Pepsi made a very public faux pas with one of their ad campaigns last week and nearly broke the Internet. Martin Luther King Jr's daughter even had her say on the matter.
In case you missed it, the advertisement shows model Kendall Jenner at a photoshoot when she notices protesters marching in the street outside. She dresses down, grabs a Pepsi can and makes her way through the protesters to where policemen are standing in opposition. She hands one of them said Pepsi and he drinks it. Everyone cheers because Pepsi is the hero, the one to bring two opposing sides together in peace and harmony.
It may sound innocent enough but Pepsi had to pull the ad after only 24 hours and issued the following statement:
"Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark, and we apologise. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue. We are removing the content and halting any further rollout. We also apologise for putting Kendall Jenner in this position."
So what exactly went wrong?
On the surface, everything you need for a great marketing campaign is right there: A topical theme, celebrity endorsement, and your product as the star of the show. Ten years ago, this ad would have been a raging success. In fact, back in 1971, Coca-Cola released an ad that capitalised on the Flower Power movement and had young people singing about "perfect harmony," and buying everyone in the world a Coca-Cola. It was indeed a raging success.
But fast forward to the present day and you find a shift in the way people think. We live in a global society, which prides itself on being politically correct and sensitive to serious matters. And with this ad, Pepsi either ignored or did not understand the very real risk of advertising their brand in such a way that it belittles the concepts of today's consumers. "All ya need is a Pepsi."
What can we learn from this?
Take risk management seriously. Do not repeat Pepsi's mistake by witnessing the protests from your corner office and drawing your own conclusions. Understand exactly what motivates people - especially your target market - and see the world through their eyes. Remember to include risk management in every step of your marketing efforts, especially if you are a large corporation. The more eyes are on you, the more you will need to be sensitive to important social issues.
Share