Eleanor Hawkins’ Post

Internal communications ARE external communications. https://www.axios.com/2023/06/01/brands-benefit-from-strong-corporate-culture-harris-poll-100

This story sparks so much outrage for good reason. But, something that hasn't been pointed out is that the new mom was proactively and diligently planning a thoughtful and workable return to work while.her.kiddo.was.in.the.nicu. He was "barely over a pound" when born. This is astonishing and impressive, that she was coordinating her return seemingly from the nicu. As a mom to two kids through adoption, one who was in two different nicus for a few weeks, I can attest that I didn't give work one thought while my son was struggling day in and day out. I applaud this new mom and hope that she lands in an organization with a heart and a mind to match her own. 💞

Tell me you don’t have a communications strategist without telling me you don’t have a communications strategist. The leadership was totally out of sync with their brand purpose and positioning. That was mistake #1. Had they done the complete opposite, it likely would have resulted in a very organic, authentic post celebrating the company for walking the talk. Note to all CEOs: don’t act in direct opposition to your company’s stated core values. It’s tough to clean up from self-implosion.

Welcome to the latest crisis PR case study, still playing out on TikTok and now spreading on CNN, Inc., Fox Business, Reddit, New York Post, MSNBC, the Daily Mail and more. PR take-aways, beyond acting human and living up to your stated values: don't read from a script in your apology video, did Kyte Baby CEO Ying Liu really need to emphasize the baby was adopted? and don't just promise that you'll take a look at your HR policy. Do something now to show you mean it and are taking immediate steps. Could this be an example of winging it and attempting to handle crisis PR without the guidance of a pro? I like the comment by Lisa McVey: "Tell me you don’t have a communications strategist without telling me you don’t have a communications strategist."

Cultural crises have a way of revealing a brand's true colors. As so many have mentioned, if your internal policies and culture don't match your brand's external message it's an uphill battle to earn back public support. A strategic comms leader can and will make these connections and support the company in finding alignment and building advocacy internally and externally. It's my sincere hope for Kyte Baby and their team that this is a moment of reflection and enlightenment.

🚩 "In order to use her allotted 2 weeks of maternity leave, Hughes was asked to sign a contract agreeing to return to the company for 6 months" 🚩🚩She requested to work remotely upon return so that she could stay with her baby in the hospital, but Kyte Baby denied the request, forcing Hughes to quit. 🚩🚩🚩 Liu then posted another video admitting that her first apology was insincere and thus apologized for her apology. 🚩🚩🚩🚩"We are revising our maternity policy to give new parents, both biological and nonbiological, more time off and creating a better process to support our employees. ...We've since realized that Kyte Baby needs to stand by their values of being a woman-owned, family company." The fact that a policy that supported working mothers wasn't a foundational part of their company from the beginning is shameful. They deserve every ounce of self-inflicted PR pain and sales loss they've been feeling. I feel for the remaining employees, but they deserve to work somewhere less hypocritical 😑

The best line in first apology...I have the "utmost respect for babies". Good to know. personally, I do not respect babies AT ALL. You really can't make this stuff up.

Check out Latched Mama’s Melissa Wirt on TIKTOK. She’s diving in and giving a real life example of everything people wanted from Kyte Baby and didn’t get. The best quote that lives in my mind for free: “If you see her and you love her every single day [like the CEO said in her horrible apology] then the only message ‘we are here, your job is here, and what would you like us to DoorDash you for dinner?”

There is no apology that can take back the stress this mother endured all while her baby was in the NICU. The damage is done and so is this company.

Angry parents boycotting the brand is just the beginning. Employees will leave. Prospective employees will re-evaluate whether or not Kyte Baby’s values are consistent with their own. Partners will be less likely to voice support. Investors will find alternatives that don’t draw negative attention. In short, nearly every audience will be negatively impacted.