During my lunch time browse of the Daily Mail, I stumbled across a rather horrifying article that told of a couple that had found a dead bird in their £1.50 bag of Tesco salad. What's even worse is that this is the second time a dead bird has been found in a Tesco's salad packet in the last 15 months. Let's not even go into the praying mantis that jumped out of a ready-made stuffing mix!

As an apology, the supermarket offered a £200 gift card by way of compensation. The couple in question commented that they found the supermarket's gesture offensive. I can't say I disagree with them.

I would be put off from shopping at a supermarket altogether if I discovered a dead bird amongst my salad, and I'm pretty sure I am not the only one. So why do companies continue to offer monetary compensation that can only be spent in the shop where the incident occurred?

And so it got me thinking. How can brands say sorry better?

In this instance, what about a meal for two at a glitzy restaurant to make up for the meal that was ruined? Or an all-expenses-paid spa weekend to help the unsuspecting customer relax after the shocking realisation that a five-inch bird was on offer for dinner? It could be as simple as offering a gift card that can be spent in numerous outlets. I'm certain that this way of saying sorry would be better received by consumers who have had a bad experience with a brand and that a more personalised and thought through apology is likely to encourage consumers to shop again with a particular company.

There are a number of examples of companies who are getting this right, apologising effectively. Earlier this year Mini Cooper sent unique gift boxes that included a can of spam, letter of apology, chocolate rose and duct tape after accidentally spamming a number of its consumers' inboxes with reportedly hundreds of emails. Another example is Bodyform's personal response to a Facebook rant posted by an irritated boyfriend. Instead of a simple Facebook response, the company provided an apology via a spoof YouTube video. Both brands received positive coverage following their apologies, turning potentially damaging stories into positive brand-building opportunities. Tesco could learn a thing or two.

What do you think? Could brands say "sorry" better?

@beccakennett