Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, founder and CEO of TishTash Marketing.
The art of ‘newsjacking’ is certainly not exclusive to a global pandemic but the considered success of such campaigns can usually be divided into two camps.
The ‘all publicity is good publicity’ brigade will see it as nothing but a positive, whilst others view them as at best opportunistic, and at worst, disingenuous and distasteful.
News is one thing, but when something like a global pandemic is used as a marketing sales driver, I am not sure that this could ever be a confident move in the eyes of the consumer. Deliberately courting controversy is a brave move that can often backfire – however, we find that most who go for such a tactic fall firmly into the ‘who cares?’ camp.
Profiting off the back of something like Covid-19 can be somewhat inevitable. Nobody begrudges the healthy bottom line of food delivery services during a lockdown, or the supply of essential equipment for example.
When we see a well-known transport on demand provider offering discounts for those riding to get a vaccination – we can argue that this works towards the promotion of the greater cause. Random discounts from outlets for those who have had their jabs, and I’m not so sure.
Dividing opinion so wildly comes with guaranteed publicity, and if this is the brand objective then we need to consider the lasting effects on the consumer. A one off ‘stunt’ campaign may have an immediate effect on media coverage, but can be a risky move in the longer term.
Controversial marketing tactics provide an immediate increase in consumer attention, but there is never a grey area between positive and negative opinions.
It’s difficult to use ‘shock’ in your campaign activities without alienating some of your audience. The happy medium comes between ‘intriguing’ and downright offensive. The latter usually comes from a complete lack of empathy and awareness of a wider situation, and an arrogant naivety that everyone shares the same sense of ‘humour’ as the team that created it.
A one off ‘stunt’ campaign may have an immediate effect on media coverage, but can be a risky move in the longer term.
Alternatively, if you have the understanding that any brand or business can’t be ‘friends with everyone’ then the outcome can be deemed worth the publicity generated, with the profits outweighing the enemies.
A truly successful ‘shock marketing’ campaign takes into account all possible outcomes and stress tests the public appetite of any controversial opinions or depictions. It also needs to stay within the law. Many attempts are ill thought out or mediocre at best. When used as an opportunity to assert creativity and visibility, such tactics can pay off handsomely, usually for multinationals and legacy brands who can be seen as bold thought leaders.
On a local level we have not yet seen much beyond attempts to get a rise out of the Twitterati or misguided ties at generating a quick publicity win.
No stranger to this type of advertising, Ryanair have hit the skids with their recent take on using vaccinations as a reason to book flights and swerve clear of any UK lockdown restrictions. Too soon? We think so.
Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, founder and CEO of TishTash Marketing.
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by Staff Writer
More of this topic
Is controversy ever a good marketing strategy?
Is any publicity good publicity? Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, founder and CEO of TishTash Marketing looks at the pitfalls.
Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, founder and CEO of TishTash Marketing.
The art of ‘newsjacking’ is certainly not exclusive to a global pandemic but the considered success of such campaigns can usually be divided into two camps.
The ‘all publicity is good publicity’ brigade will see it as nothing but a positive, whilst others view them as at best opportunistic, and at worst, disingenuous and distasteful.
News is one thing, but when something like a global pandemic is used as a marketing sales driver, I am not sure that this could ever be a confident move in the eyes of the consumer. Deliberately courting controversy is a brave move that can often backfire – however, we find that most who go for such a tactic fall firmly into the ‘who cares?’ camp.
Profiting off the back of something like Covid-19 can be somewhat inevitable. Nobody begrudges the healthy bottom line of food delivery services during a lockdown, or the supply of essential equipment for example.
When we see a well-known transport on demand provider offering discounts for those riding to get a vaccination – we can argue that this works towards the promotion of the greater cause. Random discounts from outlets for those who have had their jabs, and I’m not so sure.
Dividing opinion so wildly comes with guaranteed publicity, and if this is the brand objective then we need to consider the lasting effects on the consumer. A one off ‘stunt’ campaign may have an immediate effect on media coverage, but can be a risky move in the longer term.
Controversial marketing tactics provide an immediate increase in consumer attention, but there is never a grey area between positive and negative opinions.
It’s difficult to use ‘shock’ in your campaign activities without alienating some of your audience. The happy medium comes between ‘intriguing’ and downright offensive. The latter usually comes from a complete lack of empathy and awareness of a wider situation, and an arrogant naivety that everyone shares the same sense of ‘humour’ as the team that created it.
Alternatively, if you have the understanding that any brand or business can’t be ‘friends with everyone’ then the outcome can be deemed worth the publicity generated, with the profits outweighing the enemies.
A truly successful ‘shock marketing’ campaign takes into account all possible outcomes and stress tests the public appetite of any controversial opinions or depictions. It also needs to stay within the law. Many attempts are ill thought out or mediocre at best. When used as an opportunity to assert creativity and visibility, such tactics can pay off handsomely, usually for multinationals and legacy brands who can be seen as bold thought leaders.
On a local level we have not yet seen much beyond attempts to get a rise out of the Twitterati or misguided ties at generating a quick publicity win.
No stranger to this type of advertising, Ryanair have hit the skids with their recent take on using vaccinations as a reason to book flights and swerve clear of any UK lockdown restrictions. Too soon? We think so.
Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, founder and CEO of TishTash Marketing.
Follow us on
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