Fortune Foods ad controversy: Did the brand opt right with their crisis management?

Fortune Foods quickly put out an apology, which in turn triggered complaints from Bengalis who pointed out that eating meat during the Puja is not a taboo in West Bengal

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Oct 17, 2018 8:34 AM  | 4 min read
Fortune foods

A cooking oil ad by Fortune Foods caused furore when it didn't go well with the Hindu Janjagriti Samiti who asserted that eating non-veg food during Navratri was prohibited. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, a Hindutva group had posted their objections to the advertisement on their website, saying it was an insult to their faith.

The company quickly put out an apology, which in turn triggered complaints from Bengalis who pointed out that eating meat during the Puja is not a taboo in West Bengal. The Bengali language ad titled Pet Pujo, or worshipping the stomach, and subtitled in English here for Fortune mustard oil shows a woman cooking meals for her husband during Durga Puja including traditional Bengali dishes made from goat meat and fish. The accompanying text reads, “For the food-loving Bengali, the Puja is a time to worship the stomach.”


The Hindutva group posted the following objections on their website:
“Along with this, non-vegetarian food is prohibited during Navrati [the worship of the goddess Durga in North India]. In this advertisement, the husband fasts for Navratri but on Navami, the wife feeds the husband mutton kosha and fish made using Fortune Oil. Since this food is so tasty, the husband is forced to break his fast. This is an egregious insult to our Hindu faith.”
 
Fortune Foods responded the next day, posting an apology on Facebook and Twitter, and withdrawing the video from circulation everywhere except Bengal “where it is common practice to eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food”. 

Fortune Foods issued a fresh statement saying, "Over 2 yrs we are celebrating the idea of #PetPujo with Bengali Foodies around the time of Durga Pujo. This year our video touched 1.5+M viewers in Bengal alone, and our brand continues to receive oodles of love on social media. We respect food choices made by every community. And we will fervently guard against accidentally hurting people's sentiment. Our apology for one is not an insult for the other as will be witnessed from the comments that continue to pour in. Do read, watch and show some more love."

Did the brand get their crisis communication right? Should it have apologised? Brand expert Gaurav Gulati feels that the inclusion of religion in advertising is a dangerous act, in most of such cases brand fails to please customers. Citing from the Yankelovich MONITOR report, he says, “Almost 40 per cent of consumers state their faith plays a big role in the choices they make while buying goods and services. So if your brand can maintain the balance that works to get both believers and non-believers go ahead and take advantage of religious waves or else stay away from this space. I think Fortune failed to keep the balance, and an apology is the best option to get another chance from same target customers."

Brandvagon's Abhimanyu Singh also feels that though the apology was not needed, it helped with the damage control. "Considering the stature of the brand, it only makes sense for them to be humane and fix it up despite of it not being entirely their fault. Sensitivity is the pillar that can't be ignored for most brands and hailing from a country with diverse religions and faiths, this must be considered the step in the right direction." 

Says Saurabh Uboweja, International Brand Expert and CEO Brands of Desire, “While the brand didn't have to technically apologise for a mistake they didn't commit, but we have to acknowledge that Fortune is one of India's largest edible oil brands and would be certainly worried about alienating a large part of their consumer base that is predominantly vegetarian. The apology came out of fear rather than the guilt of doing something wrong.”
 

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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