Is this PR? (Post 3) BK & Jennifer Hudson
Following Jennifer Hudson’s Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress in Dreamgirls in 2007, she described American Idol as her “stepping stone.” Simon Cowell was outraged by her comment and explained that many other American Idol successes purposely turn against the TV show which opened every door to their current achievements.
After Cowell’s comment, Hudson went on to say: “If I’d been any better at my job when I was at Burger King in my middle teens, I wouldn’t be here either, so should I thank them, too?” Hudson worked at Burger King when she was 16 and sang while working.
Instead of responding with criticism, Burger King took the opportunity to practice good PR for their company. Burger King used PR through their spokesperson to respond to Hudson’s comments. The company announced that it would be giving Hudson a prepaid Burger King Crown Card that will be reloaded for life.
Through this PR tactic, Burger King generated positive coverage of its company, communicated to its employees (an important stakeholder) that it truly cares about their success, and showed that it can turn a negative comment into a positive opportunity for good PR.
While this PR tactic may not be appropriate for every company, BK’s PR was in line with a statement on their company website about corporate responsibility. The company states that its corporate responsibility approach is stakeholder driven in four main areas: food, people, environment, and corporate governance.
BK’s response to Hudson’s comment reflects their commitment to two key stakeholders: food and people. Good job BK!