4Cs of Peace-making

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4Cs of Peace-making

Any company, whether a newly found or well-established organization, can face a public relations disaster. When such a case arises, it is good to hold on and work towards re-establishing the brand. It is difficult to hide from a disaster in the world we are living in that is saturated by media (Assignmenthelpsite.com). For example, the partnership of Kendra Jenner with Pepsi caused a public relations disaster based on the incentive approach. PepsiCo was criticized for the commercial video starring Kendall Jenner titled “Live for Now,” which aired on the 49th anniversary of DR. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination.

Social media users accused the company of using Black Lives Matter (BLM) for financial gain. The use of tone-deaf also created controversy about the company’s approach. The commercial was launched months after the eruption of protest in July 2017, when two black men were shot by police (Dozé, 2018). Jenner walking in front of a police officer and handing him a Pepsi was viewed as a mockery of Leshia Evans, a black woman who stood in front of policy silently during a Louisiana protest, and the police arrested her.

To curb the public relations disaster, PepsiCo used the 4Cs of the peacemaking model to resolve the issue as expressed in the PowerPoint presentation writing. First, the company made contact by pulling out the ad the following day; thus, they were proactive by acknowledging the issue (Kwak & Lee, 2022). The company communicated by saying that the ad intended to convey peace, unity and understanding to the globe. The company also made an apology for compromising the position of Kendall Jenner.

Secondly, the company cooperated with its customer base, which revealed a high level of honesty. People reacted negatively to the ad, and the company came out clear and took out the ad proving to cooperate with society. Taking out the ad enhanced the public relations that the company’s commercial had just spoiled.

In addition, the company facilitated communication by coming out clear that they may have missed the point and were apologetic about it (Kwak & Lee, 2022). Communicating to the public about the misunderstanding was a thumbs up to the company and helped rebuild the lost relationship. “This has pained me a lot because this company is known for diversity, and the fact that everybody who produced the commercial and approved the commercial did not link it to Black Lives Matter made me scratch my head,” Nooyi said. 

Lastly, the company enhanced conciliation by rectifying the problem. The commercial ad was removed a day after its release. There was a clear way to rectify the mistake due to a misunderstanding (Kwak & Lee, 2022). After rectifying the issue, PepsiCo reconciled with a large percentage of its customers and target audience. Public relation was rebuilt through the 4Cs of peacemaking.

Social exchange theory proposes that social behavior results from an exchange program. The exchange program aims to maximize benefits and minimize costs with people as benefits holders (Chernyak-Hai, & Rabenu, 2018). Companies should use social norms to their advantage to improve their public relations. It is where a company understands its target social groups and the standards they uphold. Companies upholding the reciprocity norm enhance fair and smooth social exchanges, which promote public relations. Companies will build great brands adhering to these social responsibilities and social norms. Engaging in social responsibility facilitates the company to cooperate with individuals to benefit the larger community.

In conclusion, organizations must build and maintain a positive image with the public to enhance a conducive working environment. A company’s public relations team should make background checks and work closely with the marketing department to avoid such scenarios as the one on PepsiCo and Jenner Kendall. In case the unexpected happens, the public relations team must use the 4Cs of peacemaking associated with social norms, social responsibility and social exchange to resolve the disaster and get back on track.

References

Chernyak-Hai, L., & Rabenu, E. (2018). The new era of workplace relationships: Is social exchange theory still relevant?. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 11(3), 456-481. Retrieved from https://assignmenthelpsite.com/powerpoint-presentation-writing-help/ 

Dozé, M. (2018). Kendall Jenner and Pepsi. Young Scholars in Writing, 15, 116-122.

Kwak, D. H., & Lee, S. (2022). Building a Dream Team: A Marketing Perspective of Developing a Unified Sports Team between Two Koreas. Sports Diplomacy from PyeongChang 2018 to Gangwon 2024: Inter-Korean Communication and Collaboration through Sport Mega-Events, 86. https://assignmenthelpsite.com/