Question

How did H&M management crisis from the backlash of being racist on social media?

Answer 1

One of the final H&M apology's real strengths was that it took full responsibility for the matter. No effort was made to divert the blame, make an excuse or explain the product. It said: "We agree with all the criticism that this has generated we have got this wrong and we accept that prejudice needs to be eradicated wherever it remains, even if it is unintended, unconscious or casual. We appreciate the support of those who saw that our product and promotion were not meant to be offensive, but as a global brand, we have a responsibility to be aware of and adapt to all racial and cultural sensitivities and this time we have not lived up to this responsibility.

One of the odd things about how H&M handled this crisis is that where to go for the latest information isn't particularly clear. The first apology seems to have been sent to reporters on request; the second has taken the form of a tweet and the final apology has been published on the company's website and made available on Twitter only through the company's bio.

As good as the final apology is, during an incident of crisis media management, it should not actually take three attempts to get the apology right. Organizations can come under intense pressure in a crisis and there has been media interest from around the globe in this particular incident. But H&M also needs to ask itself why its final apology 's emphatic and caring tone did not happen sooner.