Ford still can repair its brand in SA but it needs to act quickly
Companies that have handled scandals smartly have sometimes emerged from their crises stronger
There can be no doubt that the Ford Kuga brand in SA is in trouble following the model’s propensity to burst into flames. Ford SA has not helped the situation with its lethargic reaction to what is now a major crisis. Some considerable damage has been done but Ford SA can still make amends. It will need to move with lighting speed because the window of opportunity to fix the public relations disaster, will not stay open for long. After more than a year of largely avoiding the issue Ford SA was finally compelled to announce a recall of more than 4,000 Kuga 1.6l models in January 2017. This came after 51 Kugas burst into flames in SA as well as a couple in neighbouring countries. One person lost his life. It did not help that the recall came only after the company was put under pressure by the National Consumer Commission. Up until that point Ford SA had failed to produce a satisfactory response and was facing increasing criticism. The company’s reputation has suffered and its brand i...
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