No one should be fooled here. Tiger Brands responded as soon as it did because it had been kicked very hard by both public sentiment and investor reaction the last time it failed to do so, says Solly Moeng.
Congratulations go to the management of Tiger Brands for its swift action in recalling some 20 million cans of Koo and Hugo's canned product in a preemptive strike aimed at protecting the health of consumers.
The company must have learned a lot, of course, from the listeriosis saga it previously experienced, which resulted in loss of life and massive reputational damage. It is clear from its response this time that the company has learned from past experience and, instead of waiting to be called out this time, it went in as early as the potentially harmful deficiencies were discovered and not only made sure to own and control the narrative at any cost, but did so through what came out as a transparent, honest acknowledgement of the problem.