When Your Company Goes Viral (For All the Wrong Reasons): ISO 9001 Lessons from the Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal
- Debra Matthews Hampton
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
That Coldplay Kiss Cam moment? The one where two executives ducked away from the spotlight, only to have Chris Martin joke they were “either having an affair or very shy”?
When those executives were identified as a CEO and Chief People Officer from the same company, and both eventually resigned... that wasn’t just a personal moment gone wrong.
That was a full-blown corporate crisis that unfolded in real-time.
The 10% Edge of ISO 9001 Risk Management
It’s not your product.
It’s not your service.
It’s not your “lack of consistency.”
It’s your systems.
ISO 9001 Clause 6.1 is all about risk management – identifying potential issues before they
become viral nightmares.
That’s your 10% edge right there!
Your B+ ISO System > A+ Crisis Management
Your ISO system doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be implemented.
While you’re busy waiting for the “perfect” quality manual or the “perfect” procedures,
someone else is out there running with their B+ ISO system and avoiding crises altogether.
The key? They got it out the door.
They tested it.
They listened.
They tweaked.
Treating Viral Moments as Nonconforming Outputs
ISO Clause 10 is about making improvement happen and sustaining it.
This is a Corrective Action moment…
Like when your company unexpectedly trends on Twitter FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS!
It allows you to address it with corrective actions.
A solid ISO system gives you:
Clear containment procedures
Impact assessment tools
Decision-making frameworks based on values, not panic
The Corrective Action Comeback Story
Here’s what I have learned.
The only reason companies survive crises isn’t because they finally “got over” the scandal.
It’s because they implemented ISO Clause 10.2 – corrective action. They:
Analyzed what went wrong
Determined root causes
Implemented changes to prevent recurrence
Reviewed effectiveness
Your ISO Journey Starts Now
At Cornerstone Engineering, we help companies prepare for both expected and unexpected challenges.
Their approach includes:
Customized risk management (hopefully, no viral surprises!)
Streamlined documentation (because nobody reads 200-page manuals)
Practical implementation (systems people actually use)
Continuous improvement (learning from every near-miss)
Don’t wait for your company’s “kiss cam moment” to discover gaps in your quality system.
Hit reply and tell me: what’s one risk you’re worried about that an ISO system might help prevent?
Until then, make the scary assessment, test your crisis response, and get a little proactive with your B+ ISO work.
🧡 Debra
P.S. Visit www.ce-q.com to learn how Cornerstone Engineering can help you develop an ISO 9001 system that prepares you for both everyday excellence and unexpected challenges. Could be good for the soul (and your business survival).
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