Taco Word.docx

PR ACTIVITY UNDERTAKEN BY “TACO BELL” IN CASE OF CRISIS T.Y.B.M.S CORPORATE COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC RELATION

About TACO BELL :-

Taco Bell is an American chain of fast food restaurants based out of Irvine, California and a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Tex-Mex foods that include tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, novelty and specialty items, and a variety of "value menu" items. As of 2018, Taco Bell serves more than 2 billion customers each year at 7,000 restaurants, more than 80 percent of which are owned and operated by independent franchisees and licensees. Taco Bell was founded by Glen Bell, an entrepreneur who first opened a hot dog stand called Bell's Drive-In in San Bernardino, California in 1948. Bell watched long lines of customers at a Mexican restaurant called the Mitla Cafe, located across the street, which became famous among residents for its hard-shelled tacos. Bell attempted to reverse-engineer the recipe, and eventually the owners allowed him to see how the tacos were made. He took what he had learned and opened a new stand under the name of Taco-Tia in late 1951 or early 1952, which sold tacos. Over the next few years, Bell owned and operated a number of restaurants in southern California including four called El Taco. Bell sold the El Tacos to his partner and built the first Taco Bell in Downey in 1962. Kermit Becky, a former Los Angeles police officer, bought the first Taco Bell franchise from Glen Bell in 1964,[3] and located it in Torrance. The company grew rapidly, and by 1967, the 100th restaurant opened at 400 South Brookhurst in Anaheim. In 1968, its first franchise location east of the Mississippi River opened in Springfield, Ohio. In 1970, Taco Bell went public with 325 restaurants. “PepsiCo” purchased Taco Bell in 1978, and later spun off its restaurants division as Tricon Global Restaurants, which later changed its name to Yum!

CRISIS : TACO BELL's “Seasoned Beef" Meat Filling Lawsuit (2011) A California woman wants to take a bite out of Taco Bell. The woman, represented by the Alabama law firm Beasley Allen, has filed a class-action law suit against the American fast food chain for claims of false advertising by telling customers they are selling "beef". The suit claims Taco Bell is selling "seasoned ground beef or seasoned beef, when in fact a substantial amount of the filling contains substances other than beef." Attorney W. Daniel Miles III of Beasley Allen filed the suit on January 19. He told The Los Angeles Times that 35%of the taco filling was an actual solid, with only 15% of that protein, and the lawsuit claims: "Taco Bell's definition of 'seasoned beef' does not conform to consumers' reasonable expectation or ordinary meaning of seasoned beef, which is beef and seasonings." Meanwhile Gizmodo breaks down the actual filling used by the chain. Called "Taco Meat Filling", it contains: "Water, isolated oat product, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, tomato powder, oats (wheat), soy lecithin, sugar, spices, maltodextrin (a polysaccharide that is absorbed as glucose), soybean oil (anti-dusting agent), garlic powder, autolyzed yeast extract, citric acid, caramel color, cocoa powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), natural flavors, yeast, modified corn starch, natural smoke flavor, salt, sodium phosphate, less than 2% of beef broth, potassium phosphate, and potassium lactate. All that plus 36% beef. Thirty-six percent—plus all the above making up for the other 64% of the party in your mouth."They also compare that mess with the USDA's official definition of beef, which is "flesh of cattle", and ground beef, which is defined as: "Chopped fresh and/or frozen beef with or without seasoning and without the addition of beef fat as such, shall not contain more than 30 percent fat, and shall not contain added water, phosphates, binders, or extenders." A Taco Bell spokesperson has responded to the suit, stating: "Taco Bell prides itself on serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value. We're happy that the millions of customers we serve every week agree. We deny our advertising is misleading in any way and we intend to vigorously defend the suit." In Canada, the Food and Drugs Act in conjunction with the Meat Inspection Act defines ground meat as "boneless, skinless meat of the species indicated that has been ground" and specifies fat content at 10% (extra lean), 17% (lean), 23% (medium) and 30% (regular). The guidelines also specify that: "the standards provided above do not allow for the addition of: any species other than the species named; mechanically separated meat; any preservative (e.g. sulphites, sodium erythorbate, ascorbic acid, etc.); any other ingredient or additive (e.g. fillers, seasonings, phosphates, etc.)".

PR Activity Undertaken By “TACO BELL”

Taco Bell further promoted goodwill and responsibility by teaming up with world hunger organizations such as World Hunger Relief and the World Food Programme. They put on huge concert events called, “Feed the Beat,” which raise funds for these organizations. What better way for a fast-food restaurant to foster goodwill than to pair with an organization dedicated to feeding the hungry? These goodwill moves have definitely bolstered Taco Bell’s public perception. Taco Bell’s story is like that of a phoenix rising from the ashes. Despite seemingly inescapable adversity, they were able to come back better, stronger, and tastier than ever. So, what can we learn from this campaign? In a time of crisis, Taco Bell told their story via print ads, humor, social media, and goodwill outreach.