The Sunday Feed
When Bad is really Bad!
The world tells you to be a good person but he that wins is a badass. So what’s the reason of this apparent duplicity? Why do humans wear a façade?
People do exactly the opposite of what they say. On the outside they want to be seen as politically correct but deep down, the motives and beliefs are nothing like what is seen on the outside.
The brands know this and they make all attempts to engage with the real person deep within to become more salient. However, if you play the game incorrectly, it can backfire in a very big way causing a lot of brand erosion.
Let’s have a look at some brands that went too far and had to bear the brunt.
1. Dolce & Gabbana: I am a lecturer and I am often asked if brands should engineer publicity by making a controversial statement. My answer always has been that if you are a company that sells frivolous products like fashion then you can. However, things took a wrong turn for the Italian cult brand D&C. They insulted the LGBT community to come into the limelight. It did not go down well. The best fashion designers belong to the community so one wonders why did D&C take such a step.
2. Goldman Sachs: After the financial crisis, a lot of people have turned their heat on companies like Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, J P Morgan and the likes. While it makes little or no difference to them in terms of customers because they cater to the high net worth individual, they do get affected indirectly. That’s because a lot of good talent who have strong beliefs, don’t want to work for them anymore. Can you spot the trend? Work Ethic is making a comeback in a big way!
3. Apple: While the brand has no inherent problems as far as the technology or software is concerned, a lot of people are taking note of the sweatshops where their products are being manufactured. Also, apple is a company that believes in the model called the “Eco System.” A model where your real income comes from charging the customers for all the extra hardware or software that is required to run many apps.
4. Starbucks: The company that made a fortune by the paradigm shift of moving the work space to a coffee shop instead of taking the coffee to the office is having its own problems. Personally, I think the taste is quite burnt and a lot of people share my feeling. I prefer the coffee at McDonalds. Also, when Starbucks starts to use its muscle to push a small pop and mom coffee shop out of business, people get really annoyed. We live in a world where customers or prospects are more interested in reading customer reviews rather than believing an ad from a company.
5. Ryanair: An Irish company that behaves completely un-Irish. The Irish are the sweetest, most honest and friendliest people you can ever come across. So I have to wonder as to why would an Irish low cost airline dupe its passenger by charging them large fares for luggage and hide the taxes so that they can advertise the low cost on the ticket! The customer service is supposed to be equally bad and your voice will only fall on deaf ears. I guess it is called company culture, cannot blame the people working there.
6. General Motors: A company that reminds us that every product has a life cycle and at some stage, it will decline. GM knew it had a defect in ignition and opening of the air bag as early as 2001 yet did little to correct it. This caused massive fatalities in 2014 and it had to recall almost 3 million vehicles. Holden, the representative brand of GM in Australia had been on a decline since 2000. There were a lot of electrical issues with the car. It finally closed all operation in Australia in February 2020 ending 160 years of association. It takes more than a century to build a brand while a few bad years are enough to kill it.
7. McDonalds: Like any fast food company, McDonalds has to take the brunt of people. There are those that have a completely opposite feeling of what the company says, “I’m loving it” Though they are unable to specifically pin point as to why this hatred, it is believed that a lot of it is not really true. Like I said earlier, people want to be politically correct but their motives are very different deep within. Those that scream hatred towards Maccas or other fast food brands from rooftops are often found inside it chomping the burgers and insatiably licking the drooping mayonnaise!
8. 7 Eleven: A company infamous for underpaying its employees in Australia by 50%. They would make the staff work for 40 hours and pay them for 20. A lot of international students who had no other work choice kept quiet till someone garnered the strength to spill the beans. The government stepped in and the company was taken to task. It has taken several years for the company to get back to normal but it still remains one of the most hated companies in Australia! Having said that, credit where it’s due. The company is making a serious effort to go in the right direction and a lot of people who would not be seen anywhere near the store now do not hesitate to go in. And their 1dollar coffee is not as bad as one would imagine. Seriously!
Companies should always take note if there are red flags. Arrogance is good but too much of it can inflate the problems so much that you reach a point of no return. It’s nice to be a badass brand but if you hurt the sentiments of your followers, you will never be forgiven. In the pursuit to being a badass you will turn up just being an ass!
Photo: Freestocksorg on Pexels