The presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food products is a hot-button issue, one that caused jam and jelly maker Smucker’s some embarrassment in 2014. The company posted a statement in support of GMOs on its website, and the post quickly caused consumers to complain on its Facebook page.
Smucker’s quickly deleted the complaints, and to make matters worse, it “released a statement saying that the comments were considered spam, when they weren’t,” according to ReputationManagement.com’s Fish.
Deleting those comments “upset consumers who in some cases were simply asking for clarification on what is in the product,” says Vanessa Camones, CEO of theMIX agency. “This social media fail resulted in an expanded number of customers boycotting the brand.”