Reputation Management Online

British pushchair maker Maclaren is now bugged with the sort of issue that is a reputation disaster as parents threaten to sue the pram maker after alleging that the push chair hinges can slice children’s fingers. In summary: reputable pram maker makes dangerous buggies.

The issue concerns the Maclaren baby buggies, which have been “voluntarily” recalled from the US market following 12 cases of ‘finger amputation’. The Consumer Product Safety Commission in the US has confirmed 15 cases of injury, including 12 finger amputations, caused by the hinges of the Maclaren Buggies.

Maclaren Notice on Global website

At the same time, Maclaren, after discussions with trading standards officials, has decided not to recall the buggies from the UK market. The company, defending its product, has said that the buggies are safe when used in the proper manner. Dylan Johnson, the General Manager of Maclaren UK, has stated, “The safety of children and parents has always been our top priority and I completely appreciate the concerns this issue has raised amongst our customers.” He has also said, “I would like to assure you that Maclaren Buggies are completely safe, not only meeting but often exceeding EU and US product safety and quality standards”.

Maclaren, the Northampton based firm which has been engaged in the buggy making business for more than four decades now, has its business spread all across the world and hence this issue is of course a serious threat to the company’s reputation. The company has recalled in the US models like the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller and have also offered to provide free of charge hinge covers to customers, to be used to cover the folding mechanism.

Product safety failures are a company’s biggest nightmare especially when you are market leader in your segment of light foldaway buggies. That buggies are difficult to fold and open is well known – just watch any dad trying. The challenge for Maclaren is how to respond.

1. Denial. You can start by denying but once there are documented problems denial is not an option
2. Play Down – suggest the problem is small and the odds miniscule – but then you appear in denial as a company
3. Concerned – state that this problem has only appeared 15 times out of X million uses and state we are urgently investigating the circumstances and in the interim we have developed a safety solution.

Mums are increasingly avid users of social media like bulletin boards and forums and in a market where most product segments are well stocked with options, there is a strong chance that Mums will simply choose another option. There is no hiding the news, especially now that it has been widely covered in the media and television.

Maclaren, the company has all along been selling “ what a mother wants, what a baby needs”, is itself in need of a bit of reputation management at this stage. Yes, brand reputation, corporate reputation…overall reputation management needed. Any takers?

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