Communication Strategies of the Chinese Dairy Industry Manufacturers to Rebuild Reputation and Maintain a Quality Relationship

摘要

After the Sanlu tainted milk powder crisis in China in 2008, the entire powdered milkmanufacturing industry, and in many ways the food industry as a whole, faced a crisisof reputation and consumer confidence. Through a study of the organisation and publicrelationships of dairy companies, the crisis communication strategies they used, and howthey cultivated relationships, this paper explores how companies within the milkindustry rebuilt their reputations to a point where customers and other key elements ofthe public once again felt confident about their products. This study explores theorganisation-public relationships (OPRs) cultivation strategies of the dairy companiesand the communication strategies they used to rebuild the industry's reputation afterthe Sanlu crisis. The author interviewed dairy company personnel and consumers inChina (N=18) and conducted secondary document research. The communicationstrategies that dairy companies used to maintain their relationship with the public areanalysed. This study develops the theory of relationship management and providessuggestions for other companies to utilise should they face an industry crisis in thefuture. The cultivation strategies the dairy companies use to maintain their relationshipwith the public is hard to separate from communication strategy employed after thecrisis.