Introduction
Strategic communications is the study of the way organizations communicate to achieve their communication and organizational goals with both their internal and external stakeholders. It involves the use of the most appropriate approaches in communicating in communicating messages that are compelling. These messages are intended to influence the opinions of the organization’s stakeholders such as customers, employees, the community, government and the media. Some of the tools used in strategic information include advertising, corporate identity, public relations, image repair, public relations advocacy and persuasion ( Wilson & Ogden, 2008).
BreadTalk’s Case
BreadTalk, a home grown bakery chain company based in Singapore found itself in a compromising situation that put its reputation into disrepute. The company’s employee was captured filling plastic bottles with soya milk brand from Yoe before selling them for $1.80 a pop as freshly prepared. This move irate many consumers who felt that BreadTalk was cheating them all along because it gave them an impression that the drink was made at home. There were fears that the company violated labeling and food safety laws. The chain was also on the receiving end of profiteering since a one liter of Yeo’s cartons was trading $1.50 (Lim, 2015).
In the middle of the backlash from the consumers, the company decided to get rid of the bottled drinks from all of its 46 stores and admitted that the drink was Yeo’s indeed before making a Facebook apology to its customers. Two days after, BreadTalk would be defending its products’ quality mainly cakes and bread after consumers raised questions regarding their freshness. This was followed by a stern warning from the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) with subsequent investigations.
Strategic communication tools for the BreadTalk’s Case
BreadTalk came up with some strategic measures to help address this matter. It applied various strategic communication tools towards this end. In a bid to mend fences with its consumers, the company decided to give out 50,000 pork floss buns for three straight weekends. Additionally, the company also donated $50,000 to the Community Chest besides signing a Voluntary Compliance Agreement under the watchful eye of the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE). Through signing of the VCA, the company was committing to stop selling soya bean milk in bottles that are misspelled (Channel News Asia, 2015).
Being persuasive
Just like any other organization, BreadTalk is aware that its success lies on the trust that it earns from its stakeholders especially the customers. This can be accomplished by the ability of the organization to conduct persuasive communications. However, the BreadTalk will only be persuasive if it is able to earn the respect and trust of the company’s stakeholders. This will be accomplished if it delivers on its promises consistently rather than taking part in fraudulent activities like misspelling and profiteering from other companies’ brands. From the outbursts the company received from its customers, it can be argued that BreadTalk did not have a clear and intimate understanding of the wants and needs of its customers. This was more pronounced when the company decided to sell to its customers, bread products that were not fresh. This situation can however be reversed if the company effectively employ an appropriate language for communication that resonates well with its clients. As a result, BreadTalk will establish an emotional connection with its customers and this will be a good conveyor belt for transmitting the company’s message.
Proactive learning
BreadTalk is comprised of many individuals who work as a team. Its success will largely rely on the willingness of its employees to learn proactively on the best ways to work diligently with one another as well as moving in a unified way in tackling challenges associated with business and operations. If the employees of the BreadTalk were actively engaged in proactive learning, they could have largely avoided the misfortune that befell the company. They would have worked in synergies in ensuring that only quality and fresh bread gets to the shelves of the company’s outlets ( Bonk, 2008).
This however requires them to be clear and precise about their objectives and directions. The precision and clarity being talked about is premised on the information that they receive from their seniors as well as the information that they seek proactively. Proactive learning will assist employees with the most relevant knowledge concerning the appropriate know how that is required in their lines of duty for performance positive feedback. It is only through this process that their works will be closely aligned to the goals and strategies of the business ( Ray, 1999).
Communicating Purposefully
In order for a communication to be effective, it must be purposefully and employees are well aware of this. The interventions that BreadTalk has adapted of corporate social responsibility will only be effective if the employees of the company are aware of its value and purpose. This way, the employees will assist in crafting the right messages that will assist towards the achievement of communication objectives. It is important to note that various interventions by the BreadTalk were targeted at different stakeholders ( Lewis, 2011).
When the management of the BreadTalk correctly liaises with these stakeholders to know their real concerns, they will be able to provide the much needed information. The main objectives of the good communication include provision of information that is clear and sufficient for public decision making. It also include communicating with an objective of influencing the attitudes of customers as well as giving out information for purposes of effecting behavioral changes of the company’s customers. This implies that BreadTalk must communicate purposely with an outcome that is desired in the mind ( Gunther, McGowan, & Donegan, 2011).
Telling the organization’s story
The story of an organization is very important communication strategy since it helps the company’s customers understand its origins, culture and mission better. It is only through the organization’s story that BreadTalk will be able to convince its customers to reconsider their outburst on the company. Organization’s story might involve such aspects as overcoming adversity through perseverance and success building through technological innovations. If delivered correctly, the stories are likely to gain and deliver goodwill on behalf of the organization.
In order to be in a better position of telling the story of BreadTalk, employees will be required to acquaint themselves with the all the details of the company including history, organization’s directions as well as achievements. These kinds of stories will help customers in understanding the manner in which BreadTalk’s beliefs have played a role in influencing its organizational behavior for its own good. According to the food regulations of Singapore, prepackaged food should be leveled before selling. This includes food that is packed in a container or wrapper at a place different from the point of sale. However, when the food is packed at their points of sale just like Yeo’s soya milk, labeling is not required ( Gunther, McGowan, & Donegan, 2011).
Communicating the character of the brand
Just like any other company, BreadTalk has its unique brands that should make it proud. Its cakes and bread possess specific characteristics such as desirability, friendliness and approachability. These characteristics emanate from the mental creations of the customers through the identification of the brands. This could be from the company’s logos, designs, and impressions from other customers who have used the products before. Therefore, BreadTalk must understand its mission and brand well and know how to manage its brand impressions in order to communicate the brand’s characteristics effectively. The move by the BreadTalk to use a company’s brand as its own violates their brand character communication. This will deprive it of an opportunity of making its own brand unique and distinct. This is the only way it will be able to promote its own brand and speak with a clear voice. It must also be able to deliver messages that are consistent about the stand of the brand and how it keeps on meeting customers’ expectations.
There was nothing wrong in law for an eatery to repackage an item of food and then rebrand it as its own product. Although many consumers might find this shocking, it is a common practice in the food industry.
For instance, Seah’s Spices uses spices that are mixed prior for the pork rib soup (bak kut teh) preparation, which it later supplies to 60 percent of the eateries that sells the dish in Singapore. The dish is packaged in sachets and added with garlic, pork ribs and 1.5 liters of water.
The blatant rebottling by the BreadTalk does not violate any safety laws. As long as there has not been any lapse in hygiene, the company has not done something unlawful. As a matter, there have never been any reports of any person who have contracted any disease because of drinking soya milk repackaged by BreadTalk ( Patterson & Radtke, 2009).
Besides, the rebottling was carried inside a food outlet that is licensed and the staff members who carried out the exercise were licensed food handlers as well.
The claim by BreadTalk that its drink was freshly prepared was false, as claimed by some critiques. Indicating the words ‘freshly prepared’ on the bottles, BreadTalk acted by misleading and deceiving customers about the freshness of the soya bean milk. The deception also misled customers to believe that Yeo’s pre-packed soya bean milk commanded higher value.
This is unfair trading practice. The Sale of Food Act states that food should not be labeled in a manner that is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its safety, value and merit. Additionally, the law does not provide any clear guidelines on how and when a product such as food should be labeled as ‘fresh’ (Trifocals, 2004).
The nature of freshness that is a cause for the BreadTalk’s problems is debatable. The word has been used by many business organizations to market their products. Many supermarkets use the word on products that cannot even be related to freshness in the first place. For instance, the UHT milk is normally labeled as fresh but in actual sense the milk is just a product of ultra-high treatment. As a matter of fact, the shelf life of milk of this nature can be as long as 10 months (Kozolanka, 2006).
References
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Channel News Asia. (2015). BreadTalk to give away 50,000 pork floss buns after soya bean milk saga. Retrieved Feb 04, 2016, from Channel News Asia: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/breadtalk-to-give-away-50/2066256.html
Gunther, V., McGowan, J., & Donegan, K. (2011). Strategic communications for school leaders. Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield.
Kozolanka, K. (2006). The Sponsorship Scandal as Communication: The Rise of Politicized and Strategic Communications in the Federal Government1. Canadian Journal of Communication, 31.2, 343-366.
Lewis, L. K. (2011). Organizational change : creating change through strategic communication. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K. ; Malden, Mass. : Wiley-Blackwell.
Lim, J. (2015). Don't get so fresh with customers, BreadTalk. Retrieved Feb 04, 2016, from The Straitstimes: http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/dont-get-so-fresh-with-customers-breadtalk
Patterson, . J., & Radtke, J. M. (2009). Strategic communications for nonprofit organizations : seven steps to creating a successful plan. Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley.
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