Should advertising during specific shows or programs be subjected to boycott?
“Advertising is a way for programs and issues to be supported,” said Waite, “Just because these brands were helping bring light to issues that have generally been shunned from society, it doesn’t mean that the brands are turning against what they believe in.”
Perception is everything and advertisers should not take into consideration other audiences when advertising. Advertisements generally cater to a specific audience they want to reach but if a customer uses your brand and thinks your company is supporting a controversial issue, your company could lose that customer. It is worth the criticism to pull the ad or should companies continue to run it? My opinion is you cannot make everyone happy, so continue on.
Pull the ad if it no longer reaches the target audience, not because a customer perceives your ad as questionable to their beliefs.
http://www.talentzoo.com/beyond-madison-ave/blog_news.php?articleID=12495
This issue is definitely a two sided coin. On one hand, you want to gain as much clientele from advertisement as possible. Controversial ads may cause some potential customers to reconsider.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what is the benefit of having a controversial add that creates conversation. I’m immediately reminded of the controversial Groupon commercials that aired during the Super Bowl this year. Because some viewers found the add to be offensive the ads were given more attention. If I were the marketing director at that point I would think “Mission accomplished.” Really, commercials are about brand awareness and recall. If a controversial add helps increase these two margins I think it is a benefit to the company.