company reintroduced Tylenol with new tamper-resistant packaging
and $2.50-off coupons.
The result: A go-to case study in MBA classes worldwide, Tylenol's response to the
tragic 1982 Chicago murders is regarded as one of the most successful sequences
of crisis management in history.
The media appreciated the lengths J&J went to and its concern for the public
interest, so the company was portrayed generally in a good light, helping the
Tylenol brand to recover.

Source: Penn State University

PepsiCo's can tampering rumors (1993)

The crisis: A syringe was allegedly found in a can of

Diet Pepsi in Washington state. The following week, more than 50 reports of Diet
Pepsi can tampering sprung up across the country. It turned out to be a hoax.
How PepsiCo responded: Both PepsiCo and the FDA were confident that the
reports were fabrications, so the company came out hard, defending itself staunchly
against the accusations.
But PepsiCo didn't make vague statements telling the public to simply trust it. The
company produced four videos throughout the crisis, such as a comprehensive
report on its soda canning process. The most compelling was a surveillance tape of
a woman in a Colorado store putting a syringe into a can of Diet Pepsi behind the
store clerk's back.
PepsiCo North America CEO Craig Weatherup appeared on news stations armed not
only with visual evidence of the bogus reports, but with the explicit support of the
FDA. He appeared most notably on Nightline with FDA Commissioner David Kessler,
and they both assured the public that Diet Pepsi was safe.
The result: The rumors fizzled out within two weeks following multiple arrests by
the FDA for filing false reports. Diet Pepsi sales had fallen 2% during the crisis but
recovered within a month.
The situation required an aggressive defense because PepsiCo hadn't done anything
wrong. If the company remained quiet and complacent the damage could have
been far worse.
Source: CorpCommCollab

Texaco's racial discrimination lawsuit (1994)

By Josh Friedman Luxury Travel on Flickr

The crisis: Six of Texaco's African-American employees sued the company for racial
discrimination. Damning conversations between Texaco executives that were
secretly recorded seemed to confirm the issue.
How Texaco responded: CEO Peter Biljur started off with a public apology and
admitted embarrassment. The executives involved were suspended (with pay but
without benefits), pending the result of the investigations.
Texaco execs went on tour, visiting all branches and sites of the company in person
to apologize to the employees, and the company hired African-American owned
advertising agency Uniworld Group to run an ad campaign to help douse the flames.
The result: The Reverend Jesse Jackson was the most vocal opponent to the
company, calling for a boycott, but softened his view after Biljur's response. This
was key to the company's image recovery.
Texaco settled the suit, agreeing to pay $176 million. Additional discrimination
checks for executives and managers put in place by Biljur have prevented the
problem from sprouting up again.
Source: BrightHub
Odwalla Foods' apple juice E.coli outbreak (1996)

Wikipedia
The crisis: Washington state health officials confirmed a link between a local E.coli
outbreak and Odwalla's fresh, unpasteurized apple juice. One child died and more
than 60 people became sick, prompting more than 20 lawsuits.
How Odwalla responded: CEO Stephen Williamson immediately recalled all
Odwalla products containing apple or carrot juice, which cost the company around
$6.5 million. He accepted responsibility when talking to the media and promised to
pay all medical costs for those affected by the outbreak.
Daily press briefings by Odwalla were used to update the public, along with fullpage newspaper ads and a website explaining the situation.
The result: The company had faced its worst-case scenario: death caused by one
of its food products. Odwalla lost a third of its market value by the time everything
subsided, and pled guilty to criminal charges relating to the outbreak, which
resulted in a $1.5 million fine from the FDA.
But Odwalla was still standing. It focused on customer relations in the months
following, attempting to rebuild trust. Odwalla fixed the contamination issue and
improved its quality control and safety system.
Odwalla re-launched its apple juice two months later. In 2001, Coca-Cola bought
Odwalla for $186 million.
Source: mallenbaker.net
Cadbury's worm infested candy bars (2003)

The crisis: Two Cadbury chocolate bars were found infested with worms in Mumbai,
India. The Maharashtra FDA quickly seized the chocolate stock at Cadbury's closest
manufacturing plant in Pune.
How Cadbury responded: The company was slow out of the gates. It released a
statement claiming that the infestation was not possible at the manufacturing
stage, while the FDA disagreed, prompting a tussle between the two. The media
jumped on Cadbury, and the brand was under widespread assault.
Cadbury took its advertising off the air and launched an educational PR project that
targeted retailers. It kept the media updated through press releases on the specific
measures it was taking to correct its manufacturing and storage processes. The
company also imported new machinery and changed the packaging of its Dairy Milk
bars.
Four months later, Cadbury began advertising more aggressively. By then, the
company's relationship with the media had improved greatly.
The result: Cadbury's sales in India plunged 30% in the wake of all the negative
media coverage, and this was during a season when its sales usually increase by
15%. But over time, Cadbury began to recover.
Within eight weeks of the introduction of its new packaging and advertising
campaign, sales had almost reached pre-crisis levels. The company announced
eight months after the incident that its consumer confidence was back to to normal.
Cadbury has maintained its position at the top of the Indian chocolate industry ever
since.

But Cadbury suffered three years later when a salmonella outbreak wasn't handled
nearly as well.
Sources: Rediff, Public Relations Consultants Association of India

JetBlue's week-long operational breakdown (2007)

The crisis: JetBlue's operations collapsed after an ice storm hit the East Coast of
the U.S., leading to 1,000 cancelled flights in just five days.
How JetBlue responded: CEO David Neeleman never blamed the weather. He
wrote a public letter of apology to JetBlue customers, introduced a customer's bill of
rights, and presented a detailed list -- which included monetary compensation -- of
what the company would do to help all the affected passengers.
The result: JetBlue didn't dodge the backlash completely. Throngs of enraged
passengers toiled in airports for nearly a week, and they had reached their boiling
point by the time Neeleman spoke up.
But in the weeks that followed, JetBlue managed to quash much of the uproar by
being as public and straightforward as possible. Neeleman went on YouTube, the
Today Show, Letterman, and Anderson Cooper, not pleading his case, but
apologizing for his company's faults.
Though there was much reputational damage done, JetBlue's comeback allowed it
to regain some of its luster. For an airline that differentiates itself so heavily on
customer service, it was crucial that they did.

Toyota's recall fiasco (2010)

Jalopnik
The crisis: Toyota recalled a total of 8.8 million vehicles for safety defects,
including a problem where the car's accelerator would jam, which caused multiple
deaths.
How Toyota responded: Toyota initially couldn't figure out the exact problem, but
it sent out PR teams to try and stop the media backlash anyway. The upper
management was invisible in the early stages of the crisis, skewing public
perception further against the company.
Toyota's response was slow, with devastating results. But it served as a wake-up call
for the company, which somehow turned it around in the months following the
debacle.
The company failed miserably in its initial crisis management, but that's what
makes Toyota's case so intriguing. Despite its monumental mistakes early on,
Toyota still bounced back. Why?
It didn't take long for the public to remember Toyota's previously stellar reputation.
The company offered extended warranties and pumped up marketing, leveraging
its long-term track record and reassuring consumers about safety.

Its ads in the following months were more thoughtful and sincere, showing the
company's dedication to fixing the problem. Toyota's executives -- especially in the
US -- became more visible, speaking to the media and becoming active in the
investigations.
The result: The Toyota brand showcased its resiliency, with its positive reputation
built up over decades of good performance. The company leveraged this, focusing
its marketing once again on safety and its proven track record. It had to show that
this disaster -- including its own horrible mishandling of the situation -- was an
aberration.
And it worked, with a little bit a of luck. NASA exonerated Toyota of the blame for
most of the accidents in 2011 and the company's brand equity leapt 11% this year,
according to WPP.
Sources: BrandZ, The Guardian
The Red Cross' rogue tweet (2011)

Twitter
The crisis: One of the Red Cross' social media employees accidentally sent the tweet
-- which was meant for her private account -- and didn't realize it. It stayed up for
about an hour before the company's social media director was alerted and took it
down.
How the Red Cross responded: Social media director Wendy Harman followed up
with a humorous tweet from the official Twitter account and acknowledged the
mistake.
It got support from Dogfish Head too, who embraced the hashtag #gettngslizzerd
and encouraged its followers to donate to the Red Cross.

The result: The tweet generated a bit of buzz among bloggers and the Twitterverse,
but so did the fun response by the company.
Fortunately for the Red Cross, although the nature of the tweet wasn't professional,
it wasn't too controversial. Nobody was outraged, and the Red Cross had to deal
with nothing more than a little embarrassment.
Source: Mashable
Taco Bell's "seasoned beef" meat filling lawsuit (2011)

Wikimedia
The crisis: Yum! Brands, Taco Bell's parent company, was sued over the contents of
its meat. The lawsuit alleged that the company's "seasoned beef" contained only
35% beef, and that Taco Bell was lying in its advertising.
How Taco Bell responded: Taco Bell explicitly declared the claims false, and shared
with the public its percentages (88% beef, 12% secret recipe), along with the
ingredients in the secret recipe itself.
The company quickly fired up a multi-platform PR campaign to shoot down the
allegations and get the word out about its "not-so-secret" recipe. It included
traditional local market newspaper ads, but focused on online marketing with a
YouTube channel, Facebook page, and more.

The result: Taco Bell's existing consumer base responded overwhelming well to the
campaign. The social media platforms shined, with the vast majority of commenters
supporting the company's stance.
Less than four months later, the lawsuit was dropped, and Taco Bell had completely
averted a potential PR disaster.
Source: WaveMetrix