Controversy over Press Appeasement
As multinational consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) invited the Korean press to the U.S. headquarters for the first time after 27 years in operation in Korea to defend the safety of its fabric refresher Febreze, there is growing criticism that the company is trying to appease the press with a free trip to the U.S.
P&G Korea held a two-day press conference for the Korean media at the P&G’s Ivorydale Technical Center in Cincinnati, U.S., on July 12 to 13 as there have been growing public concerns in the country over the possible toxicity of its product’s ingredients. Some Internet media, which were invited and attended the press conference, reported the fact from the 18th.
According to the reports, the company’s officials, including P&G Korea CEO Kim Joo-youn, director of the product safety division at the headquarters and human safety toxicologist, stressed that Febreze is scientifically safe for use in the press conference on the 12th. To be sure, reporters, who were offered a free trip to the U.S. with an airline round-trip ticket and accommodation, published articles promoting P&G.
With Oxy Reckitt Benckiser’s toxic humidifier sterilizer products having recently proven to be fatal, there have been growing controversy in Korea over the possible toxicity of its Febreze ingredients. P&G Korea said that all ingredients used in Febreze products have been thoroughly assessed to be safe for consumers under intended product use conditions through safety tests overseas, but it failed to remove all doubts. Accordingly, P&G decided to invite Korean reporters to the headquarters in the U.S. and hold the press conference for them. Previously, the company also took out ads representing its stance over the issue in major local daily and business papers on June 29.
P&C made such a decision since sales of its fabric refresher fell rapidly, following the humidifier disinfectant tragedy. According to E-Mart, sales of fabric refresher, including Febreze, dropped as much as 33.3 percent this month alone from the same period a year ago.
After being informed that P&G Korea would invite the Korean press to the U.S. headquarters for the press conference, the Korean Federation For Environmental Movement (KFEM) issued a statement criticizing “The decision can be interpreted that the company is trying to control the press with money for its own commercial interests rather than citizens' lives and safety,” on July 4.
The KFEM also added, “In this situation, a sensible company would submit and disclose the inhalation safety assessment data to the government. If the toxicity assessment is insufficient, it should replace ingredients with safe substances or cease sales. P&G’s movements to put an ad to the press and provide reporters with a free tour overseas without such measures is an obvious media control and consumer deception.” The Environment Ministry is conducting the second round of its probe into the product’s possible toxicity, with the results to be released in September.
Business Korea asked P&G Korea whether the reports released by reporters who were offered a free tour to the U.S. would gain credibility from readers, but have not had a reply from the company.