How not to engage negative PR

On 1 January embattled herbal chain Hoi Tin Tong released a TV commercial to restore its tarnish reputation after a string of scandals hit the company’s core product, herbal jelly.While not the sexiest of topics, the commercial’s defence line, that it was targeted and victimised by the media, have so far been unable to turn the tide of negative press.In this 30-sec ad, released on YouTube, founder You Ming Ng tries to address allegations that its turtle-shell product did not live up to the promise of containing actual turtle shell in a staged interview with local actor Lo Hoi Pang.The ad (in Chinese) ends with Lo suggesting the saga is merely a smear campaign.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LL5u32VnhQLast week, the herbal chain sunk even deeper into a PR crisis after its attempt to regain loyalty backfired. The company staged a one-day event to give out 100,000 free turtle jelly to public, which the South China Morning Post said was a success, with one Wan Chai store handing out more than 1,400 pots within 90 minutes of opening.But other reports said a prominent ingredient in the herbal jelly was allegedly replaced with another herbal extract, which can have a negative impact on health. The company also removed an official government Q-Mark Certification from the jelly packaging, bringing further PR pressure to a head. Pleading videos and swearing celebrities (the YouTube interview contained profanities) are clearly not proper remedies for a brand whose product is in urgent need of a revitalisation.