What Ford SA should have done to protect its reputation
Factual information no longer ensures a good corporate image or consumers’ trust — feelings matter too, writes Marietjie Theron-Wepener
Ford SA has suffered huge damage to its reputation thanks to its poor handling of a crisis involving some of its Kuga cars. The global car manufacturer’s local operation has been forced to recall more than 4,000 Kuga Ecoboost 1.6l models manufactured between December 2012 and February 2014. Ford SA CEO Jeff Nemeth announced the recall after more than 40 cases of engine fires had been reported. To aggravate the situation, one death allegedly resulted from a Ford Kuga exploding in December 2015. There can be little doubt that the Ford Kuga crisis has hurt the company’s reputation, and could even prove fatal to its South African operations. Ford SA has been attacked viciously in the media and radio stations have been inundated with calls from angry customers, some of whom have resorted to legal action. Ford SA has clearly made some elementary mistakes in managing the crisis. Companies today recognise the importance of a strong corporate reputation as a critical strategic asset, which t...
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