The brief

Bobux International, the Auckland based children's shoe manufacturer which exports globally, decided to withdraw its Grass Court and Ziggy shoe ranges from sale, following the discovery of a manufacturing fault. The shoes were sold in the Middle East, North America, Australia and New Zealand as well as parts of Asia. The fault was not a performance or safety issue but because of the company's commitment to 100% quality, it was decided to withdraw all stock of these shoes from the market.

Bobux needed quick expertise and advice on the product withdrawal and how to communicate their actions across multiple markets through a number of channels.

The Wright approach

Wright Communications assigned a team to the task immediately and within hours had worked with Bobux to develop a communications plan identifying the key audiences and actions to communicate the market withdrawal to each audience. Audiences included distributors, retailers, consumers and potentially media. Wright Communications prepared letters for retailers and distributors, social media posts for consumers, Q and As to respond to customer queries, a draft media release and a comprehensive set of Q and As for the media spokesperson.

During the process Wright Communications worked closely with Bobux, with regular catch ups and updates, to ensure all bases were covered and everyone was on the same page.

Client satisfaction

"The speed of response was fantastic. Having a trusted advisor to bounce positioning and messaging support and co-ordinate messaging through multiple channels in a consistent way was helpful in a chaotic week. Wright Communications were prompt, professional and reliable. The proactive and positive tone we took with our messaging was received well by our customers and retailers."