Boo hoo for Boohoo

    

   

   

"Boohoo to launch independent review of supply chain- “shocked and appalled.” Not knowing whether your supply chain is following the t&cs of its contract and the law is just bad management and lazy. These guys were asleep on the job, clearly."

 

 

Sarah Waddington, Astute.Work and #FuturePRoofcommunity

     

"With more than £1bn cut from its market value, it is also a reminder that investors will take action if companies fail to adopt good ESG practices. Corporate reputation impacts business results.
The company relies heavily on influencers and celebrities to promote its clothing. The Telegraph reports that it spent at least £90m on celebrity endorsements and other marketing costs last year. So far Vas J Morgan is the only well-known influencer who has come out and called for a boycott via an Instagram post. Influencers have been under a lot of scrutiny recently. It will be interesting to see if more choose to do the right thing and put ethics before fees to denounce the practices of Boohoo. I’ll also be watching to see if Boohoo’s younger customer base, which research suggests is more concerned with social issues, vote with their feet."

Bienosa Ebite, Centrica

     

    

   

Another crisis mismanagement

    

   

    

"Apparently, after Michael Gove was pictured without a face covering in a Pret A Manger, Boris Johnson’s spokesman says masks will not be required when buying takeaway food. I didn’t think there was much that could still surprise me about the communications effort over this pandemic, but I was wrong."

Alan Oliver, Santander UK

   

"Does this mean that to visit the right hand side of my local farm shop I don't wear a mask as it is a delicatessen that sells takeaway food, but I do need a mask to visit the left hand side as it has a butcher?"

 

 

Stuart Bruce, Independent management consultant

   

  

    

"This would all be funny if it wasn’t so crass and serious. Expert communicators and crisis management specialists will be analysing it to pieces for years to come. It’s a shame those same experts don’t appear to be actually working on the communications now, when it’s most needed."

Alan Oliver, Santander UK

   

      

Ethics vs. Greed

   

   

   

"Interesting commentary piece in the The Times this morning about companies taking advantage of the job retention scheme when not really needed. Think this will be seen as abusing the system whereas the companies that really need it potentially still struggle. Big high streets brands have been taking a public stance to show their ethical standards which I think is great. But time will tell - who stands their ground in the name of ethics and who takes whatever they can get - another interesting brand watch!"

Jennifer Thomas, Communications director

  

    

…meanwhile in Bristol…

     

    

    

"The secret mission to replace the toppled statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol with a figure of a Black Lives Matter protestor by artist Marc Quinn is a brilliant piece of activism which keeps the issue of systemic racism alive and well in people’s minds and top of the news agenda. I hope the local authorities allows it to stay - it marks a moment in time, which hopefully heralds real change"

Sarah Waddington, Astute.Work and #FuturePRoofcommunity