by Ang Swee Hoon
(The writer is Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing, NUS Business School. She specialises in advertising, consumer behaviour and branding.)
The Ulu Pandan bear episode, using guerilla marketing to promote an electric shaver with a man in a bear suit, was thought by some to be a resounding success that demonstrated how straight-laced Singaporeans were. I disagree.
Yes, the incident drew attention and plenty of it, but for all the wrong reasons.
Even if Singaporeans were tickled by the sight of a bear-suited man, how was the public to know that it was about a shaver at that point in time?
To accomplish that, the campaign ought to have suggested how the qualities of the shaver are meaningful and relevant to the shaving population.
Resources were spent to hunt for the bear. The collateral damage was high. How would taxpayers feel, knowing that part of their taxes have gone towards a commercial campaign that went awry?
Viral marketing is a double-edged sword. It can work as much for a brand as against it. While we want to push the envelope and encourage creativity, it comes with responsibility. This ups the ante for advertisers and their agencies to think up and develop strategies in a creative yet responsible manner so that shareholders' interests are protected. LINK
(The writer is Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing, NUS Business School. She specialises in advertising, consumer behaviour and branding.)
The Ulu Pandan bear episode, using guerilla marketing to promote an electric shaver with a man in a bear suit, was thought by some to be a resounding success that demonstrated how straight-laced Singaporeans were. I disagree.
Yes, the incident drew attention and plenty of it, but for all the wrong reasons.
Even if Singaporeans were tickled by the sight of a bear-suited man, how was the public to know that it was about a shaver at that point in time?
To accomplish that, the campaign ought to have suggested how the qualities of the shaver are meaningful and relevant to the shaving population.
Resources were spent to hunt for the bear. The collateral damage was high. How would taxpayers feel, knowing that part of their taxes have gone towards a commercial campaign that went awry?
Viral marketing is a double-edged sword. It can work as much for a brand as against it. While we want to push the envelope and encourage creativity, it comes with responsibility. This ups the ante for advertisers and their agencies to think up and develop strategies in a creative yet responsible manner so that shareholders' interests are protected. LINK
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