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Abstract
Product recall messages represent an essential communication tool in crisis situations. Their function is twofold: to provide information of a practical nature regarding the defective product, and the operational process of recalling it, and to defend the reputation of the affected firm. This paper attempts to analyse the structure and the function of product recall messages published in the UK national press, using as points of reference best practice guides published by professional or governmental organisations.
KEYWORDS: product recall, newspapers, information media, United Kingdom, communication, best practice
INTRODUCTION
Mistakes happen in the commercial world. When a specific product is defective, a marketing crisis is imminent. If a well-designed policy is implemented, however, the effects of this crisis can be minimised, and, paradoxically, even turned into a promotional tool by the affected company - which can use the crisis as an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to customer safety and product quality by taking quick and effective action.
An essential part of the crisis-solving policy is communication. Hearit1 argues that crises are above all communicative creations and, as such, their successful management and resolution is fundamentally communicative. Therefore, an effective communication campaign can not only support and speed up the process of product recall, but also the recovery and improvement of the firm's reputation.
Product recall messages represent only a part, although a central one, of product recall communication strategy. The multitude of professional papers, reports and advice available, often for free, regarding the style, content and layout of the product recall message creates an expectation of high professionalism concerning the design and implementation of product recall communications. It is, however, surprising how many product recalls still have negative effects on a company's image and reputation, because of superficial design of the message, or a wrongly timed communication campaign.
The present paper attempts to investigate the theory and practice of product recall messages, as they are published in the UK national press. The study analyses product recall messages using an interdisciplinary approach, by applying the methodology and the analytical framework of discourse analysis. Discourse analysis is a discipline that studies the organisation and the use of language in social contexts; its advantage in comparison with other research approaches is the contextual framework of message...