IKEA case study
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IKEA Case Study
Dealing with Child Labor
David Rogers
David Rogers
Case Study
2/13/2015
IKEA Marianne Barner is face with a very difficult decision. German TV has not been an ally to the company; instead they have been exposing IKEA’s flaws for years. In this case, however, a documentary is about to be released that is specifically and aggressively targeting IKEA as the main offender in child labor laws. What is about to be exposed will contradict the philosophy the “for the people” philosophy that IKEA has worked diligently to create for over half a decade. This potential crisis requires immediate and drastic action from Marianne Barner. Barner has been asked if IKEA wants to send a representative to discuss the issue on TV as the program is being broadcast. In my opinion, they should not send a representative. If I were in her position I would rather develop a strategy first, and then release a company statement to the public. Going on the program does have its advantages. Their presence on the program could indicate to consumers that IKEA is addressing the problem head on, and not trying to hide from the issue. However, I do not believe there is anything a representative could say that would immediately wipe away the images that the watcher will have just seen. Very often in these types of programs, the station invites the company representative and says they will offer them a chance to defend themselves. However, the interviewer usually ends up attacking the representative even further, and the company does not look any better. I believe they are better off letting the program run, and focusing on how they are going to fix the actual problem before they say anything to the public. The public is becoming more aware of social issues, and they will be able to tell if IKEA is simply trying to save face without any real plan, or if they truly have a strategy to deal with child labor laws. IKEA should be aware of factors concerning
IKEA Case Study
Dealing with Child Labor
David Rogers
David Rogers
Case Study
2/13/2015
IKEA Marianne Barner is face with a very difficult decision. German TV has not been an ally to the company; instead they have been exposing IKEA’s flaws for years. In this case, however, a documentary is about to be released that is specifically and aggressively targeting IKEA as the main offender in child labor laws. What is about to be exposed will contradict the philosophy the “for the people” philosophy that IKEA has worked diligently to create for over half a decade. This potential crisis requires immediate and drastic action from Marianne Barner. Barner has been asked if IKEA wants to send a representative to discuss the issue on TV as the program is being broadcast. In my opinion, they should not send a representative. If I were in her position I would rather develop a strategy first, and then release a company statement to the public. Going on the program does have its advantages. Their presence on the program could indicate to consumers that IKEA is addressing the problem head on, and not trying to hide from the issue. However, I do not believe there is anything a representative could say that would immediately wipe away the images that the watcher will have just seen. Very often in these types of programs, the station invites the company representative and says they will offer them a chance to defend themselves. However, the interviewer usually ends up attacking the representative even further, and the company does not look any better. I believe they are better off letting the program run, and focusing on how they are going to fix the actual problem before they say anything to the public. The public is becoming more aware of social issues, and they will be able to tell if IKEA is simply trying to save face without any real plan, or if they truly have a strategy to deal with child labor laws. IKEA should be aware of factors concerning