In crisis management, we spend a lot of time talking about transparency. When your company messes up, we say fess up. We tell our clients that being transparent about what they did and what they learned is the best way to lay the foundation that will help them recover their reputation after a crisis.
Transparency in communications is good. Transparency in yoga pants, evidently, gets you sued. According to a Reuters article Lululemon Athletica Inc, the creators of the now-famous (unfortunately) sheer yoga pants, is being sued. The suit accuses the company of “….fraudulently hiding defects that caused yoga pants to become nearly sheer, and concealing talks that led to the surprise departure of its chief executive.”
So, what’s the lesson here, other than the obvious? That bad news can’t (and shouldn’t) be hidden. A little humility; a lot less hubris and a respect for the customers and investors who trust you is called for, especially in a crisis. Use that transparency in your communications. Not in the fabric that supposed to cover your customers’ butts.
