The Volkswagen scandal: What to do when social media turns toxic

There’s no denying that September’s emissions scandal was a huge blow to Volkswagen’s brand reputation. The German car giant was discovered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to have been cheating emissions tests in the US, letting its cars produce up to 40 times more pollution than allowed. In the words of Volkswagen’s American CEO, Michael Horn, they ‘totally screwed up’. He wasn’t wrong.

The scandal was a global one – 11 million cars worldwide are said to have been affected. When a crisis as big as this one strikes, you know your social media accounts are about to get busy. And brands need to be aware that how you respond to your customers can play a huge part in how much lasting damage is done to your reputation.

The biggest shortcoming in the car maker’s crisis management was the lack of a unified global approach. As soon as the issue hit the headlines, Volkswagen’s social media feeds went quiet – and the reactions from both sides of the pond were, critically, very different.

The UK reaction

Five days after the scandal broke, the UK Facebook and Twitter accounts directed customers seeking information – of which there were many – to a special area of the website. Their messages were honest and transparent – Volkswagen had ultimately broken the trust of its drivers, and so acknowledged the fact that this trust would need to be rebuilt. Care was also taken to emphasise that the emissions issue categorically did not affect the safety of any of their vehicles.

Crucially, the UK team also made sure to respond directly to customer comments on Facebook and Twitter. After a breach of trust, two-way conversation is key; while the volume of comments may have been overwhelming, reassurance that the brand is listening and working to provide answers can go a long way.

The US reaction

The US accounts waited a whole a week before posting an apologetic statement from Michael Horn. This was followed by the launch of ‪a microsite – nine days after the scandal broke – which held some of the answers to customers’ questions.

When all eyes are on you, silence can be pretty loud, even after an apology. While the US Facebook account responded to some comments and questions from customers, the Twitter account didn’t reply to any. With no additional out-of-hours support enlisted to deal with customer queries on either channel, a lot of disappointed Volkswagen owners were left hanging.

The notable exception to the social blackout, however, was that the global Volkswagen Twitter account continued with its business-as-usual (BAU) posting schedule until 22 September. Bad move.

What can we learn from Volkswagen?

We’ve already outlined our steps to preventing a PR crisis, but for one of this scale and nature it’s especially important to have a process in place for dealing with the inevitable backlash that comes with disappointing your customers. Take note, Toyota and Honda.

1. Plan

All brands should start by having a crisis escalation procedure in place that includes everyone from the social media monitoring teams to the CEO. The chain of command needs to be made clear – who is in charge of steering the ship from a global point of view?

2. Listen

Use a listening tool to set up keyword searches and find out what your customers are saying. You should then use the findings to help develop FAQs which you can direct commenters to, easing the strain on your community managers.

3. React

…And do so as quickly as possible. Stop all BAU social posts immediately on all accounts, as well as any other marketing activities. Notify all key stakeholders and cascade to the relevant teams as soon as you can. Launch a dedicated microsite as soon as possible – not nine days later – and continue to update it with new information as the situation unfolds.

4. Engage

Keeping quiet is the easy option – but more often than not, it’s the wrong option. Talk to your customers, show empathy and help them as much as possible with the information you have to hand. The last thing you want is for your customers to feel ignored or deserted.

5. Learn

A crisis will eventually blow over, but your customers will remember you for how you conducted yourself during the most difficult times. Be honest, respect your customers and make sure you do everything you can to make things right.

Crisis managed. Now cross your fingers and hope Leonardo DiCaprio doesn’t pick up on it…

If you want more information, or need help with your digital marketing get in touch.