CASE: SIGG Brand Damage Control

I try to stay away from plastics are much as possible. I don't even like to microwave my food in a plastic container. And, ever since the Health Minister declared BPA a toxic substance, I became even more cautious.

With that came my purchase of a SIGG canteen. Something I thought would be a safe bet for lugging around the city. And then the news today...

"SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 have the former water-based epoxy liner which contains trace amounts of BPA. These bottles have been thoroughly tested and showed 0% leaching of BPA"

After a quick check, of course, mine was made prior to 2008. Ergh. This was a $35 investment. I paid $20 for the bottle and $15 for the cleaning tablets (of which I still have plenty of). More importantly, I highly recommened this for my cousin's children as a great alternative to water bottles - and yes they did purchase it (email already sent).

So now what?

Although the bulletin states that "absolutely no migration or leaching of BPA or any other substance from the protective inner liner" - do I take my chances? They had clearly known about this for a long time.

How would you navigate through this brand crisis?

Some tactical items I would consider:
- Email your customer list right away with this information
- Connect with your community - online and offline
- Offer a discount on a new bottle when you bring in your old bottle
- Make sure that your vendors are well informed and make customers feel that there is no harm


VIA: Sigg Tries to Control Brand Damage After Admitting Its Bottles Contain BPA. http://bit.ly/16a0Uc (via @adage)