Indepth: Maintaining creative integrity while avoiding wrath of boycott brigade - Part 2

Image credit: Anja from Pixabay
Image credit: Anja from Pixabay

How can marketers manage negative publicity and backlash from sections of netizens who feel indignant at what they perceive as an offensive campaign? Brands may be cagey about it; but after the boycott calls started occurring with regular intervals in the recent past, companies started instructing creative agencies to stay away from politics or religion, which would invite the wrath of the touchy boycott brigade!

Brands are well aware that it is a tricky road, and it is important to be extra-cautious when designing and executing brand campaigns.

Also read:

Indepth: The anatomy of boycott culture in India – Part 1

The consumer is fickle and has a short memory, points out Ajit Narayan, CMO, Socxo. These negative stunts have a short shelf life, especially given the sheer number of them surfacing. The actual deal is in the impact on business. The fundamental question remains one of the target audiences of the business. Are they the same as the boycott gang? If not, then the Twitter discourse remains that. Nothing more. Let’s put it this way. Did those who called for the boycott of the Swiggy ad actually ever order from them in any significant way? Now that’s a question for the brand managers,” he points out.

Narayan feels that social media hashtags, especially the hate-fuelled ones, are anyway “viewed with truckloads of salt.” “Just the numbers by themselves mean nothing. They could be gamed, be a different audience, could be politically motivated, and so on,” he asserts.

The world we live in is fast-paced, and trends can go viral in seconds, points out Ramya Ramachandran, Founder and CEO of Whoppl. “While this can be a great opportunity for brand building, it’s important to consider the possibility of facing backlash if the campaign isn’t thought through carefully. As a brand, we never intend to offend our consumers; but it can happen if we don't have a consumer-centric approach. The best way to avoid backlash is to conduct ample research on cultures, religions, and communities before expressing our views and agendas. Additionally, anticipating the outcome of an ad can help reduce potential backlash,” she points out.

Brands can manage negative publicity and backlash from consumers on social media by addressing the issue promptly and transparently, showing empathy, taking responsibility, and taking corrective action, says Sahil Chopra, Founder and CEO, iCubesWire. According to him, listening to feedback, engaging with customers, and avoiding getting defensive or dismissive is also essential.

Vinod Kunj, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Thought Blurb Communications, sees this as an opportunity and not a problem. With social media, he says, advertising has now become a two-way street. “We used to send out targeted messages. Now the consumer can talk us back. Brands should jump at the chance to respond and engage in the conversation, without shying away from it. PR professionals can be brought in to craft a response to this with a nuanced argument. It's then up to social media to play lawyer, judge and jury/. As they say in advertising, no publicity is bad publicity, as long as the brand remains in the public mind,” Kunj adds.

According to Sunitha Natarajan, Director – Digital Strategy, Social Panga, honest communication is the best way to go. Industry stakeholders have a strong social media presence. Using that to clear up misunderstandings and take a stance will ensure a brand’s identity is well and truly out there.

Striking a balance

In this context, brands need to strike a balance between being socially responsible and staying true to the brand’s values, while still achieving the marketing objectives.

Vinod Kunj feels that trying to please everybody all the time will not serve any purpose. “Ad agencies study their target audience, their demographics, psychographics, along with their generation’s aspirations and mindset. No messaging goes out before it is vetted by a number of professionals and signed off by the client. I greatly doubt pandering will solve the problem. The more we soften the message the weaker it will get. Trying to please everybody all of the time will just make our advertising unremarkable and ineffective. On the other side of the argument, there are some motorcycle and jeans brands that have based their brand images on rebellious, anti-establishment, or wild imagery. They are purposely made to upset the older generations while exciting the young,” he says.

Striking that balance is a tricky one, says Vinod Kunj. According to him, it depends on the maturity of those forming the advertising message. “Advertising agencies and clients sit together to discuss messages, images, and importantly, where it is being seen. A youth brand can show young people in love or partying. And they will be placed where like-minded young people see it. A lingerie ad might show a woman model in underwear. That will be placed in media targeted at women. Yes, decency and artful presentation is very important in the pictures and words. This is where seasoned advertising professionals come in,” he points out.

Sahil Chopra feels that brands can strike a balance by achieving marketing objectives that align their values with social issues, being transparent about their efforts, and integrating socially responsible messaging into their marketing strategies. This approach, he adds, can create a positive impact while resonating with consumers who value socially responsible brands.

According to Sahil Chopra, brands can gauge the impact of social media on their image and reputation by utilising various metrics like engagement, sentiment analysis, and reach. “Additionally, conducting surveys and monitoring online conversations can provide insights into how the brand is perceived. To address any negative sentiments, brands can respond promptly and transparently to negative feedback, engage with their audience, and consistently assess their social media strategy. Furthermore, leveraging positive feedback and user-generated content can augment their image and reputation,” he concludes.

The brand purpose bandwagon has come under the scanner and in a big way, says Ajit Narayan. “Is it really contributing to the brands' growth or is it deflecting the conversation away from relevance?  For a brand to be meaningful, one needs to be relevant and true to the consumer of the brand first. And it goes without saying, this is something that's a given, 100% of the time. It is okay to just wish a happy whatever and then go on to do business rather than pretending to be clever unless it is relevant and creative together. Now that's the balance both marketing folks and agencies need to arrive at. And I am sure they will,” he points out.

Understanding the consumer and their likes and dislikes is the key to success in a culturally sensitive environment, says Ramya Ramachandran. According to her, brands can be cheeky and humorous in their messaging while still being mindful of cultural and religious beliefs. “By crafting strategies that align with the audience, we can avoid backlash to a certain limit by forward-thinking on the output. It's important to be responsive to consumers and correct any missteps with clarification. Consumers engage with brands out of loyalty and credibility, so speaking their language fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty. In case of a miscommunication, being consumer-responsive and quickly clarifying can prevent it from blowing out of proportion,” she says.

Remaining creative

And it is important for ad agencies to ensure that the brand’s messaging aligns with the values and beliefs of the target audience, while still being creative and innovative in their approach.

Social listening is an important part of any brand strategy, points out Sunitha Natarajan. “Ad agencies all over the country, if not the world, should be on top of their game and keep a keen eye on how the target audience reacts to their messages, and how these reactions translate into demand created for the product or service. By doing this, the agency will be able to arrive at a brand guide with the recommended tonality and approach for any brand. Creativity is limitless, irrespective of what the brand’s tonality is. There are myriad options to explore in every brand especially keeping the target audience in mind,” she points out.

“There will be rebels in us who actually set out to go in the opposite direction and manage to sell the rebellious ideas to clients as well. And they are the ones who actually show their anger at the outrage by going in the opposite direction. That's human nature. But, it is in the interest of the marketing and advertising community that there be a sensibility line. The obvious (to even a rookie) line of renaming festivals, and conjuring up the names of the gods and texts are actually self-goals. Go easy on that, and a lot of this will subside by itself,” says Ajit Narayan.

Creating effective advertising campaigns requires a clear understanding of the target audience and a solid rationale for every creative decision, says Ramya Ramachandran. “Whether using humour or other strategies, it's important to remain consistent and justify each approach. In India’s culturally diverse landscape, it is vital to respect the distinct sentiments of different cultures, especially during topical occasions. Despite these challenges, there is still room for creativity and innovation in advertising that does not offend or hurt anyone’s emotions. Protecting these boundaries is a must,” she adds.

And brands need to measure the impact of social media on image and reputation and take steps to mitigate any negative effects.

Market research has always shown us what the public thinks of the brand, points out Vinod Kunj. “Brand reviews and audits are done on a regular basis. It was done by physical polls and surveys. Social media is no different. It’s just that the job is done digitally with analytical software,” he adds.

Ramya Ramachandran feels that brand advocacy is critical today, and having a community of people to support the brand during times of backlash is essential. In such cases, she adds, the brand must communicate through its spokesperson about the main objective. “By undertaking immediate course correction and real-time crisis management, the brand can continue to engage its loyal consumers and make them feel like they are a crucial part of the brand and that their opinions are valued,” says Ramya.

Media
@adgully

News in the domain of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Business of Entertainment

More in Media