So in case of emergency, what can Vibram do to contact those that it needs to contact? I did some digging, and couldn't really find any real crisis, aside from their general warnings against false products, which is probably their number one issue, especially with their FiveFingers brand being so popular and trying to be copied. We'll get back to that.
What channels does Vibram have available to get a hold of us in case of a situation? To get a hold of investors isn't too difficult…their online news room and their press contact section of their main site is simple enough to navigate and see what is going on within the company structure.
Vibram's contact with government bodies seems a bit more obfuscated - What makes this difficult is the company's base in Italy, yet servicing the greater part of Europe and the United States, as well as China - their products geared towards Military bodies and servicemen is a great connection, and their press releases about a new heat-resistant sole is a bit more geared towards a government branch, but it is still a bit aloof and not necessarily aimed at a government body, rather, more off pointed at an investor who provides equipment to firefighters or military personnel.
For FiveFingers, their Twitter pages, Facebook pages and the website are already prepared to spread the word of CSR, and the main website for Vibram has its own link on the top-right:
If you check out their environmental policy, Vibram has it clearly stated what they use, how they use it and what they are doing to continue their efforts, as well as a history of what they have done to further their ecopolicy, some of which include Renewable Energy Movements, Recycling and their Zero-impact program through Lifegate. If you need the details, check out their ecopolicy site: http://www.vibram.com/index.php/us/VIBRAM/About-Us/Ecopolicy
I think that the most unclear, yet important connection Vibram can increase their communication through would be their government channels - since a lot of their main products are geared towards servicemen and Military personnel they would want to make sure that the bodies that are associated with them are in touch, kept up-to-date and informed if something were to have gone wrong with their product. Their investor communications and CSR relations are pretty clear on their site, and make clear their channels to which consumers and interested publics can locate and investigate.
So what would I change in the case of a crisis? Personally, this can be approached in a slew of ways, since there are many options and multiple sites that Vibram can act on. As far as an issue with their hiking boots (in the event that maybe people have died due to a lack of grip), they would have to get through to people with their online news room and their press contacts. Further, they could display messages on their website, and provide restitution to families or communities that were effected. If it were a problem with their FiveFingers Brand, they have the limitless outlets provided by Twitter and Facebook. Also, both brands have access to YouTube, which both are active on as a way to display a message about a product, or in the event that it is needed/requested: an apology.
The most important strategy for any company is to get it clear that something has gone wrong and they will do what they can to not only fix the problem, or to make clear that they have made the mistake. Vibram wanted to make sure they made a product that kept people from harm, and their main line is just for that - to keep people out of harm. In the event of a crisis, they need to make sure that people aren't harmed, otherwise they have failed what they have tried to accomplish, and that harms their reputation.
What channels does Vibram have available to get a hold of us in case of a situation? To get a hold of investors isn't too difficult…their online news room and their press contact section of their main site is simple enough to navigate and see what is going on within the company structure.
Vibram's contact with government bodies seems a bit more obfuscated - What makes this difficult is the company's base in Italy, yet servicing the greater part of Europe and the United States, as well as China - their products geared towards Military bodies and servicemen is a great connection, and their press releases about a new heat-resistant sole is a bit more geared towards a government branch, but it is still a bit aloof and not necessarily aimed at a government body, rather, more off pointed at an investor who provides equipment to firefighters or military personnel.
For FiveFingers, their Twitter pages, Facebook pages and the website are already prepared to spread the word of CSR, and the main website for Vibram has its own link on the top-right:
If you check out their environmental policy, Vibram has it clearly stated what they use, how they use it and what they are doing to continue their efforts, as well as a history of what they have done to further their ecopolicy, some of which include Renewable Energy Movements, Recycling and their Zero-impact program through Lifegate. If you need the details, check out their ecopolicy site: http://www.vibram.com/index.php/us/VIBRAM/About-Us/Ecopolicy
I think that the most unclear, yet important connection Vibram can increase their communication through would be their government channels - since a lot of their main products are geared towards servicemen and Military personnel they would want to make sure that the bodies that are associated with them are in touch, kept up-to-date and informed if something were to have gone wrong with their product. Their investor communications and CSR relations are pretty clear on their site, and make clear their channels to which consumers and interested publics can locate and investigate.
So what would I change in the case of a crisis? Personally, this can be approached in a slew of ways, since there are many options and multiple sites that Vibram can act on. As far as an issue with their hiking boots (in the event that maybe people have died due to a lack of grip), they would have to get through to people with their online news room and their press contacts. Further, they could display messages on their website, and provide restitution to families or communities that were effected. If it were a problem with their FiveFingers Brand, they have the limitless outlets provided by Twitter and Facebook. Also, both brands have access to YouTube, which both are active on as a way to display a message about a product, or in the event that it is needed/requested: an apology.
The most important strategy for any company is to get it clear that something has gone wrong and they will do what they can to not only fix the problem, or to make clear that they have made the mistake. Vibram wanted to make sure they made a product that kept people from harm, and their main line is just for that - to keep people out of harm. In the event of a crisis, they need to make sure that people aren't harmed, otherwise they have failed what they have tried to accomplish, and that harms their reputation.
