This Week's Marketing Disaster

We've all dreamt of crafting that viral campaign – the perfect blend of moment marketing, guerrilla tactics, or growth hacks that skyrockets our brand to recognition and organic traffic. Imagine the praise rolling in – articles like this one singing your genius!

But let's be real, experiments don't always hit the mark. That's okay. What's truly disastrous is going viral for the wrong reasons – appearing opportunistic, insensitive, or desperate. That's exactly what happened to Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) this week. 🪒

Here’s the Full Story!!

After Prachi Nigam, the Class X UP board topper, was trolled online for her facial hair. BSC, a grooming brand, aimed to show support with a full-page newspaper ad. The message? "Dear Prachi, They are trolling your hair today, they'll applaud your A.I.R tomorrow." So far, so good.

But then it went south. The closing line reeked of promotion, undermining the supposed solidarity: "We hope you never get bullied into using our razor." ‍Social media, as it does, pounced and the campaign was shredded within hours.

Social media users called it out: "Moment Marketing in the garb of a 'message,'" one user wrote. "Can #PrachiNigam ask for a brand endorsement fee?"

My favourite comment being a sarcastic but super accurate rewrite of the ad copy.

Marketers, Learn from This:

• Authenticity is Key: Don't exploit social issues for cheap marketing. Consumers see through it. Be genuine in your support.

• Read the Room: Understand the sentiment surrounding an issue before jumping in.

• Focus on Empathy, Not Sales: Prioritize expressing empathy over promoting your product.

• Avoid Opportunism: Don't capitalize on someone else's struggles.

Remember, going viral for the wrong reasons can damage your brand reputation. Be mindful and market with a conscience!

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