Every Mission Has a Story.
Top Egg Producer: Smart Strategy When the Stakes are High
A few years back I was part of a communications team hired by one of nation’s largest egg producers in the U.S. They were being accused of committing antitrust violations by engaging in a conspiracy to raise shell egg prices by reducing the supply of eggs. Their high-powered legal team was almost certain this would result in a federal trial with a jury.
We were hired to think-outside-the-box on ways to minimize damage.
Context: Defense counsel shared that plaintiffs in the case would argue egg reduction was occurring through the prism of an animal welfare program designed to give caged egg-laying hens more space. They were seeking more than $1 billion in damages, which could result in a $3 billion verdict.
Analysis: When tasked with a subject you may not be an expert on, it’s vital you learn and learn fast! I visited one of their main farms where eggs are produced and witnessed the processes, and spoke with everyone to whom they would give me access. I brought back my findings to the broader team and told them of all the fantastic programs the client was involved in (lots of charitable educational efforts were going on but those stories had not been shared with a wider audience).
Discussion: We deduced under the timeline of a pre-trial, we should get to work on pitching positive stories to key members of the media where the trial would take place. The strategy was to create positive content about the client, pushing the negative stories off the page. And we wholeheartedly believed if a jury was picked, they would do their own search.
Conclusion: The Antitrust litigation began and the jury deliberated for six days. Upon their return they found the client’s conduct was reasonable and did not therefore violate any laws. The legal team is certain the positive press we created leading up to the trial played an important role in public sentiment helping to win this case.
