Experts Say Kraft Mishandled Contest PR

When Kraft realized its “Ready to Roll” contest was flawed and had produced more winners than losers, the food company should have decided on a response more quickly, public relations experts say.

The contest, in which hundreds or possibly thousands of people “won” the same $17,000 Dodge minivan, was a public relations disaster that left Kraft officials scurrying for a response when the error was discovered June 11.

“Our advice to Kraft immediately would have been to go public with this thing,” said Walter Mulhall, co-director of Mulhall-Kemplin Communications. “The way to handle things is to offer a lot of explanation and candor, and they’re certainly not being candid.”

Kraft, based in Glenview, Ill., offered Thursday to make up for the mix-up by quadrupling the number of prizes, giving away cash and adding special drawings. But experts said the offer came too late.

“The one thing that the public understands is that people screw up,” said Pat Jackson, editor of PR Reporter, an industry magazine. “Kraft should have gone public. If they carried it off with humility, they could have gotten the public on their side.” At least two lawsuits have been filed because of the botched contest.