1. From Praise to Prolapse: Analyzing Odwalla’s Discourse of Renewal Strategies in the Tainted E. coli Apple Juice Case
Heidi Bolduc,
University of Central Florida

2. Odwalla As A Brand Founding CEOs: Greg Steltenpohl Stephen Williamson
Unique Culture:
Youthful demographic
Environmental issues
Cultural diversity

3. Pre-crisis Phase (October 16-30, 1996)
Denver Children’s Hospital:
Anna Gimmestad diagnosed with E. coli poisoning
Washington Dept. of Health:
Evidence of link between Odwalla apple juice & E. coli outbreak

4. Crisis Phase (October 31, 1996)
2 Tipping Points:
FDA launches 14-month investigation
Edelman Public Relations hired to manage crisis communication

5. Crisis Phase (November 1, 1996)
Odwalla issues voluntary recall:
7 Western States:
California 5. New Mexico
Colorado Oregon
Texas Washington
Nevada
200 delivery trucks
Apple & 12 vegetable juice products included

6. Crisis Phase (November 2-3, 1996)
Corrective Actions:
Dedicated website
2. Toll-free 800 phone numbers
3. Refunds & payment of medical costs
Odwalla Website, 1996

7. Crisis Phase (November 4-8, 1996)
Despite these actions…
Apple juice sample tests positive for E. coli
Anna Gimmestad passes away
Large grocery store chains pull
Odwalla AND
Competitor juice products

8. Post-Crisis Phase (November 19, 1996)
Odwalla’s 2-Step Strategic Plan:
1. Call for competitors to stop selling unpasteurized apple juice
2. Consider heat treatments for its apple
juice product

9. Post-Crisis Phase (December 5, 1996)
Innovative New Process:
Flash Pasteurization
“most effective guard against E. coli, while maintaining as much flavor and nutrients as possible” – (Reierson, 2009, p. 107)

10. Discourse of Renewal Theory (Ulmer, Seeger, & Sellnow, 2007)
Aims to understand how organizations move from
beyond crisis towards:
Rebuilding
Recovery &
Revitalization
*Emphasizes post-crisis phase

11. Discourse of Renewal Theory (Ulmer, Seeger, & Sellnow, 2007)
Characteristics of Crisis Communication:
Provisional as opposed to strategic
Prospective as opposed to retrospective
Focuses on opportunity in crisis
Leader-based
*Broad categories designed to describe crisis communication accompanying renewal

12. Discourse of Renewal Theory (Ulmer, Seeger, & Sellnow, 2007)
Conditions of Renewal
1. crisis type
2. stakeholder relationships
3. corrective action & change
4. public vs. private organizations
*Attributions of crises most likely to lead to successful renewal outcomes

13. Odwalla’s Renewal Characteristics
1. Odwalla intuitively reacted to crisis:
Voluntary recall
Refunds for consumers
Help lines & website
FDA cooperation
2. Odwalla looks toward future:
Warns against selling unsafe juice
Innovates flash pasteurization

14. Odwalla’s Renewal Characteristics
Odwalla takes meaningful action:
2-Step Strategic plan
Steltenpohl visits sick children
4. Odwalla uses leaders strategically:
Positive reputation of CEOs
Empowering employees
Empathizing with victims

15. Odwalla’s Renewal Conditions
Massively destructive potential
Public Health Concern
E. coli transferrable patientpatient
Positive stakeholder relationships
Supportive reactions to recall & instructing information resources

16. Odwalla’s Renewal Conditions
3. Corrective action necessary
Pasteurization issue had to be resolved
Production safety program (HACCP)
Private status beneficial
Quick hiring of Edelman PR
Motivation to overcome crisis

17. Odwalla’s… Tainted Renewal?
Criticisms of Recovery:
FDA investigations: production processes known to be tainted months before crisis
Odwalla blatantly called for competitors to stop selling unpasteurized juice…motive?
Corrective actions reactive, not proactive

18. Odwalla’s… Tainted Renewal?
U.S. Military Letter Rejecting Odwalla as a Supplier
(August 6, 1996)

19. Takeaways The Odwalla E. Coli Apple Juice Crisis…
Successfully analyzed using
Discourse of Renewal Theory
2. Criticized due to post-crisis developments
3. Impacts brand value today

20. Selected References
Reierson, J. (2009). Odwalla: The long-term implications of risk communication. In T. L. Sellnow, R. R. Ulmer, M. W. Seeger, & R. S. Littlefield (Eds.), Effective Risk Communication: A message-centered approach (pp ). New York, NY: Springer.
Reierson, J.L., Sellnow, T.L., & Ulmer, R.R. (2009). Complexities of crisis renewal over time: Learning from the tainted Odwalla apple juice case. Communication Studies, 60(2), doi: /
Thomsen, S.R., & Rawson, B. (1998). Purifying a tainted corporate image: Odwalla’s response to an E. coli poisoning. Public Relations Quarterly, 43(3),