In my #marketing class, I strive to give positive and negative examples of ads and marketing strategies. And it's not an easy task!
One of the most difficult aspects to grasp is that even with the best of intentions, with absolutely no harm intended, a marketing campaign can become politicized and lead to a #brand crisis.
Latest example: the M&M's "spokescandies"!
Why? Because right-wing extremists living in another era find the purple colour, added to represent acceptance and inclusion, doesn’t fit with their retrograde personal values.
Even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing! Here's the whole saga as presented in a Daily Mail article summary:
- Mars, the maker of the candies, has been criticized in the past for making the green M&M 'too sexy' and a possible flirtation with the brown M&M.
- The solution appears to be the green M&M losing her stiletto boots in favor of sneakers and the brown M&M wearing slightly lower heels than before.
- Mars wants the green M&M to be 'better represented to reflect confidence and empowerment, as a strong female, and known for much more than her boots'.
The red M&M - who has vacillated between leader and bully toward the other M&Ms - will be adjusted to be more kind to his fellow characters.
You can't make this shit up!
Can I just eat my M&M's in peace? And if I want to keep the red ones for the end, it's none of your business!
https://lnkd.in/gK_dEg6S