Imagine you work for a leading toy company.
You’re in the middle of a high-profile campaign.
And then it becomes clear that a website address on your packaging sends customers somewhere completely inappropriate.
That was the crisis communication scenario Mattel faced.
The toy giant found itself in the spotlight after mistakenly printing the website address of a pornographic site on the packaging for dolls inspired by the new Wicked film.
OnlyFans for Glinda? Not quite.
But instead of directing people to wickedmovie.com, the box shared a link to wicked.com.
Images of the offending packaging were quickly shared on social media, where one X user described it as “the worst mistake in official merchandise history”.
The official Mattel Wicked dolls link to a porn site on the box 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/iW4mNVAlPE
— just2good (Sarah Genao) (@just2goodYT) November 9, 2024
And, as we stress during our crisis communication training course, what goes viral often results in damaging mainstream media coverage.
Here are a few headlines the crisis generated:
Mattel 'deeply regrets' porn site misprint on Wicked dolls BBC News
Toy company Mattel mistakenly prints porn website on package for dolls for Wicked movie Sky News
Mattel apologizes after Wicked doll boxes mistakenly link to porn website The Independent
Mattel apologises after Wicked movie dolls mistakenly link to pornography website on packaging The Guardian
‘Porn site’ are not the ideal words for a toy company to have linked to its name in headlines.
In the US, there were similar headlines in the likes of The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Essentially, the story has been covered everywhere.
How has Mattel responded?
Well, it quickly addressed the issue and apologised – kind of.
It said: “Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the US, which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page.
“We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children.”
While the speed and early acknowledgement something has gone wrong are impressive, it is not a statement we would put forward as a good example during our crisis communication training. We would say that the statement should start with an apology. And stress that ‘deep regret’ is not an apology. Say ‘sorry’. It makes crisis responses sound much more meaningful and sincere than talking of ‘regret’ or being ‘devastated’.
Another variation we often see is brands saying, ‘We would like to apologise’, which is not quite the same as apologising.
The ‘action’ part of the statement is also vague. You must give people examples of the actions you are taking to rectify the situation. For example, maybe it could have spoken about removing dolls with the incorrect link from stores.
Examples of the longer-term action you are taking, such as reviewing or looking to bring in stronger quality control measures, would also offer reassurance that this ‘Wicked’ crisis could not be repeated in future on other products.
The statement did, however, go on to offer advice for those who have already brought the dolls in the offending packaging.
It said: “Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel customer service for further information.”
When a crisis strikes, you must move quickly to protect your reputation. There is little time for planning your responses, fact-checking or ensuring you have covered all the crucial bases. So, when the worst happens, wouldn't it be handy to have a checklist you can follow?
But, overall, the statement should feel more human and less stale. Remember, you are talking to your customers, the people who buy your products.
And my other main frustration is that it is not easy to find. It features in the mainstream media coverage, but I can’t find it on social media.
That feels like a weird approach. If people are talking about your crisis on social media, wouldn’t you want to use the same channels to let them know you are taking the issue seriously and tell them what you are doing to improve the situation?
Not all your customers will check the mainstream coverage to see what you have to say. During a crisis, you must ensure your message reaches your audience so they know you are trying to do the right thing.
While the crisis has hit Mattel’s reputation, the adult entertainment site that runs the mistakenly used website is reportedly experiencing a 12-year surge in traffic. And some dolls with the offending packaging are listed on eBay at hugely inflated prices, showing that a crisis for one can be an opportunity for others.
So, what can we learn from this?
It is a reminder that you never know how or when your next crisis could strike. It is unlikely any amount of Mattel brainstorming would have conceived a link to a porn website as a possible crisis that could send its reputation into a tailspin.
But you can bring teams together and plan for the worst to ensure you are organised and can respond quickly to any incident.
Mattel did that.
But it could – and should - have gone further to create a ‘wicked’ crisis response.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience.
We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
Click here to find out more about our crisis communication training courses.
