Chapter 78 Remaining Calm and Composed: Crisis and Opportunity
The Petfood toxic cat food incident was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan, instantly causing an uproar. The scope and impact of the incident far exceeded many people's expectations.
And unsurprisingly, the aftermath of this storm also swept over the seemingly secluded Meow Meow Farm.
Isabella has become the frontline intelligence officer for this turmoil.
Her messages were almost nonstop, and the windows switching between different time zones on the computer screen were dazzling.
"Breaking news," Isabella's voice came through the speaker, slightly hoarse from staying up all night, but still clear and articulate, "Petfoodie headquarters has just issued a global recall order, but the statement is evasive, trying to blame the problem on the negligence of a very small number of raw material suppliers, and is vague about compensation and follow-up treatment plans. Consumer rights organizations and major pet forums are in an uproar, and a class-action lawsuit is inevitable."
Shi Wan and Su Qing stood around the projector, their expressions solemn.
The screen scrolled rapidly through shocking posts from social media.
Photos of an emotionally distraught owner holding his weakened cat, angry denunciations, and overwhelming skepticism towards the entire industry...
“My information is,” Isabella said in a low voice, “that they are in complete chaos internally, with several senior executives shifting blame to each other, and the production lines at the North American factory have been completely shut down for investigation.”
"More importantly, I learned through several channels that in order to control costs, they have indeed changed several secondary raw material suppliers in the past year, and there are also loopholes in their quality control process. This incident is probably not accidental."
Su Qing stood ramrod straight with her arms crossed, her brows slightly furrowed, intently analyzing every message Isabella sent.
“A typical case of supply chain management and quality control system collapse,” Su Qing said calmly. “Under cost pressure, the quality of raw materials was compromised, and the quality control process was rendered meaningless. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong, but the price was far too heavy.”
She shook her head, her tone revealing her insight into the industry's ills and her regret for the innocent lives lost.
Shi Wan remained silent, her hands resting on her knees clenching slightly.
She could imagine how angry those owners who trusted the Petfood brand must be right now, just like she felt when her cat, Tangyuan, had been having bloody stools because of substandard cat food when she was a child.
"What about the domestic reaction?" Shi Wan took a deep breath and asked.
“Very dramatic.” Isabella switched the screen to display data trend charts from several major domestic e-commerce platforms and social media.
"Keywords such as 'toxic cat food,' 'pet food safety,' and 'Petfood, get out of the market' continue to dominate the top of the trending searches. Many cat-owning families have fallen into a panic and are checking the batch and source of their cat food. Major pet bloggers are urgently releasing science videos to teach people how to distinguish between good and bad cat food, but once the panic spreads, it is difficult to calm it down immediately."
She paused, a hint of barely perceptible worry in her voice.
“Especially since this distrust is directed at the entire industry, Wanwan, Su Qing, we must be prepared. Meow Meow Mimi Farm is very likely to be affected as well.”
As if to confirm Isabella's words, Starfall, who had been quietly attending the meeting, suddenly sent a request to remotely control the computer screen.
"We've already been affected. I've detected an abnormal surge in store traffic, and at the same time, the back-end order system is seeing a surge in cancellation requests. The cancellation rate has increased by 15% in the past half hour, and it's still going on."
Shi Wan's heart sank.
She opened the store's backend and found a variety of reasons for order cancellations, but the core meaning was similar.
"I'm sorry, the recent toxic cat food incident is too frightening. I'd like to wait and see."
"I'm feeling uneasy after seeing the news, so I'd better back out for now and wait until things calm down."
"Although I believe you are a niche brand, I am still a little worried."
"My cat was eating a different food before, so I'm not going to switch it easily."
At the same time, discordant voices began to appear in the product review section. Although most of them were not malicious attacks, they truly reflected the current concerns of consumers.
"I've always heard this cat food is good, and my cat loves it, but should I still buy it? Please give me a definite answer!"
"The raw materials are said to be self-produced, but how can you guarantee their safety? Are there any detailed test reports available?"
"Can products from small workshops really be more reliable than big brands? I have my doubts..."
"We seem to see quite a few order cancellations. Is there some problem we're unaware of?"
The comment section, which was originally full of heartwarming cat pictures and the joy of cuddling cats, was instantly shrouded in a fog of worry and doubt.
"The reasons for order cancellations are mainly concerns about safety and a wait-and-see attitude," Su Qing said quickly but clearly and calmly. "The comments section has started to show doubts about our production model and scale. This is expected, a chain reaction under the industry's trust crisis."
She showed no panic whatsoever; instead, she seemed to have entered a familiar crisis management state.
“Indeed, consumers’ panic needs to be understood, but it needs to be guided and reassured even more. Isabella, it’s time to implement the communication strategy we’ve developed.” Shi Wan’s gaze never left the uneasy comments.
"The open letter must be released immediately, highlighting our end-to-end controllability and quality inspection standards that exceed industry regulations, and speaking with facts and data."
Isabella nodded on the other end of the screen. "You're right. Panic needs transparency and reassurance to dispel it. Shall we go over the specific steps again and then take immediate action?"
"Then, firstly, Xinglin will be in charge of public opinion monitoring, marking and analyzing the source of any negative or false information about us immediately. Secondly, I will write an open letter in my capacity as the person in charge of Meow Meow Mimi Farm, keeping the tone sincere and gentle, while also ensuring the content is solid and relevant. What do you think?" Shi Wan gave her arrangements after a moment's thought.
"So the key points of the open letter," Isabella shared her experience in detail, "are, firstly, to express deep sympathy and care for the cats and owners who were victimized in the Pet Paradise incident, demonstrating our empathy. Secondly, to proactively and clearly explain that the farm's safety foundation is its self-produced raw materials, a visible production process involving cats, and high standards that exceed ordinary requirements."
"In my experience, avoid using dry technical jargon. Use a way that everyone can understand and relate to. For example, you can mention that your own children eat food produced on the farm, and that cats are involved in the cultivation of raw materials, ensuring that every step is 100% safe."
"Finally," Su Qing continued, "I've attached screenshots of our most comprehensive and authoritative batch of product quality inspection reports, and solemnly promise that we welcome any consumer or supervisory agency to inspect our raw material base and production environment at any time, to demonstrate our sincerity as much as possible."
"I understand," Shi Wan replied immediately, her mind already starting to work out a plan.
She knew that this open letter had to be sincere enough to penetrate the fog of panic and reach the hearts of owners who truly cared about their pets' health.
“Su Qing,” Isabella asked again, “how’s your data integration going?”
"Don't worry," Su Qing said, already getting to work. While accessing the pre-organized material library, she explained her preparations, "I've selected three sets of core footage. One set shows the entire process of crops from sowing to harvest, highlighting controllability at the source; another set shows the standardized processes in the production workshop, as well as the real-time monitoring data interface provided by Xinglin, emphasizing rigorous quality control; and the last set shows behind-the-scenes footage of the cats at work, increasing friendliness and softening the communication atmosphere."
"These three sets of materials will be released in stages and in a rhythmic manner, in conjunction with the open letter, to continuously strengthen our transparent, reassuring, and caring brand image."
For the next few hours, a tense but orderly atmosphere permeated the office building.
Shi Wan bent over her desk and wrote furiously, carefully choosing each word.
She recalled her mother's meticulous care for Tangyuan, her original intention in taking over the farm, and the carefree appearance of each cat here, pouring all her emotions and responsibilities into her writing.
Meanwhile, Su Qing was efficiently working on visual editing and preparing for distribution channels on the other side of the table.
She communicated with Shi Wan from time to time to ensure the consistency of the text and images and the strongest appeal.
The four people remained on a continuous voice call, sharing the latest news at all times.
"Xinglin," Shi Wan instructed without looking up, "Continue to monitor changes in the cancellation rate and shifts in keyword sentiment, and provide a briefing every fifteen minutes. Pay special attention to comments that react positively to our public information, and highlight them appropriately to guide public opinion."
“I understand,” Xing Lin replied calmly.
Shi Wan nodded, took a deep breath, and clicked the publish button.
The open letter, which carried the farm's sincerity and commitment, along with a collection of fun videos of a day trip to the Meow Meow Mimi Farm, carefully prepared by Su Qing, officially appeared on the store's homepage, official social media accounts, and all other channels.
The time after the release seemed to be stretched out.
Every minute and every second, Shi Wan and Su Qing couldn't help but pay attention to the changes in the backend data and the comment section.
In the first ten minutes or so, cancellation requests continued to appear sporadically, and most of the new comments in the comment section were from people reading and watching.
Then, gradually, different voices began to emerge.
"I've finished reading it, and I'm a little moved... The shop owner's words are so sincere."
"The cats in the video are so cute! They're all round and energetic, and they're not afraid of people at all. You can tell they're very well cared for. Only kittens that have never been hit would be so unafraid of a human's raised hand, right?"
"They really grow their own crops and produce everything themselves? That's quite an impressive business model."
"The quality inspection report looks so professional. Although I can't understand it all, it seems more detailed than those published by big brands. Could someone knowledgeable explain it to me in detail? If not, I'll add it to my cart now..."
"Is that lion cat wearing the orange hat the store's prized possession? It's so beautiful! I want to steal it (just kidding)!"
The rate of order cancellations has slowed down at a visible pace.
Although some customers still choose to cancel their orders due to panic, new orders have also begun to appear quietly, and some are even comments from returning customers.
"My cat has been eating at your place for a long time and is very healthy. I trust you! I support you!"
"True feelings are revealed in the face of crisis. There aren't many brands that dare to be so open and transparent anymore. I own a cat myself, and I would recommend it to my friends who also own cats."
"After reading the open letter and watching the video, I feel much more at ease. I've already placed an order to support them, and I hope they continue!"
To Shi Wan and Su Qing's even greater surprise, good news also came from Isabella's side.
“Several pet supply boutiques and high-end pet salons that I’ve worked with before, and who have extremely high standards for quality, saw our open letter and contacted me, expressing their interest in introducing Meow Meow Mimi Farm’s products. They believe that the transparency and sense of responsibility we’ve shown during this crisis is a huge advantage!” Isabella’s voice carried a hint of relief and a smile. “It seems we’ve initially stabilized this crisis.”
Su Qing and Shi Wan exchanged a glance, their eyes shining with tacit understanding.
“Very good,” Su Qing said crisply. “This shows that the safety and responsibility values we demonstrate are being recognized by our precise target customers. Crisis is also an opportunity to reshape the brand image. I think we can take a big step forward now, Mr. Shi. It’s time to consider deeper quality endorsement cooperation with these channels.”
Shi Wan let out a long sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders finally relaxed.
She looked out the window, where the afterglow of the setting sun once again bathed the courtyard.
Huanhuan and Oreo were chasing an unlucky butterfly. Bingbing, with its paws tucked in, was squatting on the windowsill, its little cat face raised, intently watching a bird that had flown in from the tree by the window.
Tangyuan, wearing a little orange hat, walked to her feet, nuzzled her head, and her heterochromatic eyes reflected a warm light, her gaze full of trust.
Shi Wan bent down to pat him, then looked back at Su Qing, who was watching the comments section closely, and suddenly suggested, "Why don't we strike while the iron is hot and start promoting the stray cat sterilization program and the animal welfare feeding project as soon as possible?"
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