January 24th, 2018

Below is the offical statement from Crock-Pot released just one day after the crisis occured:

"Crock-Pot understands the concerns brought up by last night’s episode of This Is Us, and we too are heartbroken by the latest development in Jack’s storyline. However, it is important that our consumers understand and have confidence that all Crock-Pot slow cookers exceed all internal testing protocols and all applicable industry safety standards and regulations as verified by independent third-party testing labs. For nearly 50 years, with over 100 million Crock-Pots sold, we have never received any consumer complaints similar to the fictional events portrayed in last night’s episode. In fact, the safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible.

In addition, and most relevant to the concerns consumers are having after watching the recent This Is Us episode, our Crock-Pot slow cookers are low current, low wattage (typically no more than 200 or 300 watts) appliances with self-regulating, heating elements. The product is designed to cook foods over a longer period of time at low temperatures and the switches connect to only 1 side of the power line voltage, so there is never a high voltage applied directly across our switches. The switches within our slow cookers are subjected to additional internal testing, which includes a Rotary Knob Endurance test, Rotary Knob Force Test and Flame Burning Test and constructed of self-extinguishing, flame resistant material.

Our hope is that the team at NBC’s This Is Us will help us spread factual information regarding our product’s safety. While we know their primary mission is to entertain – something they have continued to excel in – we also feel they have a responsibility to inform. Just like many fans, we will be watching next week’s episode to see how Jack’s story progresses and, regardless of the outcome, we want consumers first and foremost to know they are safe when using their Crock-Pot."

Crisis Management Principles Used

If a company's reputation is at stake, it is important to understand certain crisis management principles that can help them get their reputation back to where is was before the crisis. It's crucial to stay proactive, alert, and be ready for anything.

Crisis Response Strategies Used by Crock-Pot:

1. Reminding: Adds positive information about the organization

• "For nearly 50 years, with over 100 million Crock-Pots sold, we have never received any consumer complaints similar to the fictional events portrayed in last night’s episode. In fact, the safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible."

2. Ingratiation: Adds positive information about the organization

• "In addition, and most relevant to the concerns consumers are having after watching the recent This Is Us episode, our Crock-Pot slow cookers are low current, low wattage (typically no more than 200 or 300 watts) appliances with self-regulating, heating elements."

3. Victimage: Builds sympathy for the organization (see pictures of tweet below)

4. Justification: Reinforces minimal damage from the crisis (see pictures of tweet below)

Four Crisis Management Lessons to Learn From Crock-Pot

1. Take action quickly. Do not wait around a few days and see if the crisis stops trending. Address the issue immediately and let stakeholders know that you are aware of the situation and you are handling it. Crock-Pot did a great job of this by being proactive and creating a Twitter account to address upset viewers of This is Us.

2. Address your viewers with empathy and facts- Crock-Pot did it right by responding to viewers with empathy and facts. They empathized by agreeing with viewers that they were just as upset as them about Jack's death. But then they added facts that this is very unlikely to happen. In their official statement they stated, "For nearly 50 years, with over 100 million Crock-Pots sold, we have never received any consumer complaints similar to the fictional events portrayed in last night’s episode. In fact, the safety nd design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible."

3. Ask for help to advocate for you- Crock-Pot did something very smart and asked to work with experts who have credibility to advocate for them to help salvage their reputation. It is okay to admit you need help. They reached out to Ellen DeGeneres, creator of the show, Dan Fogelman, and the star himself, Milo Ventimigula.

4. No Excuses- Crock-Pot could have gone about this in so many different ways. They could have blamed NBC for this crisis or they could have simply ignored it. Instead, they owned up to the situation and handled it with class and ease. It is important not to point the finger at other people during a crisis, especially when you know you're at fault. Even though Crock-Pot didn't actually do anything wrong, they were ready for anything and that makes for great crisis management.

My Opinion on the Crisis Response:

I think Crock-Pot handled this crisis very professionally and efficiently. The only thing that was strange is that they did not have a Twitter account before this all started. Some may see that as them having to play catch up, which is what you don't want to do in a crisis situation. But that were proactive and made one instantly when they caught wind that people were tweeting things about Crock-Pot after the show aired. They responded to the viewers with empathy and facts. They used the right language towards the viewers and they asked for help when they needed to gain credibility back. Their statement was out within a day of the incident, and it was filled with facts and reassured viewers that Crock-Pots are safe and what happened in the show is very unlikely. Overall, this crisis was handled well and it is a great example of PR and crisis management.