Epitome of Coolness

Over the past few weeks, one of New Zealand’s largest supplement brands has found itself at the centre of an extraordinary public relations crisis.

It started with a documentary released by Kino House Investigates that made a series of serious allegations about NZ Muscle’s products, manufacturing practices and business operations. The documentary quickly spread across YouTube, Facebook, Reddit and New Zealand media, prompting widespread public discussion and eventually attracting the attention of New Zealand Food Safety, which confirmed it was investigating claims relating to possible breaches of the Food Act.

Whether every allegation ultimately proves true isn’t what interests me most.

What interests me is what happened afterwards.

The biggest mistake wasn’t necessarily the allegations.

It was the communication.

For weeks, customers watched the internet discuss the company while hearing very little from the company itself.

The public conversation continued.

Questions multiplied.

Speculation filled the gaps.

People naturally started drawing their own conclusions.

Then, on 13 July, the company announced a temporary leadership change, appointing Dave Letele as interim CEO while it works through the situation.

Regardless of whether that proves to be the right decision, one question remains:

Why did it take so long?

Nature hates a vacuum.

So does public opinion.

One of the first lessons taught in crisis communication is this:

If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.

Once that happens, you’re no longer leading the conversation.

You’re chasing it.

That’s an incredibly difficult position for any organisation to recover from.

This isn’t just about NZ Muscle.

I’ve seen similar communication failures in councils, corporations, charities, sporting organisations and government agencies.

The pattern is almost always the same.

A problem appears.

Questions are asked.

Communication slows down.

Rumours accelerate.

Trust declines.

Eventually a statement arrives—but by then the public has often already decided what they believe.

The silence became the story.

Good PR isn’t spin.

Many people think public relations is about making bad news disappear.

It isn’t.

The best crisis communication follows remarkably simple principles:

• Acknowledge the issue quickly.
• Tell people what you know.
• Be honest about what you don’t know.
• Explain what you’re doing next.
• Keep updating people as new information becomes available.
• Show accountability rather than defensiveness.
• Remember that customers value honesty far more than perfection.

People can forgive mistakes.

They struggle to forgive silence.

A lesson for every organisation.

Whether you run a local café, a nationwide business, or a district council, the principle is exactly the same.

Trust isn’t built during the easy days.

It’s built during the difficult ones.

Because in the age of social media, the internet doesn’t wait for your press release.

If you leave an information vacuum, someone else will fill it.

And once the public starts getting its answers elsewhere, winning back credibility becomes one of the hardest jobs any leader will ever face.

Bibliography

• Coombs, W. Timothy. Ongoing Crisis Communication: Planning, Managing, and Responding. SAGE Publications.
• Coombs, W. Timothy & Holladay, Sherry J. The Handbook of Crisis Communication. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Institute for Public Relations. Crisis Management and Crisis Communication.
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). PRSA Code of Ethics.
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Crisis Communications Guidance.
• Kino House Investigates. NZ Muscle Investigation. YouTube, June 2026.
• Rova. “NZ Muscle apologises, admits to packing and labelling issues.” 22 June 2026.
• Rova. “NZ Food Safety launches investigation as new claims emerge.” 24 June 2026.
• Brown Buttabean Foundation. “Statement regarding NZ Muscle and appointment of interim CEO.” Facebook, 13 July 2026.