Guest Column: Brands must listen well to avoid blunders, quixotic or otherwise: Shoebahmed Shaikh, Director - South, Ideosphere Consulting
If you listen, chances are that you will be able to say the right things, believes Shaikh

Sample this email subject line that global sports major, Adidas, sent to the participants of the Boston Marathon 2017, once they had completed the race. “Congratulations for having survived the Boston Marathon.” The internet has a field day regarding the perceived insensitivity of the usage of words just a few years from the horrors that affected men, women and children in April 2013.
What a few weeks it has been for some of the world’s most recognisable brands. Pepsico, United Airlines, Uber (where do we start?) and Snapchat, who have all been the source of some much publicised faux pas. They’ve then been lined up in front of the proverbial firing squad and seen their legacy tarnished leading to capital and brand erosion. So, what could they have done differently?
Before we embark on a deconstructing journey within the safe confines of hindsight, let us be clear that a brand apology has more variables associated with it. Equally important to note is that we are not trying to measure the intensity of person to person forgiveness versus one that is made by a brand. But millions of users, their collective anger combined with lightning fast communication mediums mean brands might as well decommission the traditional crisis playbook. Brands create various response teams and protocols to deal with errors and some hit the mark while others compound the problem. Maybe the real place to start comes much before.
Listen. If only brands were more attuned to the current state of affairs, they’d be able to predict reception for some of their marketing strategies. Case in point, Pepsi, made the cardinal sin of trying to jump onto the bandwagon of free speech and the right to have your voice heard. Well intentioned theoretically, can you imagine the backlash a homegrown brand like Rooh Afza would face if they released a similar ad except with the CRPF personnel and Kashmiri youth as participants? In a society already polarised by the rise of an unlikely and unpredictable President, the ad struck all the wrong chords. Not to mention the choice of celebrity who is part of a family derided by most, irrespective of your political lineage.
Worse yet, is to shirk responsibility of poor decisions and violent action. Enter United Airlines. If it wasn’t enough brand hara-kiri seeing gory images of a customer (whether he should have been allowed on board or not) being dragged across the aisle, the first response statement actually put the blame on the system and the passenger. This did not come from a staff spokesperson or a PR rep, but the CEO himself. It remains to be seen if ‘re-accommodate’ wins ‘Invented Jargon of the Year 2017’ but the letter backing United employees, most of whom were already embarrassed by the turn of events, was also in poor taste.
I hate to kick a brand when it is down, but having been a resident of the great city of Bangalore for the last eight years, I haven’t been ‘locked up at home’ until Uber came along and improved our collective Happiness Index. And no, I do not own a motor vehicle. Brands leave themselves open to ridicule and the mercy of trolls by making statements of grandiose which alienate their customers. Have they made travel easier, safer and more convenient? No doubt, but shouldn’t you be letting your satisfied customers do your evangelising for you? An apology made after generations make for a great Bollywood happily-ever-after ending but in the real world, it is best done immediately. And sincerely. Unfortunately, Uber seems to have the hand-brake on when it comes to rectifying its errors for a few months now.
For an app that made its mark by allowing users to send images which disappear in a few seconds, Snapchat seems to be doing the disappearing act from our mobile phones equally fast. Once again, the source of the problem has been the guy at the top. It must be the rarified air at multi-billion dollar IPOs that make decision making really tough. To insinuate (allegedly or not) we are ‘too poor’ to consider expansion is akin to digging your own grave. Users are uninstalling the app (seems to be in vogue these days), hackers are releasing private user data and poor Snapdeal is also facing the brunt for sounding a little too much like them. A sincere apology involves admittance of hurt caused to the ‘victims’, in this case, a nation of 1.2 billion people. Now whether the statement was actually made or not, Snapchat needs to seem accountable enough to make amends. Releasing India specific filters to placate an irate internet mob is certainly not the way. A brave CEO might even ditch the traditional route and embark on a charm offensive. A visit to India with a plan to make Indians an integral user base of his popular app in due course of time might not be such a bad idea.
Good communication is always a two way process. If you listen, chances are that you will be able to say the right things. The same applies to brands. Listen well to avoid blunders, quixotic or otherwise. And remember, acceptance is the first step towards salvation. To err is human, to forgive, divine. Or in the case of some big brands today – To err is self inflicted, to stop the trolls, futile.
(The author is Director - South, Ideosphere Consulting)
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com
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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
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'
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 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
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
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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