On April 13, 2006, Bausch & Lomb began to pull a product of theirs -- a contact lens solution called ReNu with MoistureLoc -- from the shelves of retailers after the CDC reported an upsurge in Fusarium keratitis, a fungal eye infection that can cause blindness. While the CDC couldn't conclusively link the infections to ReNu with MoistureLoc, there was a clear correlation between consumers who used the product and the contraction of the fungus.
This created a PR nightmare for the company. It is possibly the worst thing for a product to be the cause of harm to consumers. However, today the company continues to be a successful provider of goods with a healthy reputation among consumers. How is this possible? It is possible because the company was successful in using PR strategies to manage the crisis.
The main strategies that Bausch & Lomb used in this case were expediency, honesty, and alignment with core societal values.
The company acted quickly. As soon as they learned of the crisis, they halted shipments, pulled products from the shelves, and alerted the public to the issue at hand. They were honest in their approach. They made no attempts to keep the issue quiet. They did the opposite by publishing newspaper ads to the consumers from the top company executive, advising the public of the problem and openly apologizing for the unfortunate problem. They aligned themselves with the common values of society, which included a general concern for human well being and a basic desire to right the wrongs based on principle, not profit. Bausch & Lomb offered refunds for anyone who had already purchased their product, and assured the public that the company would do everything in its power to remedy the situation.
And then they followed through. Bausch & Lomb made promises that they kept, and people responded to that by maintaining brand loyalty after the matter was resolved. As a result, Bausch & Lomb went on to be successful and their brand is a household name today. In my opinion, their PR strategies accomplished what they set out to do.
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