crisis communications plan · shopping experience” by encompassing quality standards &...

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

Prepared by: Natalie Edwards, Nathan Hart & Sarah Eman

IMC 374/474 - Crisis Communications

Professor Rashada Whitehead

December 12, 2017

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Situation …………………………………………… page 3

Objective …………………………………………... page 4

Audience …………………………………………... page 5

Strategy ……………………………………………. page 6

Tactics ……………………………………………… page 7

Calendar & Timetable ………………………... page 9

Budget …………………………………………..... page 10

Measurement & Evaluation ………………... page 11

Bibliography ……………………………………. page 12

2 CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

SITUATION

Founded in September 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market, Inc. is an American supermarket chain

known for their fresh, organic produce and specialty items that are all free of artificial preservatives, colors,

sweeteners & hydrogenated fats. Over the last 37 years, Whole Foods’ business has expanded exponentially

by merging with and acquiring local grocery stores, opening over 365 stores across the United States and in

Canada along the way. Most recently in June 2017, the company was acquired by e-commerce giant Amazon,

which created another successful opportunity for the supermarket to further their expansion. After just a

few short months of being under Amazon’s wing, Whole Foods has already increased their brand’s exposure

& product availability, as well as established lower prices & experienced dramatic revenue growth.

In regards to the brand’s values and purpose, Whole Foods believes that they are transforming the “grocery

shopping experience” by encompassing quality standards & emphasizing overall physical & mental wellness

through the food items & unique services that they offer - like a pressed juice bar & in-chair massages. Most

importantly, their customers have both positive & “healthy” perceptions of their brand and hold their

products & services to a very high standard. Ultimately, Whole Foods’ goal is for their brand’s authenticity to

shine through by having their products help contribute to & improve their customers’ overall quality of life.

Although commonly viewed as a success, Whole Foods’ brand has been negatively impacted by a few notable

missteps relating to food safety over the last few years. In June 2016, Whole Foods was under fire for

violating FDA regulations when a U.S. food safety inspector warned the company that many infractions were

discovered at their Everett, Massachusetts, plant that would result in their food being “contaminated with

filth or rendered injurious to health.” In November 2017, their brand image was impacted again when a

turkey purchased from one of their stores tested positive for an FDA prohibited drug that is toxic to humans.

Within the area of food safety, the aforementioned instances & existing prodromes articulate an opportunity

for Whole Foods to create a new PR campaign designed to help the company mitigate crisis, as well as

promote the brand’s emphasis on food safety. With Whole Foods operating solely as a food supplier, food

safety & contamination is the most common issue the brand is likely to face, which is why it is important for

the company to be ready to minimize any food related crisis that may arise at any given time. In the event of

a food related crisis, our team thought it would be in the company’s best interests to create a proactive

campaign that aims to generate credibility and goodwill surrounding the brand’s food production process.

Our crisis communications campaign will focus specifically on leveraging a new program, entitled Whole 4

You, that will help mitigate any fears or doubts that Whole Foods’ products are unsafe to consume. The idea

behind Whole 4 You is that the company wants to show its key publics what the Whole Food brand stands for

& explain that they aim to identify with these four important pillars of business: safety, quality, health, &

community. This campaign will address the importance that these pillars play in their company’s operations

and how they aim to deliver fresh and healthy products that will satisfy each category.

With this new program, we will leverage special spokespeople, video content, in-store and offsite events, &

enlist in Amazon’s help to reassure customers that our food is safe & healthy to eat. Through video content,

we want to show the public the process in which our food is picked, processed, and made available so that

they have peace of mind knowing where exactly their food comes from. We will also utilize key public

figures & everyday people by having them serve as brand ambassadors, showing them interacting with our

products & promoting our brand on multiple platforms. We also want to get the community involved as

much as possible by engaging them with the content we create. In regards to the importance of food safety,

all of our tactics will reinforce our new program, Whole 4 You, as we seek to mitigate crisis, generate

goodwill & positively transform people's perceptions of the Whole Foods brand.


OBJECTIVES & GOALS

The Whole Foods team set both general goals and measurable objectives that we aim to

accomplish through our new, 6-month long Whole 4 You campaign. Each goal will be evaluated at

the conclusion of the campaign, which will take place in July 2018.

General Campaign Goals:

● To mitigate crisis as quickly & efficiently as possible in regards to any food safety or

contamination issue that arises

● To regain control of the situation and conversation as timely as possible

● Minimize negative perceptions of the Whole Foods brand amongst key publics

● Generate positive perceptions of the brand in regards to food safety & past crisis situations

having being handled a certain way

● To obtain an NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation) accreditation to better

promote the Whole Foods brand and the products they carry

● To establish helpful & meaningful “ambassador” relationships with both key public

figures & members of the community

Measurable Objectives (SMART):

● To generate awareness for our Whole 4 You campaign amongst our target audience & key publics by 50% by July of 2018

● To increase the brand’s Net Promoter Score (level of customer satisfaction & positive acceptance) by 2 points after experiencing crisis by July 2018

● To increase in-store purchases by 15% by July 2018

● To increase sales (in-store or online through Amazon) by 15% by July 2018

● To establish a minimum of 5 ambassador relationships by March 2018

● To generate awareness amongst people living within 5 miles of a Whole Foods Market by 60% by July of 2018

● To increase Whole Foods’ social media following by 10% by July 2018 (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube)

● To generate website traffic (new Amazon landing page by 5% by July 2018


AUDIENCE Whole Foods’ primary stakeholders, key publics & beneficiaries include:

● Whole Foods Market organization (365 stores & 85,000 team members)

● Whole Foods shoppers

● Prospective Whole Foods shoppers

● Whole Foods employees

● Amazon consumers

● Community members

● Food & Drug Administration

● Shoppers concerned about their health

In promoting Whole 4 You, our target audience of these efforts include:

● Health & fitness enthusiasts

● Local food & social media vloggers

● People who like to cook

● Social media savvy individuals

● People who want to be healthier

● People who want a shopping “experience”

● One-stop shoppers

● Millennials

DEMOGRAPHICS PSYCHOGRAPHICS

● Male & Female ● 24 - 54 years old ● Caucasian, African American, and

Asian nationalities ● Located all across the U.S. ● AHHI: $40K - $120K ● College degree ● Single or Married ● No kids

● Live active/hectic lifestyles ● They care about what food they put

in their bodies ● Are major health enthusiasts -

prefer buying only organic ● Only have time to shop on the

weekends (Fri-Sun) ● “Express Lane” (3-10 items) or

“Fill-Up” (11-20 items) ● Will look to social media for their

daily news source


STRATEGY Our crisis communications plan involves a proactive strategy that will be handled in three parts:

1. As a result of a crisis occurring, the Whole Foods communications team will quickly address the

food safety related issue & work hard to minimize it by gathering internally, collecting all of the facts, & compiling all necessary materials needed to put our crisis communications plan into action.

2. Once prepared, we can start rolling out components & content publicizing our Whole 4 You campaign, in which we will promote our 4 “pillars” & food safety accreditation.

3. The last stage includes evaluating the overall performance of the campaign. The campaign will run for 6 months, with evaluation to follow the month afterwards. It is recommended to begin the campaign in January, but it could be run at any given time of year as a result of a crisis occurring.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Through the promotion of our Whole 4 You program, we will achieve our objectives by leveraging

the following areas of opportunity that will help us build traction for our campaign:

● Media Relations - will utilize to maximize positive coverage of our campaign

○ Media trained Whole Foods spokesperson: Walter Robb (CEO)

○ Media Contacts: Local & national news media outlets, websites & newspapers

(NBC, ABC, FOX, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, NY Times, Washington Post)

○ Will reach out to our trusted, media contacts to: publicize the launch of our Whole

4 You campaign, organize interviews. inform the public about any in-store/offsite

events we will be hosting, update stakeholders with important info

● Community Relations

○ Engage with local health organizations & health clubs nearby Whole Foods

locations in major U.S. cities - introduce/push our food safety initiative & offer

freebies

● Consumer Engagement

○ Have community members/customers serve as brand advocates for the campaign

○ Build trust with current & prospective customers by asking their opinions (in-store

and online) in order to help better the brand’s operations, product options, etc.

● Employee Internal Relations

○ Leverage Whole Foods employees as brand ambassadors for the company’s food

safety initiative; feature employees & their testimonials in campaign content

(videos, ads, media interviews, & social media posts)

● Third-Party Endorsements

○ Align with the FDA & NSF International to promote our food safety accreditation

● Social Campaign

○ Social media plan will be created & will incorporate a viral video series and posts

used to engage/inform users (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & YouTube)

● Specials Events

○ Frequent, fun & interactive in-store & off site promotional activities will be

implemented within the community to appeal to current & prospective shoppers


TACTICS The following tactics will be implemented to reinforce our strategies & to promote Whole 4 You & its 4

pillars: safety, quality, health, & community. These action steps will be used to generate goodwill for the

brand surrounding the issue of food safety, as well as create an impact amongst our key publics. In terms of

the “voice” for our campaign, we will have multiple spokespeople serving as brand advocates: key public

figures/celebrities, community members, customers, & Whole Foods employees. Our CEO, Walter Robb, is the

brand’s official spokesperson, but only for media relations purposes.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Social Campaign

● Whole 4 You will primarily be a social media-based campaign

○ Create a viral video series featuring brand ambassadors - will show them interacting with

the brand (in their own unique way), preparing fresh meals (tutorials), & explaining the

brand’s emphasis on food safety ■ Diverse, creative & likeable group of celebrity ambassadors = Kristen Bell, Ayesha Curry,

Justin Timberlake, Buddy Valastro, Jessica Alba, Demi Lovato & Chrissy Teigan

○ Each video will emphasize a different “pillar” - will demonstrate the Whole Foods brand

abiding by & supporting the following: safety, quality, health, & community

○ The videos will be displayed on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube) &

will also serve as content for the website, internet radio, & :30 second TV commercials

○ Create Snapchat account & utilize the “Story” option - share pre-made videos + live footage

Third-Party Endorsements

● Promote Whole Foods’ food safety accreditation from the NSF International, FDA, and the American

Cheese Society

○ In-store - have stickers on products and signs/posters promoting the accreditation

○ Feature a food safety accreditation logo on all promotional materials

○ Create a video explaining the accreditation & how it impacts the brand & customers

Consumer Engagement

● Feature local ambassadors in our video series (everyday people - stay at home moms, working

parents, chefs, health conscious individuals, food bloggers) - recruit them from social media

○ They will explain what food safety means to them & will show them using Whole Foods’

products (fun cooking tutorials & informational videos)

■ Will make Whole 4 You appear more interesting, personable & relatable

● Build trust with current & prospective customers by asking their opinions via in-store and online

surveys to help better the brand’s operations, product options, etc.

Employee Internal Relations

● Creative videos featuring Whole Foods employees serving as brand ambassadors

○ Will include employees working “behind the scenes” & working in-store

○ Show where Whole Foods’ food comes from, how it is processed, & put on shelves

○ Explain why they love working for Whole Foods & what Whole 4 You means to them

● Utilize employee testimonials for social media posts & Facebook Live footage - guarantee that all

food products are safe, fresh, and abide by health standards


Community Relations

● Host Whole 4 You farmers markets during the warmer months & feature fresh Whole Foods items

○ Nearby local stores, college campuses, fitness centers, and at local sporting events

● Offer coupons to local businesses & vendors - encourage them to eat healthier foods

● Create video & photo content promoting their community “pillar” - explain how Whole Foods

impacts the community by providing the safest & healthiest products in the country

Special Events

● Host special events, cooking lessons, & food safety courses in-store (once per week)

● Whole 4 You Summer Kick-Off Event - food festival bringing the community together

○ Whole Foods will host an event where vendors will create their own unique recipes &

organic dishes to share with everyone (Whole Foods products used to make the food)

■ Will appeal to foodies, health enthusiasts & Whole Foods loyalists

■ Will take place on May 27th in major U.S. cities (Chicago, Houston, LA, & NY)

Media Relations

● Schedule for interviews & cooking tutorials to take place on local & national news networks

○ Have brand ambassadors appear in these TV programs (celebrities & locals)

● Contact specific magazines - Food Network, Eating Well, Bon Appetit - to have an article featured on

Whole Foods’ Whole 4 You initiative.

Advertising/Promotion

● Use Amazon’s channels to promote campaign on their website and social media platforms

○ User can receive an Amazon or Whole Foods coupon for making a purchase online

● Linked to Amazon.com, build a landing page specifically for Whole 4 You to reach Amazon users

● Place banner & interstitial ads on both Amazon.com and WholeFoods.com

● Whole 4 You referral program - receive a coupon when you tell a friend about our campaign, share

via email or on social media (will help spread awareness about our food safety initiative)

● Paid & sponsored social media ads (print & video) will be utilized for Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram

● TV commercials, radio, posters, billboards, newspapers, email (advertise heavily in major U.S. cities)


CALENDAR & TIMETABLE This campaign will last six months. In this short span, we will promote our campaign to engage

shoppers. We want to begin at the beginning of the year because the most recent food safety crisis

occured in November, and because people are more inclined to “try” and eat healthier.

JAN FEB MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY

Address crisis & introduce Whole 4 You

Media Interviews

Video Series

Website

Social Media Promotion

Advertising

Certification Promotion

Farmers Markets

Summer Kick-Off Event

Campaign Evaluation

Pictured above is a Gantt chart illustrating the campaign’s activities throughout a 6-month period.

- January - we will begin tackling the issue head-on and roll-out our campaign, Whole 4 You, to

promote food safety.

- February through June - will be devoted to bringing awareness around new campaign and Whole 4

You promotions on social media, Amazon, and their website.

- July - we will evaluate how well the project did over the course of six months.


BUDGET

Whole Foods’ current marketing & PR budget is an estimated $100 million (Statista). The budget for our Whole 4 You campaign will be $10 million. After tallying all of the factors and costs, the campaign’s grand total came out to be an estimated $9,497,000 - just short of our initial budget. Our budget includes costs for the following categories:

● Accreditation ● Communications ● Special Events ● Advertising ● Personnel

The budget is based on a 6-month long, national campaign (United States & Canada) and the 365 stores that Whole Foods currently operates.

The full budget can be viewed here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rJQrVP7g83SlXWSJoH0HXQA9wYCPHS0h/view?usp=sharing


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rJQrVP7g83SlXWSJoH0HXQA9wYCPHS0h/view?usp=sharing

MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION After the 6-month campaign concludes, the success of Whole 4 You will be evaluated the following

month (July 2018). Here is how we will measure the success of our objectives & tactics:

Evaluation of our Objectives:

● Conduct & distribute a customer survey asking, ‘Are you aware of our Whole 4 You

campaign?’. Can be implemented at point-of-sale via a touchscreen or via email after

campaign concludes.

● Establish base level of attitudes by conducting online survey employing the Net Promoter

Score: ‘How likely is it that you would recommend Whole Foods to a friend or colleague?’.

The scoring for this answer would be on a scale of 0 to 10.

● At the completion of campaign, conduct online survey again, ask the same NPS questions

as previously, measure difference between the results of the surveys.

● Measure the amount of sales generated during the duration of the campaign (compare the

sales generated to the revenue earned from three months prior to the campaign)

● Measure amount of in-store purchases made

● Measure amount of brand ambassador relationships developed (how many & who)

Evaluation of our Tactics:

● Whole Foods website metrics

○ Amount of hits, unique visitors, time on page & bounce rate

● Amazon’s Whole Foods landing page

○ Amount of impressions, unique visitors, time on page, & purchases made

● Social media metrics

○ Amount of follows, likes, shares, comments, video impressions, & tone of messages

● Advertising metrics

○ Amount of impressions, reach, frequency, engagement, CPC, & conversions

● Special Events

○ Amount of event attendees & participants

● Conduct a media analysis and check for tone, prominence and key messages

● Conduct phone survey in areas that our farmer markets were held to measure awareness

and customer attitudes


BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Kevin. “Whole Foods under Fire from FDA for 'Serious Violations'.” Ragan's PR Daily, Ragan

Communications, Inc., 17 June 2016.

Fish, Genevieve. “8 Little-Known Facts About Whole Foods.” MyDomaine, MyDomaine, 16 Mar.

2016, www.mydomaine.com/whole-foods-surprising-facts.

“Our Core Values.” Whole Foods Market, Whole Foods Market IP, 2017,

www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/core-values.

Paul, Katherine. “Turkey Sold by Whole Foods Tested Positive for FDA-Prohibited Drug That's

Toxic to Humans.” Alternet, 17 Nov. 2017.

“Whole Foods Market.” Whole Foods Market | America's Healthiest Grocery Store,

www.wholefoodsmarket.com/.

“Whole Foods Market Ad Spend Worldwide 2016.” Statista, 2017,

www.statista.com/statistics/491449/whole-foods-market-ad-spend-worldwide/.

“Whole Foods Shopper Insights and Demographics.” InfoScout, 2015,

infoscout.co/retailer/whole_foods.


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