Best Buy CEO responds to bad press via blog: good or bad move?

By now you’ve likely read about the negative press Best Buy has been receiving, and you may have even read the CEO’s blog response to that coverage. His response has received the predictable praise and pans from various circles of the blogosphere, and with good reason. There are some things the response managed to achieve very successfully, and in my opinion there are some things Best Buy could have done better.

Borrowing from Dunn’s blog technique, here’s my take on both:

Where he got it right

Straight talk – Companies under public scrutiny are being graded more on their responses it times of crisis than on the original issue or crisis itself. So being forthright and honest is paramount—and such straight talk is appreciated by onlookers and commenters. I admire any CEO’s willingness to acknowledge weakness or mistakes in a public venue. It shows vulnerability, honesty and a commitment to tackling issues head-on, all of which breed trust and brand loyalty.