Model campaigns going gray in help of LaFlamme may backfire, say specialists

Advertising and marketing specialists say manufacturers which have marketed themselves with a nod to CTV Nationwide Information host Lisa LaFlamme’s latest dismissal ought to watch out for blowback.

Firms that combine information moments into their branding run the danger of being seen as opportunistic and will put together for added scrutiny from clients and staff after they take a stand on hot-button points, stated retail analyst Bruce Winder.

“Nobody’s excellent, proper? Each model has skeletons within the closet … and this does very a lot open them as much as scrutiny … so that you higher ensure that your own home is so as earlier than you begin throwing this on the market,” he stated.

“There might be some blowback if there’s something hidden within the closets because it pertains to something each firms have carried out, so it is an actual high-risk transfer.”

Winder’s remarks come after quick meals chain Wendy’s modified the profile photograph on its Canadian Twitter account Thursday to its mascot bearing gray hair as an alternative of her traditional purple locks.

The tweet reads “as a result of a star is a star no matter hair color,” utilizing two star emojis, and consists of LaFlamme’s identify in a hashtag.

Media reviews have tied LaFlamme’s ouster from Bell Media to her resolution to cease dyeing her hair through the pandemic.

Danger of trying ‘opportunistic’

Earlier this week, Dove Canada alluded to LaFlamme’s dismissal after 35 years with the community in a marketing campaign known as Hold the Gray, which proclaimed that “age is gorgeous” and stated, “girls ought to be capable of do it on their very own phrases, with none penalties.”

Taking cues from Dove, Sports activities Illustrated journal announced a brand new grey-scale cowl that includes Elon Musk’s mom, Maye Musk. “We’re going gray with @Dove in help of girls ageing confidently on their very own phrases,” the tweet learn.

Dove by no means referenced LaFlamme in its marketing campaign, which donated $100,000 to girls’s advocacy group Catalyst and inspired others to show their profile images to grey-scale.

“There’s loads of dialogue about ageism proper now and Dove needed to harness that power for good,” Laura Douglas, Dove Masterbrand Canada supervisor, stated in an e mail.

“The marketing campaign was launched in response to the widespread nationwide dialog about gray hair and ageism within the office, and that it was not supposed to be directed anyone scenario or group.”

Wendy’s didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, nor did Bell Media, which owns CTV. CBC Information has reached out to Sports activities Illustrated.

Winder felt the Wendy’s marketing campaign was “in all probability somewhat shallow.” Dove’s, he stated, was “deeper and extra critical.”

“However nonetheless, each manufacturers look somewhat bit opportunistic, like they’re making the most of what’s scorching this week and what’s topical this week, and it seems to be like they’re making an attempt arduous,” he stated.

Joanne McNeish, an affiliate professor of promoting at Toronto Metropolitan College, felt Wendy’s marketing campaign did not make a lot sense, as a result of the model has by no means been related to ageism or gray hair.

“With Wendy’s, it’s going to simply sink like a stone,” McNeish stated. “It would not price them a lot to offer it a go, however they may have been a lot extra intelligent in how they did it.”

She famous that Dove has lengthy been linked to those subjects and has run campaigns on greying hair for 15 years.

“These campaigns work the very best when there is a relationship and a basis for the work you are doing and the trigger you are supporting,” she stated.

Advertising and marketing buzzy information story has dangers and rewards

Associating a model with any buzzy information story has each dangers and rewards, she warned.

Firms can simply generate consideration for his or her manufacturers that may translate into gross sales, when a marketing campaign actually resonates with clients. However such advertisements additionally open corporations as much as a brand new stage of examination.

“There’s really an actual artwork type in understanding how to reply to these conditions, as a result of typically these are actually great bonus conditions the place you get an enormous push in consciousness, and perhaps some gross sales, or they are often devastating in the event you discover out one thing later or there’s one other piece of the problem that wasn’t as clear to you,” McNeish stated.

Firms want look no additional than Pepsi to see the dangers, Winder added.

The soda large made a 2017 advert that includes mannequin and Maintaining with the Kardashians star Kendall Jenner becoming a member of a protest and defusing tensions by handing a police officer a Pepsi.

Many noticed the advert as trivializing the Black Lives Matter motion.

“So it’s totally excessive danger,” Winder stated. “It might resonate [and be] extremely popular for sure folks, and sure folks may even see it as opportunistic and somewhat bit sleazy.”

Firms that take the danger should be fast and tie themselves to the second earlier than it is left the zeitgeist or different manufacturers have overwhelmed them to it, McNeish stated.

“There’s solely room for a number of to essentially get the massive reward for being related [with a news item]… in order that’s why you should be prepared to leap on these conditions.”