PR pros say Neutrogena botched its response to the Hayden Panettiere backlash. Here's what they think it should do now.
PR pros said Neutrogena responded too late, took too little responsibility, and scored an own goal by disabling comments on its Instagram statement.
PR professionals believe that Neutrogena mishandled its response to the controversy surrounding former brand ambassador Hayden Panettiere, who recently passed away. The company issued an Instagram statement expressing regret for making Panettiere feel unsupported during a difficult time, following backlash over a resurfaced podcast interview where she alleged Neutrogena dropped her in 2015 due to her public discussion of postpartum depression.
However, PR experts argue that Neutrogena responded too slowly, took insufficient responsibility, and disallowed comments on the post, which sent a negative message to its audience. The disabling of comments essentially claimed that the company did not care about the public's opinions or concerns. Despite Neutrogena's claim of investing in a community health partner to support women facing postpartum depression, PR consultant Christina Nicholson hopes the company provides more transparency on its plans and shares the results publicly.
Nicholson also suggests that Neutrogena should review the morals clauses in its ambassador contracts to ensure they align with its current and future spokespeople's values. The situation for Neutrogena is particularly challenging, as it comes at a time when its marketing team is already facing criticism over the sponsored posts of its current brand ambassador, Tate McRae.
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