| Course | MKT 438 Public Relations (MKT/438) |
|---|---|
| Week | 4 |
| Paper type | Crisis communication plan |
| Length | about 1,017 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Business |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MKT 438 Week 4
The First 24 Hours of a Deli Recall: Crisis Communication for a Family Grocery Chain
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
MKT/438: Public Relations
Week 4 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Northgate Markets, the recall and all details are composites written for a model paper; food safety procedures are summarized generally.
At 7 a.m. on a Monday, the Milwaukee health department calls Northgate Markets, the composite Milwaukee grocer. Testing has linked a case of listeriosis, a rare but serious foodborne illness, to potato salad made in Northgate's central deli kitchen and sold in all stores. One person, a pregnant woman, is hospitalized. More testing is under way. The company has a communication code, a director of communications and a stakeholder plan, but has never faced a food safety crisis. In a food safety crisis, every hour of silence is an hour in which someone might eat contaminated food. This paper plans Northgate's crisis communication.
The Scenario
The central kitchen supplies salads to all 14 stores. Products from the affected batch were sold over the past nine days. Listeria can cause severe illness, especially for pregnant women, people over 65 and anyone whose immune defenses are weak, and symptoms can appear weeks after eating.
Stakeholders Affected
Customers who bought deli salads, especially those at higher risk; employees in the kitchen and stores; the health department and state agriculture regulators; the injured customer and family; suppliers; local media; and the food bank, which may have received donated deli items.
Classifying the Crisis
Coombs (2007) developed situational crisis communication theory, which groups crises into victim, accidental and preventable clusters according to how far the public blames the organization for what happened. Crisis history and prior reputation can intensify attributions. Stronger accommodation, including apology and compensation, is recommended as responsibility increases. A contamination in Northgate's own kitchen is likely to be seen as preventable or at least accidental with high responsibility, especially given recent criticism of the company.
Image Repair Options
Benoit (1997) described image repair strategies: denial, evasion of responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action and mortification, which is apologizing. For a preventable crisis with harm to a customer, denial or evasion would fail and damage trust. Corrective action and mortification are appropriate.
Evidence on Matching Responses
Claeys et al. (2010) tested crisis responses experimentally and found that organizational reputation was better protected when the response matched the crisis type recommended by situational crisis communication theory, and that preventable crises damaged reputation most.
Why the Company's History Matters
Crisis research notes that a poor prior reputation or a history of similar problems makes stakeholders assign more blame. Northgate has no history of food safety problems, which helps, but its recent store closure left neighbors and officials skeptical. A slow or defensive response would confirm the impression that the company does not put people first. A fast, open response could begin to change that impression, even in a bad moment.
Gathering Facts Without Waiting
The company will not know everything for days: which batch, how contamination occurred and whether other products are affected. Waiting for complete facts would leave customers at risk. Northgate will act on what it knows, say clearly what it does not yet know and commit to updates.
The First Hour
Northgate's crisis team, the owner, the director of communications, the food safety manager, operations and legal, meets immediately. All stores pull deli salads from shelves and hold them. The kitchen stops production.
Hours Two to Four
Northgate works with the health department on a recall. Employees receive a briefing and a script. The company issues an initial statement on its website and social media: what happened, which products, what customers should do and that more information will follow.
Hours Four to Eight
Using loyalty program data, Northgate emails and texts customers who bought affected products. Receipts in stores carry a notice. A hotline opens with trained staff. Signs go up in all stores.
Hours Eight to 24
Daniel Kowalski speaks to the media at a press briefing, apologizes, explains actions and answers questions. The company contacts the food bank to trace donated deli items.
Key Messages
We are deeply sorry. If you bought deli salads from Northgate in the past nine days, do not eat them; return them for a refund or throw them away. If you are pregnant, over 65 or have a weakened immune system and ate these products, contact your doctor. We have stopped production and are working with health officials.
What Not to Say
Spokespeople will avoid speculating about causes, blaming suppliers or employees before facts are known, minimizing the illness or saying no comment. Legal advisors will review statements, but the communication team will resist language that sounds evasive. Saying sorry for the harm and the worry is appropriate even before the investigation is complete.
Spokespeople
The owner leads on apology and responsibility. The food safety manager explains technical details. Store managers answer local questions using approved information.
Channels
Email, text, website, social media, in-store signs, receipts, media and the hotline reach different customers. Spanish-language versions serve neighborhoods with many Spanish speakers.
The Injured Customer
Northgate will contact the family privately, express sympathy, cover medical costs and respect their privacy.
Employees in the Spotlight
Kitchen and deli staff may feel blamed and anxious. Managers will meet with them in person, explain that the investigation is about systems, not individuals, and give them a direct line for questions. Store employees will receive daily talking points so they can answer customers consistently.
Updates
Updates will be posted daily, even if there is little new, until the investigation ends.
Social Media Monitoring
A staff member will monitor social media around the clock for the first three days, correcting false information and directing people to the hotline.
Recovery
After the source is found and fixed, the kitchen will reopen only after independent inspection. Northgate will share what changed, including new testing and sanitation steps.
After-Action Review
The crisis team will meet within 30 days to compare the plan with what actually happened, record gaps and revise procedures.
Conclusion
A listeria recall is a preventable or high-responsibility crisis that calls for apology and corrective action. Research on situational crisis communication, image repair and response matching supports a plan that puts safety first, moves quickly, reaches customers through every channel, speaks honestly and learns afterward.
References
Benoit, W. L. (1997). Image repair discourse and crisis communication. Public Relations Review, 23(2), 177-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0363-8111(97)90023-0
Claeys, A.-S., Cauberghe, V., & Vyncke, P. (2010). Restoring reputations in times of crisis: An experimental study of the situational crisis communication theory and the moderating effects of locus of control. Public Relations Review, 36(3), 256-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2010.05.004
Coombs, W. T. (2007). Protecting organization reputations during a crisis: The development and application of situational crisis communication theory. Corporate Reputation Review, 10(3), 163-176. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.crr.1550049
What the MKT 438 Week 4 instructions ask
In the fourth MKT 438 assignment, students typically build a crisis communication plan or analyze an organization's response to a crisis. Common requirements include describing the crisis, identifying affected stakeholders, classifying the crisis type, selecting response strategies, preparing key messages, choosing spokespeople and channels, setting a timeline and planning recovery and evaluation. Some prompts ask students to critique a real company's crisis response. Use crisis communication research, especially frameworks for matching responses to crisis type, and cite sources in APA style. Include an hour-by-hour plan for the first day. Put public safety ahead of reputation, since responses that protect the company at the expense of people almost always do more harm in the end.
How this MKT 438 Week 4 example is built
When testing links a rare foodborne illness case to a grocery chain's house-made deli salads, the company must act quickly. The paper classifies the event as a preventable crisis under situational crisis communication theory, which calls for strong accommodation such as apology and corrective action. Image repair research outlines response options, and evidence shows that matching response to crisis type protects reputation. The first 24 hours include pulling products, notifying regulators, alerting customers through receipts and loyalty data, briefing employees and issuing a statement from the owner. Key messages, spokespeople, a hotline, Spanish-language notices, follow-up updates and an after-action review complete the plan.
MKT 438 Week 4 grading rubric: where the points go
Strong crisis communication papers put safety first, classify the crisis accurately and choose responses that fit it. Instructors credit a clear scenario, identification of all affected stakeholders, correct use of crisis communication theory, a detailed timeline for the first hours and days, specific messages, trained spokespeople and channels that reach people quickly. Papers that plan recovery and learning, including what will change to prevent a repeat, show maturity. Reviewers look for scholarly sources, honest messages and consistency with the organization's ethics and stakeholder plans. Attention to vulnerable groups and to every place products went also earns credit. A timeline table helps, along with well-organized headings and careful APA referencing that ties each step to evidence.
MKT 438 Week 4 help: mistakes to avoid
Students often focus on protecting reputation before protecting people. Put safety first. Another frequent gap is choosing denial or minimizing when the organization is responsible. Match strategies to crisis type. Students also forget employees, who need information to answer customer questions. Plan the first hour, not just the first week. Write specific messages that tell people exactly what to do. Name spokespeople and train them. Use every channel customers rely on, including languages other than English. Provide regular updates even when there is little new to say. Coordinate with regulators and follow their lead on recall language. Finally, plan an after-action review so the organization learns and prevents a repeat.
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MKT 438 Week 4 questions, answered
What does MKT 438 Week 4 usually cover?
It usually covers crisis communication: describing a crisis, stakeholders, crisis types, response strategies, key messages, spokespeople, channels, timelines and recovery.
Where can I find a free MKT 438 Week 4 sample paper?
The crisis communication plan for a grocery deli recall appears above, and a custom plan for the crisis in your assignment can be requested.
What is situational crisis communication theory?
A theory that links crisis response strategies to the level of responsibility stakeholders attribute to an organization, recommending stronger accommodation as responsibility increases.
What are image repair strategies?
Options for responding to accusations, including denial, evading responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action and mortification, or apologizing.
What should happen in the first hours of a crisis?
Protect people, gather facts, notify authorities, inform employees, issue an initial statement, set up channels for questions and commit to updates.
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