Lest we forget how bad Abercrombie & Fitch is at Poppy PR
So once again Abercrombie & Fitch has blundered spectacularly as subsidiary Hollister are slated for banning the poppy at a store in Southampton, but the episode has revealed an even deeper PR problem.
Morgan PR has blogged about the image conscious American clothing’s blunders in the past. First back in August 2009 when we blogged ‘Abercrombie & Fitch learn crisis management PR lesson’ over the appalling way it treated staff member Riam Dean for daring to be born without a left forearm, banishing her to the back room lest she offend trendy shoppers.
We took another well deserved swipe when Abercrombie & Fitch after it posted a job advert in Aberdeen stating ‘only good looking people need apply’. You can read about the ‘Good-looking’ job ad looks bad for Abercrombie & Fitch PR for yourself, but crucially we only became involved because of that original post and Personnel Today contacting Morgan PR for a quote.
Once again Google delivered us a call via this blog from the media. This morning as I prepared forThe Social Media Guys event at The Jazz Cafe in Reading I received a telephone call from the Liverpool Echo from a journalist who had Googled ‘Abercrombie & Fitch Crisis’ and found Morgan PR in the number one slot! He was keen to know if I could put them in touch with someone from Abercrombie & Fitch over the poppy PR suicide bid by Hollister.
Reading the outrage in the media and catching some of the news broadcasts this evening it is clear that neither Abercrombie & Fitch nor Hollisters could bring itself to find someone to comment. Even when it did a tactical retreat and allowed staff to wear poppies, it did not put forward a spokesman to comment.
It did however choose to respond directly on Facebook where Hollister has over 2,700,000 people ‘liking’ its page and the same statement appeared on Abercrombie & Fitch’s Facebook, which has a just a few more fans.
The statement, which was made as both pages became a stream of complaints and criticisms (amid people posting pictures of themselves and pleading to be models). It also came after they apparently deleted pictures of poppies. It reads:
"As an American company that has been around since 1892, we appreciate the sacrifices of the British and American servicemen/women in the World Wars and in military conflicts that continue today. Our company policy is to allow associates to wear a poppy as a token of this appreciation on Remembrance Day."
Hardly an endorsement to wear the Poppy is it? But it is a statement at least, but it did not appease the public.
Typical comments from outraged folk included this from 26-year-old student Tanya ‘Taz’ Womack:
“I'm disgusted that it took media attention for you to allow your UK staff to wear poppies, I know this is not an American custom but do you not as a company remember your fallen comrades too? I'm proud to be English and wear my poppy with pride. My Grandfather fought in WW2 and I know of people that have fought in other wars. Plus these men and women also fight for the common good (English and American I might add)”
Or this from Stephen Harry who said:
“I had no idea just how shallow a company and its customers could be until I read this wall; its requests to be a model, and corporate statement about the poppy incident. I think a donation to the British Legion is definitely in order.”
Not such a crazy idea that donation suggestion! After contacting Stephen directly I discovered how shabby Hollister had been. He explained:
I have travelled around the world several times and along the way I have always paid my respects at various memorials, places like Changi (Singapore), Kanchanaburi (Thailand), India, USA, Australia, New Zealand, there are memorials on small pacific islands too, Mangaia in the Cook Islands springs to mind.
I posted a few photos from these places on the Hollister FB page but they have now been deleted, along with my comments, presumably they didn't suit Hollisters image.
How poor is that? Stephen kindly supplied the photo on this blog - Hollister deleted this picture of a poppy near Shoreham in Kent. Do check out his website Travellerman for more amazing photos.
Now, back to that statement from Hollister was up in sufficient time many of the media to have used it as a comment, which brings into question their appreciation of checking social media channels for information, but it also begs the question why the firm did not release as a statement for the media directly.
It is hardly taking care of your social media if you deleting stuff you don't like, but when it comes to crisis management you have to consider how the traditional media will treat you if you ignore them. Without the media the story would not have outraged so many people on Facebook, who also now see Hollister as shallow and only responding under pressure. A spectacular failure.
A sorry episode that shows once again for a brand that cares so much about its image, Abercrombie & Fitch and indeed Hollister, are naive in the extreme.
On a personal note I wear my poppy with pride and will be attending the Remembrance Parade on Sunday as I normally do. However, I support anyone who chooses not to wear one – that it what we fought for, the right to choose. Shame on Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister for trying to stop its staff from their right to choose whether to wear a poppy.