Samsung to draw a close to the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco "soon"

It has now been three months since the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 failure, and the fiasco may draw to a close soon.At CES, before a packed group of journalists, Tim Baxter, president and COO of Samsung Electronics America, said Samsung would very soon reveal the root cause behind the exploding phablet phones.He added that Samsung is reflecting and listening to third party experts “to understand what happened, and to make sure it does not happen again.”During CES, Samsung is expected to introduce its latest smartphone, the Galaxy S8, and possibly drop hints about the Note 8.Investors and analysts have said Samsung failed to manage early information and thereby was unable to stay ahead of its crisis surrounding the exploding and burning of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones last year.Figures from Worldwide Crisis Communication Monitor, which surveyed 63 crisis communication professionals in 22 countries, show that 61% of global crisis experts disagreed with the statement, “Samsung took responsibility as appropriate”. 70% of communicators said Samsung failed to provide relevant information on the crisis that would help the public understand the crisis. The drip nature of the response allowed the crisis to grow, according to these experts.The Crisis Communication Monitor uncovered 10 insights or lessons learned from these global experts:“Corporate culture impacts the ability to identify pending crises in a timely fashion.” (Expert fromItaly)“Get all the bad news out at once… don’t have a slow trickle.” (Expert from Canada)“Use in-country spokespeople to convey concern and empathy and add a human touch.” (Expertfrom the United Kingdom)“When in doubt, recall/withdraw the product and test, test, test until you find the solution.” (Expertfrom Australia)“Provide more information and deliver it quickly, even if it’s negative. Rip the bandage off and heal sooner.” (Expert from Missouri)“Samsung needed to be more sympathetic to those impacted by these incidents, and proactive in its response and communications.” (Expert from Michigan)“Express safety and customer satisfaction over regulatory protocols as the reason for action.”(Expert from New York)Don’t underestimate the problem. “Samsung underestimated the danger involved, especially as it relates to mobile devices on airplanes.” (Expert from Georgia)“Acting promptly and taking responsibility for an issue can help protect a reputation.” (Expert from the United Kingdom)“Preparation is key to successful crisis communication.” (Expert from Germany)