Back-flipping on an issue might not always be such a bad thing
Brands changing their minds once a decision has been made isn’t necessarily a bad thing – but that doesn’t apply to Coles’ recent PR disaster – argues crisis comms expert Tony Jaques.
- When an organisation or individual changes their mind on a public issue, it is often derided as a back-flip or flip-flopping or a u-turn or caving in. But sometimes it is just part of the process of reaching the right decision.
Take the case of Australian supermarket giant Coles. The company announced they would phase out lightweight plastic shopping bags in favour of paid heavier-grade bags, then decided to make the replacement bags free on a temporary basis to allow customers to adjust. Then they announced the new bags would be free indefinitely, but quickly changed their mind to make them free only until the end of the month.
Was it messy and unhelpful? Undoubtedly. But it surely was not, as an article in The New Daily was headlined, “one of the greatest PR bungles in history.”
