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What Is the Streisand effect? How do you handle public backlash? Who came out on top in the clash between Unilever and Intermarché over shrinkflation? Here are five questions to prepare yourself to handle troublemakers and uproars.
Based on The Age of Outrage, How to Lead in a Polarized World, by Karthik Ramanna, Harvard Business Review Press, 2024
What Is the Streisand effect?
Answer A: Not being able to resist belting out I’m a Woman in Love at the top of your lungs every time you shower.
Answer B: Dropping a letter from your name to give yourself a certain je-ne-sais-quoi. Barbra sounds more chic than Barbara, like Georges Perec’s La Disparition, but less complicated.
Answer C: A painful media phenomenon that targets those who fiercely guard their secrets—like a modest $100 million mansion perched on a Malibu cliff.
Right !
Answer C: In 2003, Barbra Streisand attempted to have an aerial photograph of her California villa removed from a website, citing privacy concerns. This effort backfired spectacularly, leading to widespread publicization of the image and drawing 400,000 curious onlookers near her property. The term "Streisand effect" has since come to describe situations where attempts to suppress information have the opposite effect, making it far more visible and amplifying its impact. Numerous organizations, including Nestlé, EDF, McDonald’s, and even the highly secretive French Central Directorate of Home Intelligence, have fallen prey to this phenomenon.
Wrong !
Answer C: In 2003, Barbra Streisand attempted to have an aerial photograph of her California villa removed from a website, citing privacy concerns. This effort backfired spectacularly, leading to widespread publicization of the image and drawing 400,000 curious onlookers near her property. The term "Streisand effect" has since come to describe situations where attempts to suppress information have the opposite effect, making it far more visible and amplifying its impact. Numerous organizations, including Nestlé, EDF, McDonald’s, and even the highly secretive French Central Directorate of Home Intelligence, have fallen prey to this phenomenon.
No social media presence = no bad buzz... What do you think of this statement?
Answer A: Beware of the backlash!
Answer B: Smart move! Let’s delete all our accounts right away. A happy life is a discreet one.
Answer C: At our company, it’s a free-for-all on social media. Anyone can post anything on our pages. The more people talk about us, the better. A big bad buzz is better than no buzz at all.
Right !
Answer A: Some companies choose not to engage on social media out of fear of negative interactions. This is a major strategic mistake. First, your absence won’t stop internet users from attacking your reputation. Second, it deprives you of a valuable tool to monitor your e-reputation and, most importantly, to respond effectively in the event of a crisis.
Findus learned this lesson the hard way during the infamous "horsemeat lasagna" scandal. While Picard, also implicated, managed to quickly contain the uproar by leveraging Twitter, Findus opted to post a press release on its website. This approach left their explanation in the shadows, allowing bad buzz to spiral out of control.
Findus learned this lesson the hard way during the infamous "horsemeat lasagna" scandal. While Picard, also implicated, managed to quickly contain the uproar by leveraging Twitter, Findus opted to post a press release on its website. This approach left their explanation in the shadows, allowing bad buzz to spiral out of control.
Wrong !
Answer A: Some companies choose not to engage on social media out of fear of negative interactions. This is a major strategic mistake. First, your absence won’t stop internet users from attacking your reputation. Second, it deprives you of a valuable tool to monitor your e-reputation and, most importantly, to respond effectively in the event of a crisis.
Findus learned this lesson the hard way during the infamous "horsemeat lasagna" scandal. While Picard, also implicated, managed to quickly contain the uproar by leveraging Twitter, Findus opted to post a press release on its website. This approach left their explanation in the shadows, allowing bad buzz to spiral out of control.
Findus learned this lesson the hard way during the infamous "horsemeat lasagna" scandal. While Picard, also implicated, managed to quickly contain the uproar by leveraging Twitter, Findus opted to post a press release on its website. This approach left their explanation in the shadows, allowing bad buzz to spiral out of control.
In 2024, Unilever filed an injunction against Intermarché over a billboard campaign criticizing its shrinkflation (1) practices. Who came out on top?
Answer A: Unilever, because denigration is considered unfair competition
Answer B: Intermarché, in the name of the right to inform
Answer C: Neither of the two
Right !
Answer B: While disclosing information that discredits a company is generally punishable—even when the information is accurate—the Paris Commercial Court ruled in this case that Intermarché's "name and shame" campaign was not denigration but rather a legitimate right to inform about an unfair and misleading commercial practice. The court further stated, "There is no denigration when the information provided relates to a matter of general interest, is based on sufficient factual evidence, and is expressed in a measured manner."
1 Shrinkflation is an economic strategy where manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product without increasing its price. In other words, it’s a subtle way for companies to maintain profit margins while avoiding an apparent price hike.
1 Shrinkflation is an economic strategy where manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product without increasing its price. In other words, it’s a subtle way for companies to maintain profit margins while avoiding an apparent price hike.
Wrong !
Answer B: While disclosing information that discredits a company is generally punishable—even when the information is accurate—the Paris Commercial Court ruled in this case that Intermarché's "name and shame" campaign was not denigration but rather a legitimate right to inform about an unfair and misleading commercial practice. The court further stated, "There is no denigration when the information provided relates to a matter of general interest, is based on sufficient factual evidence, and is expressed in a measured manner."
1 Shrinkflation is an economic strategy where manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product without increasing its price. In other words, it’s a subtle way for companies to maintain profit margins while avoiding an apparent price hike.
1 Shrinkflation is an economic strategy where manufacturers reduce the size or quantity of a product without increasing its price. In other words, it’s a subtle way for companies to maintain profit margins while avoiding an apparent price hike.
Your company is facing a storm of criticism over a minor issue blown out of proportion. Your reaction (in song)?
Answer A: C’est pas ma faute à moi (Alizée): Objectively, you're not at fault—or at least less than others—so why take responsibility for something that isn’t your burden?
Answer B: Oops, I Did It Again (Britney Spears) : A little humor always helps during a crisis, doesn’t it?
Answer C: Learning from Mistakes (Johnny Cash) : You not only acknowledge your faults (even if they don’t actually exist) but also commit to actions to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Answer D: Paroles, paroles (Dalida) : Quick, make promises to put out the fire! You’ll figure out the rest later...
Right !
Answer: C – Denying or downplaying the accusations—even if you believe you are in the right—is never a good solution. When anger is mounting, it’s better to take responsibility with authenticity. And the greater your reputation, the more careful you need to be.
By dismissing the detection of very small amounts of lead and glutamate in its noodles as a trivial matter, Nestlé India lost 80% of its market share within just a few months...
By dismissing the detection of very small amounts of lead and glutamate in its noodles as a trivial matter, Nestlé India lost 80% of its market share within just a few months...
Wrong !
Answer: C – Denying or downplaying the accusations—even if you believe you are in the right—is never a good solution. When anger is mounting, it’s better to take responsibility with authenticity. And the greater your reputation, the more careful you need to be.
By dismissing the detection of very small amounts of lead and glutamate in its noodles as a trivial matter, Nestlé India lost 80% of its market share within just a few months...
By dismissing the detection of very small amounts of lead and glutamate in its noodles as a trivial matter, Nestlé India lost 80% of its market share within just a few months...
In 2012, Ikea learned a valuable lesson when expanding in Saudi Arabia. The Swedish giant discovered:
Answer A: That societal expectations have boundaries
Answer B: That you can sell warm blankets and apple-cinnamon candles in a country with an average annual temperature of 26°C
Answer C: That you can’t rest on your laurels as champions of progressivism
Right !
Answer: C – In 2012, Ikea decided on its own to remove women from its international catalog before distributing it in Saudi Arabia, sparking unprecedented outrage in Sweden. The company made two key mistakes: First, assuming that what was done in Saudi Arabia wouldn’t be noticed elsewhere. Second, failing to recognize that Swedish society had become highly sensitive to discrimination. What might have gone unnoticed a decade earlier had become completely unacceptable.
Wrong !
Answer: C – In 2012, Ikea decided on its own to remove women from its international catalog before distributing it in Saudi Arabia, sparking unprecedented outrage in Sweden. The company made two key mistakes: First, assuming that what was done in Saudi Arabia wouldn’t be noticed elsewhere. Second, failing to recognize that Swedish society had become highly sensitive to discrimination. What might have gone unnoticed a decade earlier had become completely unacceptable.
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