How Should a Global Brand Manager Respond to an Ambiguous Product Harm Crisis?

Abstract

Product harm crises are becoming increasingly common, and recent examples include Toyota and Vioxx. This chapter examines country differences that impact consumer blame attributions for an ambiguous product harm crisis, and proposes a framework for a crisis response strategy. The first step involves assessing the level of uncertainty avoidance and crisis severity which serve as an indicator of the urgency felt by consumers to assess blame. The second step involves examining consumer beliefs and information processing biases to determine who consumers will most likely blame in order to resolve the uncertainty. Based on information gathered from these steps, a crisis response strategy is suggested for global brand managers.

Citation

Laufer, D. (2012), "How Should a Global Brand Manager Respond to an Ambiguous Product Harm Crisis?", Swan, K.S. and Zou, S. (Ed.) Interdisciplinary Approaches to Product Design, Innovation, & Branding in International Marketing (Advances in International Marketing, Vol. 23), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 91-107. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1474-7979(2012)0000023008