Nestlé faces backlash over social media response

The FMCG giant has come under pressure from environmental groups including Greenpeace for its use of palm oil; the production of which is blamed for deforestation and endangering animal habitats.

In the last few days, consumers have turned to Nestlé’s Facebook profile to engage with the brand, leaving comments that claim a company statement fails to address Greenpeace’s concerns.

But Nestlé has now come under further criticism from social media and digital PR experts for its response, which have included deleting Facebook comments from users who had adopted altered versions of Nestlé logos as their profile photos.

Robin Grant, MD of social media agency We Are Social, said, “[Nestlé] could have taken more time to consider their statement. People went to Twitter and Facebook to engage with the brand because the statement was too vague. What they need to do now is try and engage in a meaningful discussion about the claims and answer questions.”

Louise Greeves, consultant at social media agency NixonMcInnes, said brands need to invest in social media training for staff.

“It should be about empowering the community and being honest about mistakes. This exposes a real need to train staff in social media and not see it as something that brands can put junior staff in charge of,” said Greeves.

new media age has contacted the Nestlé global press team but they were unavailable for comment.

This story first appeared on newmediaage.co.uk