4 crisis lessons from Halloween costume nightmares
Consider these insights from retailers that faced backlash for several costumes that consumers called inappropriate, along with universities looking to stop problems before they happen.
Halloween costumes often show there’s no accounting for taste.
When it comes to avoiding a crisis, however, PR pros might do well to consider consumers’ potential reactions. Doing so could save you from a high-profile headache.
Here are several PR takeaways from retailers’ criticized moves—along with universities that hope to stop costume crises before they start:
1. Update consumer rules, and police your partnerships.
Amazon recently faced backlash for a costume sold through its Marketplace.
The costume, which is still available online through Jokers’ Masquerade, references Paralympian Oscar Pistorius. In 2012, he became the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. He was later convicted of culpable homicide for fatally shooting his girlfriend.
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