Facebook pixel Stephen Rapier Insight on Beyond Meat Published in the Los Angeles Business Journal | Newsroom | Graziadio Business School Skip to main content
Pepperdine | Graziadio Business School

Stephen Rapier Insight on Beyond Meat Published in the Los Angeles Business Journal

Once one of the most talked about companies on Wall Street, Beyond Meat Inc.’s stock has lost nearly 90% of its value since closing at a 52-week high of $108.62 at this time last year. The company has been through a public relations crisis, where the company’s chief officer left the company after being suspended following allegations that he bit a man on the nose in an altercation after a college football game in Arkansas.

In an article published by Mark Madler of Los Angeles Business Journal, Steven Rapier, assistant professor of marketing at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, gave expert insight on the public relations issues facing the brand. 

“What they need to do is understand the crisis,” Rapier said in the article. “They need to do something meaningful to communicate what the brand stands for and will not tolerate what the COO did. It is up to the brand to meaningfully address that issue and take steps that the consumer will feel confident they are doing the right thing.” 

In addition to the public relations issues, the company has been negatively impacted by the overall decline in the plant-based meat category due to increased competition. The company recently announced that 19% of the company’s workforce will be let go before the end of the year. 

“Just saying something isn’t enough. They need to do something that demonstrates to the market that they are true to the values that they exude,” Rapier added.

Read the full article in the Los Angeles Business Journal