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The company said the campaign aims to highlight the issue of workplace stress.
An Indian beauty services start-up found itself in the eye of the storm for an advertising campaign aimed at highlighting stress at work.
A few days ago, an internal email from Yes Madam went viral on social media, in which employees were informed that the company had decided to “part ways” with those who had reported feeling stressed at work.
But on Tuesday, the startup clarified that it had not laid off anyone and that the social media posts were part of a “planned effort to highlight the serious problem of workplace stress.”
The campaign received mixed reactions online, with some praising it for bringing attention to an important issue and others criticizing the company for misleading people and “playing” with their emotions.
Some users also pointed out that the campaign had succeeded in propelling an almost unprecedented brand to the forefront in a few hours.
“Free promotion done right, eh? Who needs a marketing budget when you're outraged as a social media manager?” a user posted on LinkedIn.
This is not the first time that a start-up has sparked controversy due to a questionable advertising campaign.
Last month, the founder of an Indian food delivery platform received bouquets and bricks after posting a job advert for the position of “chief of staff”, but said the candidate would not be paid before a year and should instead give two million. rupees to the company's non-profit venture which aims to provide food to the poor.
He later claimed that more than 10,000 people applied for the position, but did not say whether anyone was actually hired for the position.
In February, a celebrity faced massive online backlash after faking her death to draw attention to cervical cancer. Many users said the publicity stunt was deeply traumatic for those who had lost friends and family members to the disease.
The marketing agency behind the campaign later apologized, but these controversies haven't stopped brands from pushing the boundaries of advertising to bizarre levels.
Brand experts say that while such marketing gimmicks can help a brand gain exposure, they don't necessarily boost the company's longevity or success.
On the contrary, it could do him more harm than good.
Brands need to understand the difference between exaggerating and openly lying, says Karthik Srinivasan, a branding and communications consultant.
“Exaggeration is an accepted and successful advertising strategy, in which a brand uses creative license to push the boundaries of truth and make its point,” he says. “But the exaggeration is so obvious or so striking that a consumer is unlikely to believe it,” he adds.
He gives the example of Ax deodorant commercials, which often showed a skinny-looking man transforming into a magnet for women as soon as he sprayed himself with deodorant.
Then there was rapper Snoop Dogg, who made headlines last year by announcing he would “give up smoking”, only to later reveal that he was actually talking about using a smoke-free fireplace. 'a particular brand.
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Snoop Dogg's 'Quit Smoking' Ad Went Viral Last Year
In both cases, the exaggerations are so extreme that they are almost comically unrealistic.
“But telling a blatant lie has no place in ethical advertising,” says Mr. Srinivasan.
Brands embark on such extreme campaigns because they can get massive publicity while using little to no funds. The idea is to choose topics that are likely to generate strong opinions, thereby ensuring that people engage with the campaign whether they want to or not, says Mr. Srinivasan.
In the case of the beauty startup's viral campaign, the company's email struck a chord with many professionals, who then shared it on their LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter) profiles. , criticizing the company for its insensitivity and lack of attention to its employees.
“Firing someone because they are stressed at work is a serious issue and would certainly provoke strong reactions,” says Mr. Srinivasan.
But such campaigns can damage the reputation of a brand or company in the eyes of its employees and consumers, he adds. “Credibility and trust take time to build and a brand will struggle to shed the negative publicity that accompanies an insensitive ad campaign.”
Mayank Sehgal, a marketing consultant, shares a similar view.
“It’s crucial that brands prioritize ethical marketing practices and avoid using people’s emotions as a tool for self-promotion,” he says.
“While attention-seeking tactics may work in the short term, they ultimately erode trust and damage brand reputation.”
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