UNIT IV

Media relations: Tools and Techniques, Media

Monitoring and Research
MEDIA RELATIONS

Media relations is an integral part of any business, allowing professionals to distribute company news and
product updates through traditional news outlets and popular social media channels. Because of their role
in the marketplace, these outlets are regarded as credible sources of information, earning the trust of
consumers.

Sharing a company's news in the media does not happen automatically. Instead, it takes the time and
talents of a devoted public relations staff. It's important to understand how media relations works.

Media relations begins inside a corporation, when a company has an important update to share. Whether
the news covers a new product, a change in structure or process or an exciting business expansion,
someone has to distribute the news to the media.

A media relations firm will work with a corporation to transform updates into appealing news stories that
engage the public. Once the news is ready, PR professionals will select the best media outlets to distribute
the information. The media relations firm will leverage their expertise and connections in the news
industry to get the coverage.

The sheer amount of exposure media provides for a corporation will make business top-of-mind for
consumers. A carefully executed news feature can elevate a company's reputation, foster brand recognition
and boost sales, making an impact on bottom line.

Objectives of Media Relations:

● Provide free publicity and promotions

● Construct positive image of the company in media
● To ensure regular media exposure
● Give newsworthy content
● Provide easy access to Journalists for information about the company.

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF MEDIA RELATIONS

Press Release and Press Statement

A press release is a written document prepared for the media – also called the press - that announces
something newsworthy. This 1-3-page document is disseminated to the media in the hopes that reporters
and editors will use the information contained within in an upcoming TV or radio broadcast, in a
newspaper or magazine issue, or on the media’s website.

There is a subtle difference between a press release and a press statement, although organizations often use
the two terms interchangeably. A press release is generally used for new information such as an
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announcement or update. Press releases are also useful for conveying information such as statistical data,
lists of candidates, or lists of polling sites. A press statement is utilized for a reactionary statement. In
other words, if an event has taken place and an EMB wants to make a public comment on it (such as
support, or disapproval), this would be done in the form of a statement.

Press Conference

A press conference is an event organized to officially distribute information and answer questions from the
media. Press conferences are also announced in response to specific public relations issues.

Corporate press conferences are generally led by the company's executive management or a press liaison
or communications officer. Given limited resources, particularly during a time of quarterly or annual
earnings, it may be difficult to attract major media attention unless a company has a truly unique or
newsworthy announcement to share.

Media Tours

Media tours provide an excellent opportunity for media to witness processes and facilities first hand.
Tours are similar to press conferences only in that they involve an assembly of a larger group of media at
once. Media tours can be of any facility or process that allows media to get an inside view of processes.
This is good for transparency and it provides participants video or audio footage for their own broadcasts.

Media advisories

Media advisories can be used to give a short update or advance notification to news outlets.

MEDIA MONITORING

Media monitoring is the process of reading, watching or listening to the content of media sources on a
continuing basis, and then, identifying, saving and analyzing content.

Media monitoring is the activity of monitoring the output of the print, online and broadcast media. It can
be conducted for a variety of reasons, including political, commercial, scientific, and so on.

​Monitoring News Media & Social Media

Monitoring content of news sources including newspapers, magazines, trade journals, TV, radio stations
and the Internet is by far the most common type of media monitoring. This form of media monitoring is
called “news monitoring”.

In addition to monitoring news, many organizations now also monitor social media on the Internet,
tracking word of mouth mentions about their organization in social media such as Facebook, Twitter and
blogs,

In business

In the commercial sphere, this activity is usually carried out in house or by a media monitoring service, a
private company that provides such services to other companies, organisations and individuals on a
subscription basis.
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The services that media monitoring companies provide include the systematic recording of radio and
television broadcasts, the collection of press clippings from print media publications, the collection of data
from online information sources. The material collected usually consists of any media output that makes
reference to the client. The monitoring of online consumer sources such as blogs is more specifically
known as buzz monitoring which informs the company of how its service or product is perceived by users.

While monitoring social media it can be beneficial for a company to respond to as many posts as possible.
Not all comments will be positive ones, but it is good for the customers to know they are being heard. It is
also important to keep in mind to avoid deleting any unfavorable content from a social media page.
Deleting the comment can make the company look even worse.

Most media monitoring is done within private public relations agencies or businesses in house public
relations sectors. Some of the main platforms include magazines, newspaper, blogs, and social media.
These entries are referred to as “clippings” and are compiled into monthly reports by the Public Relations
firm. These clippings are then presented to the client along with the circulation and impressions from these
platforms. These clippings show the client that how many people through their message has reached.

Research (Gate keeping research)

Gate keeping is the process through which information is filtered for dissemination, whether for
publication, broadcasting, the Internet, or some other mode of communication

Gatekeeping occurs at all levels of the media structure—from a reporter deciding which sources are
chosen to include in a story, to editors deciding which stories are printed or covered, and includes media
outlet owners and even advertisers. Individuals can also act as gatekeepers, deciding what information to
include in an email or in a blog.

In exercising its "surveillance" function, every news medium has a very large number of stories brought to
its attention daily by reporters, wire services, and a variety of other sources.

Only a limited amount of time or space is available in any medium for its daily presentations of the news
to its audience. The remaining space must be devoted to advertising and other content.

Within any news organization there exists a news criteria based on economic needs of the medium,
organizational policy, definitions of newsworthiness, the nature of relevant audience, and beliefs about
fourth estate obligations of journalists.

These news criteria are used by editors, who select a limited number of news stories for presentation to the
public. They then decide them according to the requirements of the medium and the tastes of the audience
are met.

Therefore, personnel in the news organization become gatekeepers, letting some stories pass through
the system but keeping others out.
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Internal & External Communication: Concept

and Tools

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION - CONCEPT

The communication is said to be internal, when the exchange of information, message, facts, opinions, etc.
takes place between the members of the organization or various units of the organization, for business
purposes. It can occur between individuals, groups, departments or units.

Internal Communication works to establish and disseminate the objectives of the undertaking, developing
plans for achievement. It assists in selecting, training and appraising participants within the organization. It
is a business tool which leads and motivates the employees to put their best in the job.

Internal Communication uses circulars, staff news letter, fax, notice, minutes on meetings, video
conferencing, presentations, seminars, etc. as a mode of communication.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION- CONCEPT

External Communication can be understood as the sharing of information between the company and any
other person or entity from the external environment, i.e. customers, suppliers, investors, clients, dealers,
government agencies, general public, etc. In general, external communication is largely documented.

External Communication determines the way organization connects or disseminates information to the
audiences external to business. These have a great impact on the minds of stakeholders, as their opinion
about the company and brand largely depends on it.

It focuses on facilitating cooperation with the groups so as to build and maintain good public image
through relationships.

Key Differences Between Internal and External Communication

The differences between internal and external communication can be drawn clearly on the following
grounds:
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● Internal Communication refers to the communication which takes place among the participants within
the business organization. On the contrary, external communication is a communication that occurs
between the organization and other individuals, groups or organizations.
● Internal communication aims at transmission of information between various business units and
departments. On the other hand, external communication focuses on maintaining relationship or
exchanging information with the parties external to the business.
● The participants of internal communication are employees and the company’s management. As
against this, the parties to external communication include customers, shareholders, investors, clients,
general public, suppliers, creditors, etc.
● Both internal and external communication is regular but the frequency of internal communication is
relatively higher than that of external communication.
● Internal communication flows within the organization, whereas the external communication flows in
the vast business environment.

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION - TOOLS

MEMO

Memorandum or memos are an in internal short note or letter in which information exchanged among
superiors and subordinates or same position of employees in the organizational structure.

REPORT

Report is an organized statement of facts and findings that contains information obtained by proper
inquiry, examination and evaluation of any past event relating to a particular subject or problem that helps
to decision making.

INTERVIEW

An interview is a formal meeting between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where
questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information, qualities, attitudes, whishes etc. from the
interviewee.
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FACE-TO-FACE

Face-to-face conversation is an informal discussion through spoken language or words on a particular

issue among the people to exchange their views.By far the most preferred, most desired communication
channel among our clients’ audiences – and of course the most difficult to achieve these days. Strive to
include things like town-halls, leader-led listening sessions and team meetings in your mix. If you can
create branded environments and events so much the better, but that shouldn’t be your priority. Two-way
conversations, capturing feedback and sharing information are more important.

COMPLAINTS AND SUGGESTION BOX:

A complaint is an expression of, or the cause of, pain, anger, discontent, regret or annoyance suggestion
box is a device for obtaining additional suggestions, comments, questions and requests. The box is used
for colleting slips of paper with input from customers and patrons of a particular organization. Suggestion
boxes may also exist internally, within an organization, such as means for garnering employee input.

NOTICES:

● Notice board is a common tool of an organization where the office displays the notices for its
employees. Employees normally glance through the notice board.
● Notice writing is an art. Lengthy notices are always avoidable because employees by nature do not
spend more time in front of the notice board. The language should be very lucid, simple and
straight. Ambiguous notices create more problems than solving any.
● Now electronic notice boards are used which can accommodate much more words and can draw
the notice of the employees in a very professional way. Normally electronic notice boards are
displayed in the public places.

STAFF MEETING

● In order to exchange information, plan and coordinate program activities, once a week or more
often if it is necessary, staff meetings are held.
● The person who schedules a meeting via e-mail informs all employees that are supposed to attend
the meeting; In a meeting invitation e-mail the purpose of the meeting should be stated; Scheduled
time and topic of the meeting are entered into organization Google Calendar;
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HOUSE JOURNALS:
House Journal is the best tool of employee relations. House Journal is a good tool of employee relations. A
house journal is a publication of the organization for the internal circulation. It is circulated among its
internal public. Sociology of communication says a person expresses himself only when he is sure that his
viewpoint is honoured. If the house journal can be made a platform for its employees to:

• Express the views of the employees.

• Highlight their suggestions.
• Accommodate their and their family members literary skills.
• Publish the talents among the employees by which they get due recognition.
• Facilitate two-way communication among the authority and the employees.

Normally house journals carry the viewpoint of the top management. The pages are filled with the
speeches and photographs of the organization. By doing this the house journal becomes the journal of the
management. But in order to achieve the objectives, it should be of the employees, for the employees and
by the employees.

AUDIO-VIDEO PROGRAMMES:
In this electronic era Audio and videotapes have gained much significance. In case the authority wants to
speak something to its employees he can talk to the camera and the tape can be played before the
employees. The basic philosophy being the employees must get a feeling that they have been in touch with
the developments of the organization they are serving.

INTERNAL BLOGS
An internal blog is also a good option. This is not something your customers and competitors will be able
to access.The internal blog is a place where employees can share ideas and experiences fast. It promotes
open discussion and collaboration among the workforce. There are instances where some employees will
be more likely to use this than face-to-face.
It connects employees across departments It keeps the staff up-to-date on important information and
company updates
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EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION - TOOLS

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS:

Annual general meetings are the proper opportunity of talking about the future. In annual general body
meeting an investor might be gets a chance to ask questions and meet the directors of his company.

NEWSLETTER:

Newsletter is another medium to keep the investors. Newsletter need not carry all the financial information
or documents. However, it can update the audience on new products, major investment in premises and
equipment, new services etc.

VISITS:

Visits are always the most effective tools of communication. To make a person appraise of the prosperity
or development of a company, he should be given an opportunity to assess it for himself. Hence to get a
better deal from the investors they should be taken for a visit to the premises of the company.

BUSINESS MEETINGS

Business meetings should be scheduled in advance in writing, several days prior the meeting, so that all
participants could plan their time. In emergency situations, meetings could be scheduled by phone. When
scheduling, clearly define the purpose of the meeting.

-The circle of invited employees and who attend the meeting is defined by the purpose of the meeting.

PRESS RELEASE AND PRESS STATEMENT

A press release is a written document prepared for the media – also called the press - that announces
something newsworthy. This 1-3-page document is disseminated to the media in the hopes that reporters
and editors will use the information contained within in an upcoming TV or radio broadcast, in a
newspaper or magazine issue, or on the media’s website.

There is a subtle difference between a press release and a press statement, although organizations often use
the two terms interchangeably. A press release is generally used for new information such as an
announcement or update. Press releases are also useful for conveying information such as statistical data,
lists of candidates, or lists of polling sites. A press statement is utilized for a reactionary statement. In
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other words, if an event has taken place and an EMB wants to make a public comment on it (such as
support, or disapproval), this would be done in the form of a statement.

WEBSITE

The most important channel is the public website, which is accessible to all external publics of an
organisation. It provides information about the organisation, history, product or service, technical
facilities, etc.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media Today argue that the purpose of social media marketing is to build a brand and increase a
brand's visibility, through building relationships and communicating with potential customers.Social
platforms help you connect with your customers, increase awareness about your brand, and boost your
leads and sales. With more than three billion people around the world using social media every month, it's
no passing trend.
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Guidelines and Ethics for Corporate

Communication
Ethics for business communication

Ethical issues of business communication are the process by which individuals exchange information
between other individuals or groups of people. Throughout the process, effective communicators try as
clearly and accurately to convey their thoughts, intentions and objectives to their receiver. Communication
is successful only when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information. In today's
business environments, effective communication skills are necessary due to the highly informational and
technological era.

For better communication, understanding the obvious and the fine issues relating to communication is
necessary.

Any company that aims to be socially and ethically responsible must make a priority of ethical
communication both inside the company and in its interactions with the public.

Corporate Communication Code of Ethics:

1. Honesty

Professional communicators are honest, accurate and candid in all communications. This practice
encourages the free flow of important information in the interest of the public.

2. Confidentiality

Protecting the confidences and privacy rights of employees and customers is the duty of
professional communicators. Additionally, they must abide by legal requirements for disclosing
information that affects the welfare of others.

3. Credit

When content is borrowed from another source, professional communicators give credit and
identify that source. In many cases, communicators must request permission from the original
source before sharing the borrowed information.
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4. Free Speech

Professional communicators support the principles of free speech and free ideas. These practices
encourage open competition.

5. Courtesy

Sensitivity to cultural values and beliefs are crucial for the professional communicator. It’s
important to understand your audience and encourage mutual understanding.

Guidelines for Corporate communication

Consistency is key – it’s a phrase we hear all the time in communications, and never has it been so
relevant than in this day and age when we are constantly communicating with our customers and clients.

It’s now crucial that your business has some communication guidelines or rules in place to ensure your
staff communicate in the “voice” of your brand and send exactly the right messages to external parties.

Here are some guidelines-

Written communication

Having a style guide to ensure all names of your products and services are referred to and spelt correctly is
a handy tool for staff. For example, Apple iPhone 6 requires a lower case “i”, but a capital “P”, and “6” is
always the numeral and never the word.

All written communication – whether print or email – should adhere to your company’s style guide.

As for email signatures, these should be formatted similarly – remember to include your company logo
and contact details, as well as links to your social media pages and website. You may also consider
including a disclaimer.

Format and design

As well as a communications style guide, a design style guide should be established. On this you need to
specify the different fonts your company uses, as well as the exact colours and sizes – this is vital for the
recognition of your brand.
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The correct usage of your logo is also critical. You may also want to set a minimum size and resolution of
which it can be used.

Social media

Anything you or your staff post on social media can be captured forever – just one online false pas can
damage your company’s reputation, so a policy on what is and isn’t appropriate is necessary.

Always consider the language used and whether it reflects your brand. Timing also plays a big part in
successful social media communication.

Remember, quality is better than quantity.

Website

Crafting persuasive website copy can be challenging – not only do you have to make sure it echoes the
tone of your business, you need to keep it interesting and include keywords, all the while ensuring it’s
short, sweet and professional. The right website copy can lead straight to sales and a bigger customer base
– or it can see you lost in cyberspace.

FAQs​ (frequently asked questions)

Develop a document of questions frequently asked by external parties, and your company’s ideal response
to them. Staff can transfer to this whenever these questions arise to ensure consistency in their
communication.

Responding to feedback and complaints

The same goes for feedback – whether positive or negative, it’s a good idea to have a set formal response
in place, while still acknowledging the customer’s individual opinion.

Time is of the essence when responding to customer feedback, so aim to reply within 48 hours. Of course,
more informal language can be used when acknowledging feedback on social media.

Phone communication

Your staff should always answer the phone in a similar manner, and state, obviously, the business name
and their first name. It can also be a nice touch to end the call in a style such as, “Is there anything else I
can help you with?” All of these little details go a long way in improving a customer’s experience.
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Crisis Management: Concept and Case Studies

(Infosys Crisis and Nestle Maggi)
CONCEPT

Crisis management is the process by which an organization deals with a disruptive and unexpected event
that threatens to harm the organization, its stakeholders, or the general public.

Some elements are common to a crisis: (a) a threat to the organization, (b) the element of surprise, and (c)
a short decision time. According to Venette "crisis is a process of transformation where the old system can
no longer be maintained".

In contrast to risk management, which involves assessing potential threats and finding the best ways to
avoid those threats, crisis management involves dealing with threats during and after they have occurred. It
is a discipline within the broader context of management consisting of skills and techniques required to
identify, assess, understand, and cope with a serious situation, especially from the moment it first occurs to
the point that recovery procedures start.

Crisis management is a situation-based management system that includes clear roles and responsibilities.
The aim of crisis management is to be well prepared for crisis, ensure a rapid and adequate response to the
crisis in the event of crisis.

Crisis management is occasionally referred to as incident management.

A crisis management requires the ability to think of the worst-case scenario while simultaneously
suggesting numerous solutions. It is necessary to maintain a list of emergency plans and to be always on
alert. Organizations and individuals should always be prepared with a rapid response plan to emergencies.

The credibility and reputation of organizations is heavily influenced by the perception of their responses
during crisis situations. There must be open and consistent communication throughout the hierarchy to
contribute to a successful crisis-communication process.

TYPES OF CRISIS

1. Natural Disaster
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Natural disaster related crises are such environmental phenomena as earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, tornadoes and hurricanes, floods, landslides, tsunamis, storms, and droughts that threaten
life, property, and the environment itself.

2. Personnel crisis

This is when an employee or someone else associated with a business is involved in activity or
conduct that’s considered unethical and/ or illegal. This misconduct may occur in or out of the
workplace and can be related to the work life or personal life of the individual involved.

3. Technological Crisis

This is when servers go down, software crashes, or another technological system stops functioning
properly. It might cause a business to lose large amounts of revenue, make customers question their
reliability, or tarnish their reputation.When an accident creates significant environmental damage,
the crisis is categorized as mega damage. Samples include software failures, industrial accidents,
and oil spills.

4. Conflict crisis

Conflict crisis occur when dissatisfied individuals and groups fight to win acceptance of their
demands and expectations. The common type of conflict crisis is boycotts, and other types are
protest, ultimatums to those in authority, blockade or occupation of buildings, and resisting or
disobeying police.

5. Rumors

False information about an organization or its products creates crises hurting the organization’s
reputation. Sample is linking the organization to stories that their products are contaminated.

6. Bankruptcy

A crisis also arises when organizations fail to pay its creditors and other parties. Lack of fund leads
to crisis.

7. Crisis of Organizational Misdeeds

Crises of organizational misdeeds arise when management takes certain decisions knowing the
harmful consequences of the same towards the stakeholders and external parties.In such cases,
superiors ignore the after effects of strategies and implement the same for quick results.
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METHODS

Crisis management methods include the following:

1. Responsive crisis management: ​This is when a business has a previously prepared response to a
specific type of crisis situation that they can roll out at any point in time. For example, a business
might have specific steps in place for how they would manage an organizational or financial crisis
in a timely manner. These plans might also detail the process in which they would inform
employees about the event and deal with key stakeholders.
2. Proactive crisis management: ​This is when a business anticipates a specific type of crisis
occurring and proactively prepares for it. An example of this would be related to the potential of a
natural crisis — a business located in Key West, FL might ensure the office space is built to handle
hurricanes and severe storms.
3. Recovery crisis management: This is when a business manages a crisis that blindsided them
because it happened out of the blue. An example of this is a technological crisis. If a business’
software is working perfectly one moment and unexpectedly crashes another, it impacts employees
in addition to customers who use the software.

MANAGEMENT TEAM
Crisis management teams are created to protect your business from the adverse effects of any crisis
situation or event. They also help keep your business and employees prepared for any threats that could
potentially come your way. Barton (2001) identifies the common members of the crisis team as public
relations, legal, security, operations, finance, and human resources. However, the composition will vary
based on the nature of the crisis. For instance, information technology would be required if the crisis
involved the computer system.

Some of the main job functions of a crisis management team include:

1. Re-building an environment of trust

2. Making wise and rapid decisions as well as taking courageous action
3. Detecting warning signs that signal a crisis is coming.
4. Working with employees to prepare for and handle the implementation of a crisis management
plan.
5. Ensuring the reputation of your company remains positive throughout (and after) any crisis event.
6. Helping your business prepare for any future crisis situations
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MODEL

Crisis Management Model

According to Gonzalez-Herrero and Pratt, crisis management includes following three stages:

1. Diagnosis of Crisis

The first stage involves detecting the early indicators of crisis. It is for the leaders and managers to
sense the warning signals of a crisis and prepare the employees to face the same with courage and
determination. Superiors must review the performance of their subordinates from time to time to
know what they are up to.

The role of a manager is not just to sit in closed cabins and shout on his subordinates. He must
know what is happening around him. Monitoring the performance of the employee regularly helps
the managers to foresee crisis and warn the employees against the negative consequences of the
same. One should not ignore the alarming signals of crisis but take necessary actions to prevent it.

2. Planning

Once a crisis is being detected, crisis management team must immediately jump into action. Ask
the employees not to panic. Devise relevant strategies to avoid an emergency situation. Sit and
discuss with the related members to come out with a solution which would work best at the times
of crisis. It is essential to take quick decisions. One needs to be alert and most importantly patient.
Make sure your facts and figures are correct. Don’t rely on mere guess works and assumptions. It
will cost you later.

3. Implementation of the change process and its monitoring

The crisis management plan should be implemented using various channels. Relationship with all
th external and internal publics is maintained. Employees must adjust well to new situations and
changes for effective functioning of organization in near future. It is important to analyze the
causes which led to a crisis at the workplace. Mistakes should not be repeated and new plans and
processes must be incorporated in the system.

CASE STUDIES:
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NESTLE

Nestlé’s Maggi noodles banned in India

At the end of May 2015, India’s Food safety administration (FDA) ordered Nestlé India to recall its
popular 2-minute Maggi noodles after tests showed that the product contained high levels of lead.

Maggi instant noodles came under the scanner for three main reasons. The first was the aforementioned
violation of the regulations for adding lead and MSG into the product, as against the maximum limit. The
second offence was mentioning 'No added MSG' on the packaging, which is an act of mislabeling. Also, it
launched 'Maggi Oats Masala Noodles' without meeting the appropriate norms of standardisation. On June
5, 2015, a nationwide ban was imposed on Maggi by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India).

Indian food inspectors order Nestlé India to return a batch of Maggi Noodles from the northern Indian
state of Uttar Pradesh claiming that tests have found Maggi instant noodles "unsafe and hazardous" and
accused Nestlé of failing to comply with food safety law.

The initial response from the global Company rejected the accusation that the noodles were unsafe and
said on their website and social media accounts that there had been no order to recall any products.

1st June – Nestlé re-assures customers its noodles are safe

Nestlé continues to keep its customers up to date on the investigation into the safety of Maggi noodles in
India. On the official Maggi noodles India Facebook page, Twitter and website, Nestlé states that wide
testing reveals no excess lead in Maggi noodles.

2nd June – Nestlé interacts with customers on social media thanking them for their support

Nestlé uses Twitter and Facebook to answer customers questions about the levels of lead found in their
noodles. The company continues to re-assure customers that the noodles are safe and that they are a
transparent company working closely with authorities in India to resolve the issue.

3rd June – Nestlé launches a FAQ page on the official Nestlé website

Nestlé continues to engage in an active dialogue with customers on social media channels Facebook and
Twitter. As well as this the company created a FAQ page on the official Nestlé website to answer all
questions.

4th June – Nestlé backtracks and recalls all Maggi noodles from India
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To begin with, in June 2015 itself, Nestle announced a recall of all its instant noodles from the markets. It
began to be executed within two days. At the same time, the other step was confidence building measures.
It regularly called for press conferences and also approached the Bombay High Court for relief, following
which the Court permitted export of Maggi to other countries. Further, Nestle India sought help from
APCO Worldwide, a US based Public Relations firm. They set up a mechanism for maintaining customer
relationships, be it through a customer services helpline or posting FAQs regarding recent developments
on its website, not to mention its presence on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, where
representatives answered all sorts of questions asked by irate customers.

16th June – Nestlé to destroy withdrawn noodles

Nestlé decided to destroy more than £32million ($50million) worth of Maggi Noodles in India after they
were deemed unsafe by regulators.

3rd July – Testing on Maggi noodles abroad finds levels of lead are within food safety levels

After the food safety scare in India Maggi noodles have been tested in other parts of the world to reassure
consumers that they are safe. UK and Canada cleared Maggi noodles as safe.

When Maggi noodles, one of Nestlé’s top products was deemed unsafe in India, all eyes were on Nestlé to
see how they would respond and manage the situation. Initially Nestlé defended its product and rejected all
claims that its noodles were unsafe, and they did this on all digital channels.

Nestlé took to social media, Facebook and multiple Twitter accounts to reassure customers that its product
was safe. Nestlé responded directly to all comments on social media. As well as this Nestlé created a
section on their main website to keep customers updated.

As the pressure grew on the global company, in a press conference Nestlé’s CEO said that all Maggi
noodles in India would be withdrawn from shelves in order to comply with regulators.

Again Nestlé used digital channels to explain to customers why this decision had been made and to answer
all their questions. Nestlé also explained the science behind the reason for the ban in simple terms so
customers could understand.

August 2015​ ​Update

After a difficult summer for Nestlé India the company finally receives some positive news after an Indian
government approved laboratory has found that Maggi noodles do in fact comply with national food safety
standards.
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India’s food minister has slammed the FSSIA (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) for creating
an environment of fear in the food industry. Meanwhile, Maggi noodles have been cleared in many foreign
countries; Nestlé also received permission from the Bombay High Court to export Indian Maggi noodles.

With the ban now kept aside and Maggi cleared for production,Nestle India geared to relaunch the instant
noodles. For this, the company has said that it. Will be advertising aggressively, increased its spending on
TV commercials. During the ban, Nestle India had come up with a series of advertisements to the theme
#WeMissYoutoo.

It was Diwali two days in advance for several grocery stores and customers in the city. Departmental
stores across Mumbai had a special display Monday, right on their entry gate in bold letters: “We are
back”, “Maggi is back”. By the end of the day, several small-time grocery shop owners admitted their
entire stock had been sold out once the word spread in the locality.

In a special rollout, Nestlé, apart from re-launching Maggi noodles back into the market, also tied up with
online portal Snap deal to register requests for home delivery of Maggi noodles starting Tuesday. “We will
start taking orders from Tuesday. But delivery will be made after Diwali,” a Nestlé spokesperson told

INFOSYS

ABOUT INFOSYS

Infosys is provider of technology, engineering and outsourcing services. Infosys was co-founded in 1981
by N. R.Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani and other management partners. It’s headquartered in
Bangalore. It has offices in 30 countries. Today, Infosys is a global leader in the "next generation" of IT

India’s $150-billion software industry woke up to a shocking news on Aug 18, 2017. Vishal Sikka, the
flamboyant CEO and MD of Infosys Technologies, resigned. The Bengaluru-based software major, though
the second largest IT Company after Tata Group-owned TCS, is considered the leader for the country’s
growing software sector.

Infosys Technologies is one of the few Indian companies that have changed the way the world looks at
India. No longer is India a land of snake charmers and beggars. It is now perceived as an economic giant
with brilliant software engineers and ambitious entrepreneurs. And Infosys is a symbol of India's
information technology glory.
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Founded by N R Narayana Murthy on a modest scale in 1981, it grew into an IT giant over the years,
employing more than two lakh people now.

Crisis at Infosys

Incidentally, N R Narayana Murthy, now minority shareholder, who moved away from the company’s
management and passed on the baton to Sikka in 2014, was the reason behind the resignation of Sikka who
had been trying to transform the IT giant into a new-age tech corporation.

However, Murthy, who along with his family members owned just 3.44 per cent stake in the company,
expressed his displeasure time and again over the way the company was being run by the new
management.

N R Narayana Murthy also raised these corporate governance issues-

High severance package of Rs 23 crore to Rajiv Bansal who quit as Infosys CFO, the $200-million
acquisition of Israel-based IT company Panaya in 2015(In February 2015, anonymous whistle-blower
complaints claimed that the acquisition was overvalued), and abnormal pay hikes for some executives
created the tension between the illustrious co-founder and the new management led by Sikka.

Infosys board, in a statement, supported the outgoing CEO and blamed Murthy’s continued assault on him
for his departure. It appointed Vishal Sikka as the Executive Vice-Chairman to oversee the management
transition. It also made it clear that there was no proposal from its side to offer any role to Murthy in the
company.

But, the board and the management failed to counter above charges alleged by Murthy.

And the next important turning point was the email sent by Murthy to some of his advisors in which he
claimed that at least three independent directors on Infosys board told him that Sikka was not a CEO, but
this email was leaked to the media and the whole case was exposed in public.
To manage the situation,
So, with serious leadership issues, serial resignations and delay in turning the company to new emerging
technologies, investors had consistently been nervous about the future prospects of the once Indian
technology sector.
Two sets of teams have been put in place to reach out to the US and Asian investors, said officials in the
know. While R Seshasayee, the company’s chairman and Sikka will be touring the US, a group of senior
most CXOs along with co-chairman Ravi Venkatesan will be reaching out to foreign institutional investors
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in Singapore and Hong Kong, said officials in the know. There will be separate meetings with Indian
investors too.