Not so innocent?
The challenges facing brands and PR professionals today is perfectly encapsulated by recent events involving Innocent fruit drinks.
Innocent are one of the coolest brands around with a growing reputation. They sell premium priced fruit drink products and have captured a large slice of their market almost solely through word of mouth.
But recently an individual on an email discussion list mentioned that an Innocent drink had exploded covering their clothes with fruit juice. Then others on the list relayed more stories about their Innocent drinks exploding showering fruit juice over their car/clothes/colleagues etc.
The collective advice was that those affected should write to Innocent explaining their problem. They duly did and reported back that Innocent had sent them a free case of smoothies.
This was no doubt seen as a good PR gesture by the firm keen to keep their customers happy. And it worked. Initially. The customers used the email discussion list to report what a good firm Innocent were and how they had generously responded to the complaints.
If it had ended there then there would have been no problem. But a member of the email discussion list then posted on another forum what had happened.
The immediate response from that community was that everyone should write to Innocent, whether they had suffered from fruit juice explosions or not, demanding recompense for an imaginary incident.
And here lies the dilemma for brands today. Conventional PR advice would support the decision to make a grand gesture, turning negative feelings back into positive ones.
But of course in today's new PR ecosystem the message is not contained and the firm is potentially laying itself open to thousands of claims, and has no way of knowing which are genuine and which are false.
I mentioned Innocent's situation to a colleague, saying how sympathetic I was to their plight. In my view however they treated customers claiming to be 'explosion' victims they would end up upsetting some.
He shrugged and said: 'then they will soon make sure their drinks don't explode'.
And I guess that's the whole point.
I have had a similar explosion happen to me. The Innosent drink was sitting on my desk at work then on saturday night and at about 3.30am the drink exploded and the 24hr shift guys who were working jumped out of their skin.
The contents of the drink exploded out of container and covered the ceiling which was approx 7ft from my desk and also covered my desk and the 2 other peoples desk next to mine.
I have photographic evidence to support this!!
Written by Lee on September 19, 2006 08:42 PM
Two friends have recounted cases of Innocent smoothies exploding - one had a blackcurrant smoothy in her room overnight, and it coated her room and belongings in purple. Just last weekend, a friend at a party found that a blackcurrant smoothy left in her bag overnight had exploded.
Now, the bottles do say "Keep refrigerated 0-5C before and after opening", but they don't explain that this is because they are likely to explode after several hours at room temperature.
Written by Matt on October 24, 2006 09:06 PM
We have had similar experiences with several different Innocent smoothies (that had all been refrigerated to the recommended temperature). One managed to splatter itself across most of our kitchen, then did a great impression of a lava flow down the side of the bottle with the remaining contents. Another bottle looked ready to pop and once open set like glue in the tumbler. Tonight we had another problem, when a carton of Coconut/etc/etc had swollen and slowly leaked all over the fridge, and "hissed" at us. I opened this one VERY carefully over the sink, and once again it shot out, but at least I was prepared for it this time. I am concerned that such a popular product can have "explosive" reactions, and yet nothing is being done about it. Does a child have to be blinded before they put a stop to the problem?
Written by Mick on November 15, 2006 04:00 AM
Why only this week I fell victim to a Strawberry and Banana Innocent Smoothie which left a rancid trail of carnage in its wake. Having 2 more in the fridge and fearing the worst, my boyfriend and I conducted a controlled explosion from behind the relative safety of an upturned bucket in the kitchen sink. Without this precaution the effects would have been devastating but thankfully the damage was contained and there were no injuries! And so it seems the reign of terror imposed by Innocent Smoothies continues...
Written by Aileen on January 11, 2007 07:39 PM
Hi there,
If you have had a similar experience with an exploding smoothie could you please get in touch with me on 02087527382.
Many thanks,
Sarah
Written by Sarah on January 19, 2007 06:49 PM
Hello. Sorry to hear that some of you have had problems with our smoothies. If you need to get in touch with us, email hello@innocentdrinks.co.uk and we'll try to help out.
From Dan at innocent drinks
Written by Dan Germain on January 19, 2007 10:12 PM
Ive never had a bad experience with Innocent smoothies. Although it may not say about the drink being explosive, it does say about where to store the drink which you should really pay attention to. Obviously they shouldn't explode like they do but surely then you should read what the bottle says and take note to it.
Written by Georgie on January 30, 2007 04:30 PM
i like smoothies
Written by smelly on January 30, 2007 04:32 PM
I loveeeeeeee smoothies!
love ur mumma! x x x x
Written by your mumma on January 30, 2007 04:35 PM
iam currently drinking a smoothie..............AHHH.........it just exploded! HELP!
Written by your mummy on January 30, 2007 04:36 PM
YumYum.
Innocent smoothies are my world =]..even if they do explode sometimes.
HAH
Written by BillyBob on January 30, 2007 04:36 PM
O ma days wat can i say i h8 innocent smoothies they make me feel sick i tell you something a cold glass of diet coke much better yum yum!!!
Written by Tony Blair on January 30, 2007 04:36 PM
Either someone just let one off...or my smoothie just exploded.
Written by HAH! on January 30, 2007 04:37 PM
owwww my eye. the smoothie got me =@
Written by dam you smoothie! on January 30, 2007 04:38 PM
i luuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeee innocent smoothies!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Scrumdidleyumptious!!! But toooooooo expensive xxx
Written by Phil McCrackin on January 30, 2007 04:38 PM
i do enjoy a spot of smoothie please may you send me one hundred bottles directly to the palace and i will pay you on the door. il expect them tomorrow morning, and they better be there
many thanks, Elizabeth.
Written by Her Royal Majesty The Queen on January 30, 2007 04:39 PM
I choked on a bit of cranberry that was floatin in my drink!!! =@
Written by Bernie on January 30, 2007 04:40 PM
yes my smoothie did explode and i expect a full refund...i put it in a special cupboard and it went ka bam
Written by Sally on January 31, 2007 01:46 AM
HAAAAHA. TODAY WAS SUCHA LAUGH > In business studies - my innocent smoothie exploded =]
Written by Anonymous on January 31, 2007 02:15 AM
i love business studies :)
Written by Anonymous on January 31, 2007 03:46 AM
isn't it obvious though? Fruit ferments at room temperature, releasing CO2. This is what makes Coke fizzy. Therefore the pressure in the container increases and BANG!
Written by Ben on May 16, 2007 06:46 PM
THEY ARE CHOONG
Written by nathan pacey on June 17, 2007 09:00 PM
We've just had a third one go off in the fridge so the comment about storage at lower temperatures doesn't help much!
Written by P on June 18, 2007 08:24 PM