MONDELEZ INDIA SOCIAL MEDIA CRISIS: SUGAR CONTENT IN
BOURNVITA CASE STUDY SOLUTION
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SYNOPSIS
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In April 2023, an issue emerged around the elevated level of sugar found in Mondelez India’s nutritional
beverage, Bournvita. The sequence of events began with the posting of a 90-second video by a prominent
social media influencer, which rapidly gained widespread attention, accumulating more than 12 million
views within a short period. The video emphasized the high amount of sugar in Bournvita and brought
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attention to the company’s transparency procedures. Mondelez India, owner of the Bournvita brand,
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promptly refuted the assertions put forth by the influencer and categorized the video as “unscientific.” In
response to the accusations levelled against it, Mondelez India opted to issue a legal notice to the individual
responsible for creating the video. The company’s legal action yielded positive results, as the influencer
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ultimately removed the video and issued an apology to the company. Nevertheless, public opinion remained
mostly unaltered, and the dispute persisted on many social media sites. The leadership team faced a series
of inquiries in the following weeks on the wisdom of issuing a legal notice to the social media influencer.
So
Did Mondelez India effectively address the crisis and utilize the appropriate communication channel? What
message should Mondelez India have conveyed and what was the most effective method to do so?
OBJECTIVES
• To understand and manage the actions of a company during a social media crisis.
• To analyze Mondelez India’s response to the social media crisis and suggest solutions to control such
a situation in the future.
• To discuss the efficacy of a social media influencer.
• To deliberate the use of social media to manage a social media crisis.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
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ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
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1. Why did the public consider Mondelez India’s legal notice controversial and offensive? Why did
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consumers perceive it negatively? What other alternatives did the company have to manage the crisis
more effectively?
2. How should Mondelez India have responded to consumers’ adverse sentiments instigated by the
influencer? How could Mondelez prevent the recurrence of a similar crisis in India and other markets?
3. What were ways to check the effectiveness of an influencer? How could Mondelez India decide if the
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content posted by an influencer could harm the company’s reputation?
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4. How could Mondelez India leverage social media platforms like Instagram to effectively engage with
consumers and manage their expectations?
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The Case Solution Starts From page 5
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ANALYSIS
1. Why did the public consider Mondelez India’s legal notice controversial and offensive? Why did
consumers perceive it negatively? What other alternatives did the company have to manage the
crisis more effectively?
Mondelez India’s legal notice was considered controversial and offensive by the public for the following reasons:
• Perceived as heavy-handed: The public saw the legal notice as heavy-handed or bullying toward the
influencer, given that it specifically targeted only one influencer. The public developed a bad opinion of
Mondelez India, perceiving that the company was employing its resources to coerce others. The company
chose to control Bournvita’s brand’s reputation by serving the legal notice instead of responding to the
influencer’s questions. To a certain degree, it proved advantageous, as the influencer retracted the video
and sent a written apology to Mondelez India. Nevertheless, its decision to issue a legal notice backfired,
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, 4. How could Mondelez India leverage social media platforms like Instagram to effectively engage
with consumers and manage their expectations?
High-speed internet to millions of consumers worldwide created platforms where people engage and express
themselves. These communities had all of the essentials of a physical platform yet were digital in nature. It
was a power channel of marketing communication where the full cycle of marketing could be observed.
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The Case Solution Starts From page 5
BOURNVITA CASE STUDY SOLUTION
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SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
In April 2023, an issue emerged around the elevated level of sugar found in Mondelez India’s nutritional
beverage, Bournvita. The sequence of events began with the posting of a 90-second video by a prominent
social media influencer, which rapidly gained widespread attention, accumulating more than 12 million
views within a short period. The video emphasized the high amount of sugar in Bournvita and brought
n
attention to the company’s transparency procedures. Mondelez India, owner of the Bournvita brand,
tio
promptly refuted the assertions put forth by the influencer and categorized the video as “unscientific.” In
response to the accusations levelled against it, Mondelez India opted to issue a legal notice to the individual
responsible for creating the video. The company’s legal action yielded positive results, as the influencer
lu
ultimately removed the video and issued an apology to the company. Nevertheless, public opinion remained
mostly unaltered, and the dispute persisted on many social media sites. The leadership team faced a series
of inquiries in the following weeks on the wisdom of issuing a legal notice to the social media influencer.
So
Did Mondelez India effectively address the crisis and utilize the appropriate communication channel? What
message should Mondelez India have conveyed and what was the most effective method to do so?
OBJECTIVES
• To understand and manage the actions of a company during a social media crisis.
• To analyze Mondelez India’s response to the social media crisis and suggest solutions to control such
a situation in the future.
• To discuss the efficacy of a social media influencer.
• To deliberate the use of social media to manage a social media crisis.
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, e
pl
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
m
1. Why did the public consider Mondelez India’s legal notice controversial and offensive? Why did
Sa
consumers perceive it negatively? What other alternatives did the company have to manage the crisis
more effectively?
2. How should Mondelez India have responded to consumers’ adverse sentiments instigated by the
influencer? How could Mondelez prevent the recurrence of a similar crisis in India and other markets?
3. What were ways to check the effectiveness of an influencer? How could Mondelez India decide if the
n
content posted by an influencer could harm the company’s reputation?
tio
4. How could Mondelez India leverage social media platforms like Instagram to effectively engage with
consumers and manage their expectations?
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
ANALYSIS
1. Why did the public consider Mondelez India’s legal notice controversial and offensive? Why did
consumers perceive it negatively? What other alternatives did the company have to manage the
crisis more effectively?
Mondelez India’s legal notice was considered controversial and offensive by the public for the following reasons:
• Perceived as heavy-handed: The public saw the legal notice as heavy-handed or bullying toward the
influencer, given that it specifically targeted only one influencer. The public developed a bad opinion of
Mondelez India, perceiving that the company was employing its resources to coerce others. The company
chose to control Bournvita’s brand’s reputation by serving the legal notice instead of responding to the
influencer’s questions. To a certain degree, it proved advantageous, as the influencer retracted the video
and sent a written apology to Mondelez India. Nevertheless, its decision to issue a legal notice backfired,
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
, 4. How could Mondelez India leverage social media platforms like Instagram to effectively engage
with consumers and manage their expectations?
High-speed internet to millions of consumers worldwide created platforms where people engage and express
themselves. These communities had all of the essentials of a physical platform yet were digital in nature. It
was a power channel of marketing communication where the full cycle of marketing could be observed.
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 5
