In today’s digital world, all eyes are on you, all the time.
The critical eye of the consumer never closes, and the world of social media
has created a place where even the smallest branding faux pas is a recipe for
complete financial disaster. There are cases of poor taste, such as this May
advertisement for Belvedere Vodka. Even worse, there are times when brands can
be persecuted for things they have absolutely no control of, or involvement in.
What can you do when your brand is thrust into the spotlight
of consumer criticism? Can either of those examples serve as a template for
escaping a PR nightmare?
The Skittles Strategy
When details about the tragic Trayvon Martin shooting went
public, Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea became unintentional icons of lost
innocence. The brands were spoken of almost as often as the investigation
itself. Consumers, invested in the horrific details of the killing, began to
accuse both brands of profiting off of the tragedy and media exposure. Neither
brand had anything to do with Martin’s death, but both were being ripped to shreds on social media for failing to respond.
What did they do?
Skittles and Arizona Iced Tea were forced to act, and
responded with letters of condolence to Martin’s family. They said it would be
the last word on the matter, and both brands stuck to their guns, refusing to
give in to the public outcry.
What went wrong?
Consumers were convinced that both brands were pulling in
record profits from the media hype, and demanded financial recompense. It was a
bizarre and unfounded complaint, born from a collective desire for closure that
court proceedings was not providing. Arizona and Skittles did their best to
avoid further scrutiny by keeping silent, and they ended up being seen as uncaring
and cold.
The Belvedere Vodka
Strategy
In early March, Belvedere began a commendable social media
effort, relying on a strategy of casual humor, and easily shared jokes, each
one a clever ad for their product. Unfortunately, the casual attitude went too far, and an ad that never should have made it past editing wound up on their
public-facing Facebook page.
What did they do?
The ad was a clear misstep, and the backlash was fast and
fierce. Belvedere pulled the ad once the blogosphere had gotten wind of it, and
issued a series of apologies. They attempted to save face with a donation to an
anti-sexual violence non-profit, but the move was seen as a shady PR stunt, and
the brand has still not fully recovered.
What went wrong?
By the time Belvedere had responded to the complaints, any
response they made would have been too little, too late. Unfortunately, once
that ad was made public, there was nothing they could really do to make up for
the damage it caused. Even though Belvedere went one step further than Skittles
and Arizona, they were still seen as a corporation saving face, instead of an
apologetic brand. They owned their mistake, but it wasn’t enough.
So, what can you do
differently?
Any brand of reasonable age and size is in danger of falling
into an inescapable faux pas like those above. It’s an unfortunate – but unavoidable
– aspect of business. The solution lies in relying on the expertise of a
branding agency, and using all of the available tools you have to protect your
investment. If the worst happens, you need to be able to rely on a team that is flexible enough, fast enough, and smart enough, to turn the situation around.
The Tray PML Way is the blog for Tray, experts in the printing, mailing, logistics and promotional products. You can learn more about our capabilities by visiting our website, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages. For information about the company and its successes, visit www.traypml.com
