CRISIS COMMUNICATION PLAN

Response to Bacillus Cereus Infections Resulting in Illness and

Death of Consumers

Prepared by: Jaycee Thomas

April 6, 2020
Plan Test Date: April 14, 2020


1
Table of Contents

A message from our CEO…………………………………….….….3

Acknowledgement…………………………………………..………..4
Purpose & Objectives…………………………………………….…..6
Key Publics - Internal…………………………………………..……..7
Key Publics - External………………………………………….……..9
Crisis Communication Team…………………………………….….10
Media Spokesperson……………………………………………..…11
Third Party Experts…………………………………………….….…12
Emergency Personnel…………………………………………….…13
Crisis Control Room - Set Up………………………………………14
Crisis Control Room - Equipment and Supplies………….………15
Key Messages………………………………………………………..15
Dissemination of Key Messages…………………………………..16
Pre-Information - News Release……………………………….…..17
Pre-Information………………………………………………………18
Evaluation…………………………………………………………….19
Closing Statement……………………………………………..……20


2
 A Message from Our CEO
Here at the Nestle Company, it has been our
mission to serve our customers as the
leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness
Company for the past 150 years.

Our company is dedicated to earn our

consumers’ trust with safe products of the
highest quality: at Nestle, safety and quality
are non-negotiable.

Innovation has been at the heart of our

company since its beginning, Our Nestle Nesquik brand has provided American families
with the most delicious and nutritious flavored milk products for over 35 years.

Despite our legacy of commitment to the safety and integrity of our products, we must
be prepared for potential crises. In the event of reported cases of Bacillus Cereus,
resulting in illness or death, being linked to our Nestle Nesquik products, consumer
perception of our company could become negative and trust could be lost. Due to the
stringency of our safety tests, we have not experienced this type of crisis before, nor do
foresee such a crisis occurring. However, this crisis has occurred in fellow industry
companies, thus it is imperative that we be be prepared to adequately handle this
situation.

This Crisis Communication Plan provides detailed directions for each of you, should we
face such a situation of crisis. In such a situation, it is vital that we all work together,
promoting unity and transparency in communication with out customers.

It is my request that each of you become familiar with this Crisis Communication Plan
so that you may be thoroughly prepared to take appropriate action in the case of such a
crisis occurring. Thank you all for upholding the key values of passion, quality, and
integrity that have made the Nestle company one of the most treasured and trusted
companies in the United States.

Sincerely,

Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider, CEO

3
Acknowledgement
By signing this statement, I verify that I have read and agree to this plan,
and am prepared to carry out the proposed Crisis Communication Plan.

CEO ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Chairman of the Board ______________________ _______

Signature Date

CFO ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Nestle Professional ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Zone AMS: Americas ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Zone AOA: Asia, Oceania ______________________ _______

& Sub-Saharan Africa Signature Date

Zone EMENA: Europe, Middle ______________________ _______

East & North Africa Signature Date

4
Nestle Nutrition ______________________ _______
Signature Date

Corporate Governance ______________________ _______

Compliance Signature Date

Operations ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Strategic Business Units, ______________________ _______

Marketing & Sales Signature Date

Nestle Business Excellence ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Human Resources ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Corporate Communications ______________________ _______

Signature Date

Nestle Nesquik Office Manager ______________________ _______

Signature Date

5
Purpose & Objectives

Purpose Statement
In the event that our Nestle Nesquik products are found to be linked to any number of
confirmed Bacillus Cereus cases, the Nestle Company must react and respond
immediately with an open and honest transfer of information. It is crucial that we
promptly inform our employees, consumers, stakeholders, and the listed media outlets
as quickly and thoroughly as possible. We will offer our deepest sympathies to the
affected customers and assure all that we have the utmost commitment to ensuring our
products are safe to use and consume. We will carry out our Crisis Communication Plan
with honesty and integrity, being completely transparent in our transfer of information
and handling of the issue. It is our hope that carrying out this plan with transparency and
openness to the public will maintain public trust in our company and minimize reports of
misinformation. This plan will provide all members of the crisis team with a clear
direction, limit confusion, maximize efficiency, and deliver our company through the
crisis successfully.

Objectives
1. Initiate the Crisis Communication Plan within two hours of
confirmation of crisis
2. Assemble the Crisis Communication Team within three hours

3. Inform all board members, managers, shareholders, legal team, and Toll
House employees of crisis and that Crisis Communication Plan is in effect

4. Deliver press release on Nestle’s commitment to safety and well-being

of consumers

5. Provide the media with our food safety regulations and practices, safety
reports, mission statement, key values, and assurance that we are working
our hardest to rectify the issue.

6. Ensure that media contact is only conducted by designated media

spokesperson, as well as the CEO as needed.

7. Coordinate with legal team on legal procedures regarding infected

consumers

8. Address consumer/stakeholder questions and concerns

9. Evaluate Crisis Communication Plan and situation within ten days –

focus on areas of improvement and success – enhance plan as needed

6
Key Publics - Internal
In the event of such a crisis occurring here at Nestle, our internal key publics will be
notified within two hours of crisis confirmation. We recognize and respect the value of
our internal key publics and acknowledge their vitality to our company’s success. We
are committed to updating them promptly and with correct information throughout the
crisis situation. The Board of Directors, Executive Board, and Legal representative team
will be notified via phone call, while the staff, shareholders, and investors will be notified
via email.

I. Board of Directors
Name Position Phone Email

Paul Bulcke Chairman +41 21-924-2200 (21) pbulcke@nestle.com

Mark Schneider CEO +41 21-924-2200 (22) mschneider@nestle.com

Henri de Castries Vice Chairman +41 21-924-2200 (23) hdecastries@nestle.com

Beat Hess Chair of Compensation +41 21-924-2200 (24) bhess@nestle.com

Committee
Renato Fassbind Chair of Audit +41 21-924-2200 (25) rfassbind@nestle.com
Committee
Ann M. Venemam Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200 (26) avenemam@nestle.com

Eva Cheng Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200 (27) echeng@nestle.com

Patrick Aebischer Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200 (28) paebischer@nestle.com

Ursula M. Burns Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200 (29) uburns@nestle.com

Kasper Rorsted Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200. (30) krorsted@nestle.com

Kimberly A. Ross Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200 (31) kross@nestle.com

Pablo Isla Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200 (32) pisla@nestle.com

Dick Boer Board of Directors +41 21-924-2200 (33) dboer@nestle.com

Dinesh Paliwal Senior Advisor to the +41 21-924-2200 (34) dpaliwal@nestle.com

Board

7
II. Executive Board
Name Position Phone Email

Mark Schneider CEO +41 21-924-2200 (22) mschneider@nestle.com

Laurent Freixe Executive V.P., CEO +41 21-924-2200 (2) lfreixe@nestle.com
Zone Americas

Chris Johnson Executive V.P., Chief +41 21-924-2200 (3) cjohnson@nestle.com

Executive Officer Zone
AOA

Patrice Bula Executive V.P., Head of +41 21-924-2200 (4) pbula@nestle.com

Strategic Business
Units, Marketing, Sales
and Nespresso

Marco Settembri Executive V.P., Chief +41 21-924-2200 (5) msettembri@nestle.com

Executive Officer Zone
EMENA

Francios-Xavier Executive V.P., CFO +41 21-924-2200 (6) fxroger@nestle.com

Roger

Magdi Batato Executive V.P., Head of +41 21-924-2200 (7) mbatato@nestle.com

Operations

Stefan Palzer Executive V.P.,Chief +41 21-924-2200 (8) spalzer@nestle.com

Technology Officer

Beatrice Guillaume- Executive V.P., Global +41 21-924-2200 (9) bggrabisch@nestle.com

Grabisch Head Human Resources
& Business Services

Leanne Geal Executive V.P, General +41 21-924-2200 (10) lgeal@nestle.com

Counsel, Corporate
Governance and
Compliance

Greg Behar Deputy Executive V.P., +41 21-924-2200 (11) gbehar@nestle.com

Chief Executive Officer
Nestle Health Science

Sanjay Bahadur Deputy Executive V.P., +41 21-924-2200 (12) sbahadur@nestle.com

Head of Group Strategy
and Business
Development

David P. Frick Secretary to Board of +41 21-924-2200 (13) dfrick@nestle.com

Directors, SVP, Head of
Corporate Governance,
Compliance &
Corporate Services

8
III. Legal Representative Team
Name Phone Email

Leanne Geal +41 21-924-2200 (10) legeal@nestle.com

IV. Staff
V. Shareholders
VI. Investors

Key Publics - External

In the event of such a crisis, w plan to notify our external key publics within three hours
of crisis confirmation. We recognize that our external publics are vital to our success
and we intend to inform them promptly with an honest and transparent transfer of
information. We will contact our medical contacts via phone, our customers and
consumers via frequent website and social media outlet updates, and our fellow industry
members via email.

I. Media Contacts

News Affiliate Contact Phone Email

ABC News Nick Leys 818-460-7477 leys.nick@abc.net.au

CNN News Heather Brown 404-827-1500 brown.heather@cnn.net

Fox News Irena Briganti 212-301-3000 briganti.irena@foxnews.

com

MSNBC News Lorie Acio 212-664-4444 lorie.acio@nbcuni.com

The Associated Press Paul Colford 212-621-1500 paulcolford@ap.org

II. Consumers
Here at the Nestle Company, we value and appreciate our consumers and
customers, Our actions in rectifying the crisis will be completely transparent. Customers
and consumers will find crisis updates on our website and via most social media outlets.

9
III. Fellow Industry Representative
The Nestle company will provide representatives from fellow industry companies with
timely updates and information. So that they may learn from our crisis as well.

Crisis Communication Team - Directory

Name Title Phone Email

Christopher Meier Head Crisis +41 21-924-2200 mediarelations@nestle.com

Communications
Manager, PR Manager

Michael Jennings Alternative Crisis +41 21-924-2200 mediarelations@nestle.com

Communications
Manager

Peggy Digby Assistant Crisis +41 21-924-2200 mediarelations@nestle.com

Communications
Manager

Caroline Bietry Crisis Room +41 21-924-2200 mediarelations@nestle.com

Coordinator

Nur Scilla Christian Director of Social +41 21-924-2200 mediarelations@nestle.com

Media Communications

Adrian Zaugg Director of PR & +41 21-924-2200 mediarelations@nestle.com

Communications

Leanne Geal Legal Advisor +41 21-924-2200 legeal@nestle.com

(10)
Mark Schneider CEO (Alternative Media +41 21-924-2200 mschnieder@nestle.com
Spokesperson) (22)
Barbara Mahon CDC Lab Research, 800-232-4635 mahon.b@cdc.gov
Expert on Food-borne
Illness

Katherine Fowler CDC Social Scientist, 800-232-4636 fowler.k@cdc.gov

Expert on Disease
Control

Jacquelyn Campo Nestle Health Science +41 21 924 4100 nestlehealthscience.external@

Global Senior Director nestle.com

10
Media Spokesperson
In the event of a crisis situation, the Director of Public Relations and Communication will
be our designated media spokesperson. If the Director of Public Relations and
Communication is not available, our CEO Mark Schneider will then be our media
spokesperson. The media spokesperson will be thoroughly prepped and well equipped
to handle media conversation and convey our key messages to the public. They will be
knowledgeable of the crisis situation at hand and will work closely with our crisis
communication team and experts prior to any media interaction, to provide the most
accurate information to our media outlets.

Contact Information
Christopher Meier, Primary Media Spokesperson, Head of
Corporate Media Relations
Phone: +41 21-924-2200
Email: mediarelations@nestle.com

Mark Schneider, Alternative Media Spokesperson, CEO

Phone: +41 21-924-2200 (22)
Email: m.schneider@nestle.com

Interview Tips for Media Spokesperson

1. Always be honest - promote transparency.
2. Stay calm and keep professional composure at all times.
3. Respond to questions correctly and concisely.
4. Speak positively and clearly.
5. Have prompt, yet prepared answers. Don’t answer unless sure.
6. Reiterate key messages throughout.

11
Experts

Internal
Nestle Nutrition Expert
Jacquelyn Campo, Head of Nestle Nutrition
+41 21 924 4100
nestlehealthscience.external@nestle.com

External
Centers for Disease Control Expert
Mary C. White , Environmental Health Specialist
791-399-0223
mcwhite@cdc.gov

University of Florida IFAS Extension

Michelle D. Danyluk, Associate Professor - Food Microbiology
and Safety
863-956-8654
mddanyluk@ufl.edu

UF Health, Division of Infectious Disease and Global Medicine

Gary P Wang, Chief Professor
352-294-8469
Gary.wang@medicine.ufl.edu

12
Emergency Personnel
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
800-232-4636
1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA
United Stated Food and Drug Administration
888-463-6332
10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20903

United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition

Service
703-305-2062
3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22303

World Health Organization, Pan American Health

Organization
+1 202-974-3000
525 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

Local Hospital

Local Medical Clinics

Local Law Enforcement

Local First Responders

13
Crisis Control Room - Setup
To ensure maximum productivity and efficiency in crisis operation, the crisis room will be
divided into six quadrants for each respective communication team: print news, social
media/web, key public communication, radio broadcast, TV news, and experts. This will
permit each team to work effectively with minimal distractions from other crisis teams,
Teams are centered around a large conference table where meetings can be held
between various team leaders/members. A tech support team will be positioned at the
back of the room for assistance as needed.
There will be phones and computers available for each team member in the room, as
well as two large projectors and a multi-face TV monitor at the front of the room, tech
support at the back. An additional room will stock supplies and yet another room will
house coffee, snacks, and refreshments.


14
Crisis Control Room - Equipment & Supplies
Chips Hole Punches Plates

Coffee Ink Printers

Computers Laminator Projectors

Cookies Markers Refrigerator

Crackers Microwave Soap

Creamer Napkins Sodas

Cups Oven Staples

Dry Erase Boards Paper Sugar

Dry Erase Markers Paper Towels Telephones

Fax Machines Pencils TV Monitors

Headsets Pens Water

Key Messages
In the event that any number of our Nestle Nesquik products are linked to cases of
Bacillus Cereus contraction resulting in sickness and/or death of consumers, it is
imperative that our company assure the public of our commitment to the safety and
quality of our products. We will do so by reiterating this theme and highlighting the
numerous, rigorous safety procedures that we conduct on our products. Our integrity
and proactive transparency will restore and ensure consumers faith and trust in our
company and the products we produce.

1. For the past 150 years it has been our mission to serve our customers as the
leading Nutrition, Health & Wellness Company.

2. Here at Nestle, safety and quality are non-negotiable. Our company is dedicated to
earning our consumers’ trust with safe products of the highest quality.

3. We assure you that we carry the most up-to-date safety test on our products daily
and analyze those reports thoroughly before releasing products for consumption.

4. We are fully committed to the safety of our consumers and are working tirelessly to
rectify the situation at hand and prevent future situations from recurring.

15
Dissemination of Key Messages
News Broadcast (radio, print, televised)
We will use various forms of communication to get our messages to our consumers and
the public through all news outlets possible. We will hold multiple press conferences
throughout the duration of the crisis management. We will further send out a press
release and statement reiterating our key messages. Our spokesperson will appear on
every major news station listed previously in the crisis communication plan. We will
additionally send out articles including our key messages to the Associated Press to be
distributed to the newspapers that it serves. This form of information dissemination is
aimed at information seekers who are not specifically seeking information on our crisis,
but will become informed of it and our work to rectify it, as they come across our
messages. This could also inadvertently reach non-information seekers as the browse
these stated news outlets.

Commercials
We will run a total of three TV commercials that will emphasize and reiterate our key
messages. One will be a monologue of CEO Mark Schneider discussing the crisis,
conveying our apologies, as a company, relaying our size and leadership throughout
history, and commitment to the safety and well-being of our consumers. Our second
commercial will be our Nestle Nesquik Brand commitment to safety policy and
procedure commercial. It will highlight policies and workers who carry them out
speaking warmly and positively. Our third commercial will highlight our history of
enhancing lives of our customers with safe, high quality products. It will include photos
of founder Henri Nestle, and the evolution of our company and the lives we have
touched as the Nestle Nesquik Brand. This form of message dissemination targets non-
information seekers with the potential of inadvertently reaching information seekers who
will receive our message while watching television.

Website and Social Media

To cover the information seekers that rely on the internet for information, we will
strategically post our key messages on our website and social media sites. These posts
and regular updates will emphasize our dedication to our key messages and
commitment to the consumers. We will post images in addition to the key messages and
links to our safety policies and procedures.

16
Pre-information - News Release

News Release
Contact: _______________
Email: _________________
Phone: _________________

For Immediate Release:

Nestle Nesqiuk Products Linked to Bacillus Cereus Outbreak
The Nesquik Brand of the Nestle Company has been linked to ______ case(s) of
bacillus cereus. The Nestle Toll House product(s) contaminated by bacillus cereus
monocytogenes include ______________________.

The Nestle Company employs over 328,000 people and is the leading Nutrition, Health,
and Wellness Company. We are dedicated to serving and enriching the lives of our
customers with the highest quality products. We understand the need of trust in the
safety of our products; the safety and well-being of our customers is at the forefront of
our mission and drives every decision we make as a company.

The Nestle Company is fully transparent in all our safety practices and testing programs
for our products. Our state-of-the-art safety tests and procedures are implemented daily
and product production is ceased immediately if our tests deem it unsafe for public
consumption/use.

We apply the internationally recognized HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point) system to ensure food safety. This preventive and science-based system
identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards that are significant for food safety. It covers
the entire food production process from raw materials to distribution and consumption. 

Our products carry information to ensure that they are used safely with the highest level
of quality for the consumer.

Our worldwide consumer services organization ensures that we can immediately

respond to any consumer inquiry, question or concern. The labels of all Nestlé products
invite our consumer to talk to Nestlé and provide our address or telephone number.

17
Pre-information
The following documents will be on hand in the event of such a crisis as stated
occurring in our Nestle Nesquik Brand company. These documents serve as an aide for
the crisis communication team in outlining our safety procedures and conveying our
commitment to safety and well-being of the consumers we serve.

Nestle Quality Policy

At Nestlé, our commitment is to never compromise on the safety, compliance and
quality of our products and services. This requires everybody to be engaged, to
understand their responsibility and to be empowered to take action in order to protect
individuals and families, our customers and our brands.

Nestle Quality Management System

• Consumer Use
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
• Good Manufacturing Practices
Nestle Supplier Code
https://www.nestle.be/sites/g/files/pydnoa561/files/asset-library/documents/
supplier%20code%20en.pdf
• Integrity
• Labour Standard
• Safety & Health
• Environment
• Supplying Farmers
• Sustainability
Annual Review
https://www.nestle.com/investors/annual-report/facts-figures

Updated Safety Standards and Regulations

https://www.nestle.com/sites/default/files/asset-library/documents/library/documents/
about_us/policy-on-safety-and-health-at-work.pdf


18
Evaluation Techniques
Upon containment of the crisis situation, it will be necessary that we evaluate the
effectiveness of our crisis communication plan. In evaluation of this crisis
communication plan, we will identify which parts were effective and assess why they
were. We will concurrently identify areas for improvement. The focus of this evaluation
will be message dissemination, crisis communication team cohesiveness and
effectiveness, and internal and external public perception. The information reception for
this evaluation will occur during the crisis situation management and will be compiled
within two weeks of the crisis being contained, to ensure all details will be included. We
will use the results of our evaluations to enhance and improve our crisis communication
plan and change any company policies where alteration is warranted.

Interviews
We will conduct personal and group interviews with all internal publics directly involved
with our crisis communication based on their interaction with our crisis communication
plan. We will try to conduct a majority of interviews in-person within one month of the
crisis being solved. If interviewees are not available for in-person interviews we shall
conduct them via Skype or telephone. We will request their views on the effectiveness
of the crisis communication plan, how vital they felt their role was, and which areas
could use improvement.

Surveys
We will send out email surveys to all of our employees assessing their views of the
crisis communication plan. We will also send out surveys to the news outlet contacts to
put out for their viewers who may have obtained our information to fill out and return by
a specified date. We will further post the survey on our website and social media sites
so that consumers and the internet information seekers can evaluate our deliverance of
our crisis communication plan, and their perception of our company after the crisis is
contained. Email surveys will be a quick and relatively easy way to obtain many
opinions and critiques.

Crisis Management Team Questionnaire

• Did we completely comply with all parts of the crisis communication plan?
• Did all team members perform their tasks adequately? If so, could these team
members be used on another crisis management team?
• Were there any items not listed in the crisis communication plan that should have
been included in the crisis control room?

19
Closing Statement
Here at the Nestle Company, fairness, honesty, and a genuine
concern for individuals and society are the key values at the heart of
our operation. We strive to serve our customers and enhance their
lives by providing them with the highest quality products. Our
business has been built on the conviction that for long-term success,
we must accomplish our service goals with compliance to all
applicable legal requirements, ensure our activities are sustainable,
and keep consumer safety and well-being in the forefront of our
minds. This Crisis Communication Plan is an integral part of this
mission. Your compliance with this plan will contribute greatly to the
perseverance and success of our company. By upholding our values
and working together, our company will be more than capable to
manage any problems that may arise and continue serving our
customers with the same level of commitment to excellence and
safety.
Thank you for your dedication to the well-being and success of our
company.

Sincerely,

Nestle Public Relations Team

20