Lorna Jane has fielded bad headlines after backlash against a job advertisement which specified body measurements.
It's not the only brand.
Jessica Power talks to publicists about managing bad press.
When disaster hits, there are those whose job it is to prevent widespread damage, ride it out and sweep away the debris.
For brands, this is the role of PRs who are always on the pulse of crisis management should disaster strike.
The Australian fashion landscape is certainly not exempt from tempestuous outbursts of consumer outrage either.
In 2013, German supermarket chain Aldi came under fire for a t-shirt sold in stores with the slogan: “Australia Est. 1788.” As a result, accusations of racism and exclusion of Indigenous Australians caused the company to bin the sale of the shirt all together.
In 2014, Woolworths was slammed by allegations of xenophobia when a singlet bearing the Australian flag with the words, “If you don't love it, leave” reportedly found its way onto shelves in Cairns and Sydney.
In the same year, Zara was in the firing line for children's top that closely resembled the uniform worn by Holocaust victims.
The blunder of the year could be attributed to Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, whose comments regarding consumer criticism that the brand's yoga pants were ill-fitting resulted in the Wilson pointing the finger right back at his customers.
His response that the pants “don't work for some women's bodies” cost the company a reported $71 million.
So when it comes to crisis management, how do PRs prepare for the worst and dodge the bullet of a brand meltdown?
Tailor Maid Communications directors Sally Brown and Chrissy Biasotto revealed that what makes a successful case of crisis management lies in responding directly to the customer's concerns, as well as treating each case individually with a fresh perspective.
“The key for preventing matters escalating first and foremost is listening to the customer. We put together a crisis plan per issue to ensure the process is executed properly from start to finish. Having a solid plan in place ensures that you are addressing any negativity in a responsive and honest manner and will assist in protecting your brands reputation whilst also expressing that your business cares about its customers.”
Brown and Biasotto also said that in on average, Tailor Maid deal with crisis management once a month, solving minor or major issues that could potentially harm a brand's reputation.
When asked about mastering the tricky balancing act of liasing with a troubled brand and meeting the demands of the media, the pair agree that it's about mixing three main ingredients.
“Practise, Expertise and Experience. We have strong relationships with media who value and respect our agency and what our clients stand for. We exercise complete transparency which always helps in these situations, being responsive and upfront with time frames of when a response from our end should be expected always helps when dealing with these situations.”
Tailor Maid's client list include prolific Australian and international fashion retailers such as Boohoo.com, JAG and Kardashian Kollection.
Brown and Biasotto said that the agency has never had a PR problem that they haven't been able to solve, but admit that mistakes are inevitable and so comes a few occasions where it's time to face the music.
“Every business makes mistakes, we have. We once had an experience with a past staff member posting to social media on behalf of a client which received negative backlash. Instead of evaluating the situation, putting a plan in place and responding suitably this staff member panicked and removed the post all together which in turn made matters even worse. Deleting a post is not the right answer, as it’s only hiding and shying away from confronting the issue.”
With over 15 years of experience in the business, Torstar founder and CEO Tory Archbold agreed that despite finely tuned crisis management systems and strategies, it takes just one bad decision to bring a brand to its knees.
“We were working with a major accessories brand targeting a broad consumer demographic with stores located nationally when a sensitive issue regarding the license of an adult product was raised. With the threat of marketing to under aged consumers was under question, a senior member of the organisation made the decision to respond to media enquires without the input from his team. The damage this solo approach created was extreme and it left the brand open to further scrutiny and with no clear brand direction, suffered at many levels including the closure of several stores.”
Regardless of whether or not PR agencies might execute crisis management strategies successfully, there is still the matter of rebuilding consumer trust in a brand after it has damaged its reputation and its relationship with the public.
Especially if we consider the reality of consumer control over brands. Statistic and data analysis company Statista reported on the way that consumers in different age categories perceive their relationship to brands.
It suggests that younger generations are most actively engaged with brands and if companies and their PR agencies are looking to the future, this could mean that there will be greater ramifications when a brand trips up.
A 2014 Statista study showed that 45 per cent of consumers aged 16-34 said that brands play an essential role in their life, compared with just 25 per cent of those aged 55 and above.
The study's bombshell finding reveals that 45 per cent of consumers aged 16-34 believe they have the power to help a brand succeed or fail, alongside just 29 per cent of participants aged 55 upward.
Archbold believes that with the proliferation of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, crisis management is all the more integral in maintaining consumer trust in brands.
“The instant nature of online reporting dictates an agency must have systems in place to deal with issues both efficiently and effectively. You must be able to respond strategically and ensure that the correct message is being communicated to avoid a viral outbreak of inaccurate information that can blow an issue out of proportion.”
AMPR managing director Sarah Gale agrees that the volume and reach of social media platforms can make it hard for PR agencies to manage spills.
“The biggest challenge is often not knowing all the facts or having sufficient information to respond with immediacy. Social media has also added a new layer of complexity as it can be harder to control a crisis.”
Despite these complexities, Gale believes that there is a silver lining.
“In many cases social media can act in a brands favour as customers can self regulate negative comments. Twitter is the fastest moving conversation and, if used properly, can be used to help monitor and manage the conversation throughout a crisis.”
It's a daunting prospect to face, that in a world that has become so transparent that when a brand trips up in front a global audience, this audience has the power to kick a brand when its down.
So what advice do PR agencies want to shell out in terms of crisis management?
For Brown and Biasotto, it all comes back to exercising empathy for the consumer.
“Ensuring a favourable outcome is achieved for each of our clients as reputation is everything for a brand. Also not taking criticism to heart or personally, the customer is not angry at you they are angry at the situation, when dealing with these issues it is important to remove emotion, listen and show you care.”
For Archbold, it's about not making promises that are not 100 per vent viable.
“I am very open with my communication with all parties and I make a point to never overstate or over promise. I try and encourage all my clients at CEO level to be honest and informative. I find this approach gives our clients and the media the best overall result. In my experience, presenting the facts in an empathetic and honest manner delivers a credible result and all parties win.”
And for Gale, it's favouring an open-and-honest policy that steers clear of using outdated publicity tricks.
“It can be a delicate balancing act, however constant and proactive communication is key. We develop an open and honest relationship with the media and avoid the use of ‘no comment.'”