Food companies, starting from ITC and Nestle to Mother Dairy and Amul, have finally started consumer engagement exercises after the recent crackdown by regulators over safety issues.While Swiss food giant Nestle has launched videos with bachelors professing their love for Maggi, Kolkata-based food and cigarette major ITC has created short films that talk about the safety of Sunfeast Yippee noodles. The most recent video on YouTube shows Yippee noodles being made in the sanitised environment of its factory.Similarly, Mother Dairy has come up with an ad campaign on social media that shows its consumers on a plant visit. Mother Dairy’s rival, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the maker of Amul brand of dairy products, has been running mainstream ads that emphasise on how products are undergoing regular quality checks.
“We have alerted our teams, that are involved in procurement, processing and distribution, to be extra careful. Our call centres have been trained to handle consumer complaints swiftly,” said R S Sodhi, MD at GCMMF.Starting with the ban of Maggi noodles in June, many food companies in the country have come under the scanner of FSSAI, the apex food regulator. This leads to product samples randomly being picked up by authorities and companies including HUL and Indo Nissin voluntarily withdrawing products from shelves.”This food crisis is different from the pesticide and worms scare experienced by beverage makers and Cadbury India in 2006 and 2003. Earlier, companies were quick to reach out to consumers. Coca-Cola arranged plant visits immediately, while Cadbury roped in celebrities such as, Amitabh Bachchan to add credibility to the brand,” said a senior executive at a beverage company.A CEO of a food company, that voluntarily recalled its noodles from the market following the Maggi controversy, said, “Almost two months have gone by without these companies engaging with consumers about food safety. All of them were intimidated by the regulator. Now, after the consecutive court judgments they seem to have got back the confidence.”
Meanwhile Nestle, the worst affected by food-safety issues, has started plotting the comeback of its noodles brand. One of the new Maggi videos launched three days ago has already attracted around nine lakh views by Friday evening. “These short films reflect the spontaneity and affection between consumers and Maggi. We are making efforts to get Maggi Noodles back on the shelves and have been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support that we receive each day. Such messages strengthen our resolve to be back with our beloved consumers. We want to share the warmth of our relationship through these films,” said a Nestle India spokesperson.
