Taco Bell Says Thank You for Suing Us
In a classic PR maneuver, Taco Bell says it is thankful of the class action lawsuit that alleges its beef doesn't qualify as beef.A class-action lawsuit (legal complaint, pdf) on behalf of grief-stricken consumers says that Taco Bell's beef has less than the USDA-required amount to be considered beef so calling it beef is false advertising.
Nonsense says the company. "The claims made against Taco Bell and our seasoned beef are absolutely false," its ad says. It states that its beef is actually 88% beef. However, it also says that it adds 12% filler and seasoning.
"Plain ground beef tastes boring," surmises Taco Bell President Greg Creed in the letter. A video of Creed responding was also posted on YouTube (below).
Trade journal Advertising Age observes that Taco Bell's use of social and traditional media is fast and assertive.
It gives the firm an opportunity to highlight to the public just how wonderful the ingredients of its products are.
Taco Bell's response is a much more public and aggressive one than fast feeders typically take. McDonald's, for instance, in recent months was sued in California in a play to get the company to stop using toys to market directly to children. The company issued a statement and has not aggressively addressed the issue. - Ad Age.
The five-paragraph letter ran in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today and other prominent newspapers. No doubt PR companies will be citing Taco Bell's strategy for years to come on how to manage such brand crises.
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Click on the letter to read it (pdf). Read more detail about Taco Bell's meat campaign here.
Related reading:
- Taco Bell Defends Its Beef, Says It Will Take Unspecified ‘Legal Action’, ABA Journal
-
Law Firms Sue Taco Bell, Ask Court to Determine: Where’s the Beef? ABA Journal
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