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There are two approaches to a consumer crisis.

1. Put your fingers in ears, close your eyes and repeat ‘la-la-la-la-la’. This is what we now call the ‘BA’ approach or ‘T5′ syndrome
2. The alternative is to actually engage with the consumers. This is the braver but ultimately much more competent approach. Look at American Airlines ‘Crisis’ blog: http://www.womma.org/blog/2008/04/a-look-at-american-airlines-crisis-blog/

This week was the launch of the new improved MeasuredUp site. MeasuredUp is a consumer review platform, where users can critique companies from big corporations like Wal-Mart to much smaller businesses like local travel outlets or restaurants. The range of subject matter varies greatly - covering everything from ad agencies to Web services to medical establishments to political figures (guess who was in the limelight this week? Hint: his first name is Steam, and his last is roller).

At its current state, MeasuredUp certainly isn’t the best-looking site on the Web - although we’ve seen much worse! It seems to have an external flavor that connotes a basic database devoid of any cool new-age assets. On the right, there is a list of featured companies, followed by a search field and a directory of around 20+ categories. On the left, there is a list of recent customer reviews in snippet form. Other information is also found on the front page, though some is secondary in importance. On the whole, it is really just the supply of reviews and the attention given to these by users that makes MeasuredUp what it is.

Another point about MeasuredUp that has been made, is that it seems to be trying to do something that might not be possible. Without going into extensive detail, MeasuredUp can be summarized as an attempt to bridge the gap between consumers and companies. Which is, ideally, an honorable thing. But do consumers really want to sort out their grievances with companies via some neutral halfway house? Surely they just want to not have to deal with those grievances to begin with. And when they do come across issues of concern, they either consult an earpiece of significant repute, like Consumer Affairs or Consumer Reports, or suggest a more guerilla campaign against a corporate body through sites like Consumerist.com. After all, those tactics have proven reasonably effective.

However, we don’t think that MeasuredUp is useless. With the right amount of public promotion and critical mass, it may well turn out to be a force for good; an effective mediator to bridge the company-consumer divide. But even with the press given the domain by names like Time Magazine and TimeOut New York, MeasuredUp is likely to face numerous hurdles as it tries to grow.

Anyone who has seen the film ‘Falling Down’ will remember this line as the moment Michael Douglas was served a limp, bland burger in McDonalds, and then asked the server to compare his burger to the one on the menu hoarding. Why is this relevant? Today, Burger King had a promotion in the Metro where you can get a free ‘Proper Breakfast’ burger. The image shows a plump bacon and egg sandwich with a fluffy toasted bun. En route to work, a BK in Charing Cross… why not? Well, a picture says a thousand words so check out the photo below and be content with the following words:

• ‘Optional omelette’ actually means you have to pay more
• ‘100% flamegrilled’ means microwaved
• ‘Thick cut sweet-cure bacon’ means gristle and inedible fat
• ‘Or Cumberland sausage’ means anything as long as it is the bacon described above
• ‘Served until 11am’ means served cold, limp and crap

The best part is how they dress it up as ‘Proper Breakfast for Proper People’ without any sense of irony.
Enjoy your meal.