You know who they are – those poor folks suffering through life with a short attention span. Conversations divert from the topic at hand with little or no warning. But, could it be there’s actually a strategy in mind with this diversion? Could that strategy also work as a public relations ploy when corporate image is at stake?
We’ve talked in this space before about the IKEA dresser tip-over risk. It’s serious. At least six have died, and a child is injured every 30 minutes in the U.S. by furniture or a TV toppling over on them. That’s why The Quality Certification Alliance was asked last year to represent our industry and partner with the CPSC as a Community Leader for the Anchor It! Campaign. The 29 million dressers recalled by IKEA beginning last June is the largest recall of its kind.
The news came last month that IKEA had settled wrongful death lawsuits filed after the death of three Philadelphia children for a whopping $50 million – the largest settlement amount ever. IKEA also agreed to donate $50,000 in memory of each of the three children to hospitals in communities where their families live, and another $100,000 to Shane’s Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on children’s safety and tip-over issues founded by the mother of a child killed in a tip-over incident. The news black eye was not getting any better for IKEA.
But then, IKEA’s corporate image caught an unlikely break. Two teens in Belgium, in timing that is at least an interesting coincidence, snuck into an IKEA for a sleepover and posted a video on YouTube that has been seen nearly two and a half million times. “Two Idiots at Night in IKEA” has been duplicated with sleepovers by other teens in IKEA stores worldwide (in the U.S., Canada, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, Australia and Poland), apparently initiated after first watching the video. Cue the PR team to swing into action, testing a lighter tone in an attempt to gently offset the currently very negative corporate news.
A spokesperson told the BBC, “We appreciate that people are interested in Ikea and want to create fun experiences. However, the safety and security of our co-workers and customers is our highest priority and that's why we do not allow sleepovers in our stores.” Deft move, or just dumb luck, it’s a clever play by IKEA either way. They get to appear stern towards pranksters while simultaneously spreading the news about a hipster trend involving their brand. It’s not a strategy that I would suggest if you are facing a recall of promotional products you’ve sourced – probably a better idea to make sure it is safe and compliant BEFORE you ship it. Don’t want to see you yelling “Squirrel!”
Speaking of QCA, it announced last week in Las Vegas at EXPO the addition of a new member to the Distributor Advocacy Council. Blink Marketing is joining the DAC, a group which recognizes and supports that compliance solutions are best done as a collaborative effort between suppliers and distributors. Daniel Gardner, managing partner at Blink said, “Blink Marketing is passionate about responsible sourcing and has worked tirelessly over the last few years to ensure we are doing all we can to maintain the highest level of product safety for our clients. In striving to go above and beyond, Blink approached the Distributor Advocacy Council to gain an even greater insight into compliance, safety and supplier transparency.”
Tim Brown, executive director for operations at QCA, added “Blink Marketing, an up-and-coming industry force, joining our Distributor Advisory Council furthers the cause of taking to heart our industry’s responsibility to protect our clients’ brands. Whether stated or not, end-buyers expect to receive safe and compliant products from our industry. Distributors like Blink elevate the professionalism of our industry by promoting the value of accredited supply chain processes through independent third-party auditors.”
Jeff Jacobs has been an expert in building brands and brand stewardship for more than 35 years, working in commercial television, Hollywood film and home video, publishing, and promotional brand merchandise. He’s a staunch advocate of consumer product safety and has a deep passion and belief regarding the issues surrounding compliance and corporate social responsibility. He recently retired as executive director of Quality Certification Alliance, the only non-profit dedicated to helping suppliers provide safe and compliant promotional products. Before that, he was director of brand merchandise for Michelin. As a recovering end-user client, he can’t help but continue to consult Fortune 500 consumer brands on promo product safety when asked. You can also find him working as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, traveling the world with his lovely wife, or enjoying a cigar at his favorite local cigar shop. Follow Jeff on Twitter, or reach out to him at jacobs.jeffreyp@gmail.com.