By: Noura Azeem, Fall 2015 Intern
Toymaker Spin Master has been on a roll – its earnings have been skyrocketing. Its latest toy Bunchems was nominated for Toy of the Year. The plastic balls that connect to each other have become a global craze. Target stores listed the item as one of its best-selling toys.
But recently there’s been a problem. Kids – mostly girls — found that the balls became hopelessly entangled in their hair strands, sometimes to the point that parents had to shear their children’s hair off to remove them.
Increasingly online reviews and social media posts included suggestions such as giving this toy to someone you hate. The bad publicity spread worldwide.
To its credit, Spin Master quickly posted a video on its website showing customers how to remove the balls stuck in children’s hair without cutting it off, using conditioner and vegetable oil. At the same time the company highlighted that the toy’s packaging contained a warning to keep the toy away from hair, and reiterated its global popularity. The company’s stock continues to rise.
At CommCore, we remind our clients that (a) good crisis communications is about preventing a bad situation from getting worse, and (b) a consumer-facing website is the best channel for addressing a problem by providing a solution that customers can find easily.