2-Minute On-line Lessons From The Maggi Noodles Disaster in India

Nestlé is facing the public relations nightmare of the century in India right now. 

It’s hugely popular flagship brand of 2-minute Instant Noodles – Maggi, has been banned in New Delhi and is facing scrutiny for “elevated levels” of Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) and Lead in many Indian states. Some top retailers have also pulled the product from their shelves. The trouble is spreading fast.

There’s a media circus on as we speak, with news channels running the story continuously, spiced up with the news that well-known Bollywood Celebrity Endorsers are also facing the heat for endorsing Maggi 2-minute Noodles. 

The predictably nervous celebrity soundbites are cannon fodder for media. The Nestlé side of the story is virtually absent on TV and Press. So I decided to search the web for more information on this controversy…and was reminded of some basic lessons on executing strategy as I went about it.

Lesson 1: Make First Impressions Count

What’s wrong with this snapshot?

The official Nestlé link on top position is eminently miss-able. It looks like a panic job.

Instead of saying, “Maggi Noodles Safe to Consume”, the nestle.in link goes completely on the defensive. In doing that, Nestlé makes the link invisible to the eye looking for “Maggi Noodles” straightaway. I am not looking for “No excess lead”. I am looking for “Maggi NOODLES”.

Therefore, while the Nestlé official link is the FIRST RESULT from search, the eyes are straightaway drawn to the “India bans Maggi Noodles” headline right below it, next to the picture of Maggi packs. That’s what I click first, and go straight to the sensational stories. Had to come back, looking for Nestlé POV…

So, while Nestlé is in a good, optimised ‘page position’ to make its case technically, many interested consumers could be missing its message.

The strategy is clearly "reassurance" but the execution is off the mark. A POSITIVELY WORDED LINK, starting with “Maggi NOODLES” could work much better in the current situation. Need to be positive overall, not just on-line!

Lesson 2: Keep it Simple …

The story, according to the Nestlé website:
“On 30 April 2015 the local authorities in Lucknow asked us to recall one batch of MAGGI Noodles…which were manufactured in February 2014 and expired in November 2014….we are confident that these packs are no longer in the market.”
“We have tested around 1,000 batches of MAGGI Noodles in our own laboratories and also asked an independent lab to test an additional 600 product batches….results confirm that MAGGI Noodles are safe… within the food safety limits specified by the Indian authorities.” 

On the Lead/MSG issues, specifically…
“Trace amounts of lead are present in the atmosphere and in the soil around the world due to the use of fertilisers and pest control….”
“We do not add the flavour enhancer MSG (E621) to MAGGI Noodles sold in India…contains glutamate derived from hydrolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour…. The level of glutamate for example in MAGGI Noodles is around 0.2 g/100 g, which is close to the average level of glutamate measured in the same portion size of tomatoes or peas.”

That’s their case. I particularly liked the “same portion size of tomatoes or peas” analogy on MSG. Simple and Memorable.

But to get to that, I had to click at least 10 times on the nestle.in website. The relevant information is laid out in batches across 9 different webpages, purportedly in easy Q&A fashion to aid comprehension (see webpage layout below).

Looks nice, but if I am a concerned parent who depends on Maggi for quick-fix meals the kids enjoy, I really have to put two and two together and figure out whether the 2-minute solution is safe!

 A classic mistake. In trying to break down the problem to its constituent elements and be very specific, Nestlé has compromised on the main deliverable - a simple, positive, BIG SAFETY message.

1. The buttons themselves ask questions the consumers might not be aware of.
2. The background material and company statements feature across many sections/buttons, giving an impression that the company is repeating the same things over and over.
3. The top section of the 'Ask Nestlé' webpage (see below) doesn’t start with an unequivocal statement either…just provides background and expects the average householder to click-and-absorb like a journalist-on-the-case would do.

To Sum Up…
Nestlé might need to revisit its PR on-line execution ASAP. To my mind, the company needs to articulate its stand on safety of MAGGI NOODLES in simple, positive words and analogies that stay in the average householder mind, in as many languages across the land.

 I go back to the “same portion size of tomatoes or peas” analogy on MSG per 100g. That’s the kind of concise, impactful execution that Nestlé needs more of, to aid the long climb back for Maggi 2-minute Instant Noodles.

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POSTSCRIPT - NOW, UNILEVER WITHDRAWS KNORR

As the investigation gets wider, Hindustan Unilever has initiated withdrawal of its Knorr "Chinese" variants from the Indian market place ..."pending approval". It would seem that the products were launched without waiting for approval from the authorities. I guess at this point, I have to underpin the ancient tenet - Staying within the regulatory framework is more important the revenue achievement for the quarter. There is just too much at stake in mega-markets like India and China.

That said, the Unilever approach on-line is clearly more proactive and learning-led. What you see when you search for "Knorr India" is a more balanced picture (see above). The PR department has managed to influence the news headlines - it could have been much more sensational, given the context. The HUL action has been clearly attributed to "approval from FSSAI" and not to quality concerns. The concern for long term brand value protection is evident - even on-line.