Political Crisis Management

Good Karma for Pharma

Public Affairs

Government plays an outsized role in shaping public perception. A multinational pharmaceutical company suffered this realization when its top executive made a public gaffe that upset Chinese officials. After state media leaked the blunder, fierce public backlash led to protests and stores removing the company’s products from shelves.

STRATEGY & EXECUTION

Because reputations built over years can be ruined in moments, we worked swiftly to develop a crisis management strategy and restore our client’s brand. We mapped key stakeholders, developed a government outreach plan and crafted messaging to specific stakeholders. Simultaneously, we reshaped the media narrative, demonstrated our client’s long-term commitment to China and navigated the bureaucracy to get their products reinstated.

THE OUTCOME

Our instant response spared our client further harm. By targeting key officials with the right messaging, we restored the company to the good graces of regulators and its products to the shelves of the world’s largest healthcare market.