SeaWorld, Coke, SNC-Lavalin face criticism with ads designed to shift the conversation
Managing negative issues with strategic ads aim to distract from controversies
No corporation is immune from crises or embarrassments, but the way some marketers respond is more effective than others.
That's the trailer for the 2013 documentary, Blackfish. The film was critical of how orcas are kept in captivity at SeaWorld and it led to a dramatic drop in the park's attendance and revenue.
So this year, SeaWorld went on the offensive with ads that feature employees telling their side of the story.
Also currently running is this ad from a major Canadian corporation.
As with the SeaWorld ad, this one doesn't let us know why the marketer has chosen this particular time to tell us all these good things about the company. However, many observers felt the ads were meant to divert attention from the scandals the company has become associated with.
Now here's a shockingly obvious statement from a 2013 Coke commercial.
This was Coke's response to the criticism it's getting for its contribution to the obesity epidemic. By reminding us that all foods can make us fat if we eat too much, Coke was attempting to spread the responsibility for obesity around by pointing out that we all have a part to play in fighting it.
Basically, the strategy that many corporations employ in addressing negative issues is to deflect responsibility and focus on all the good things they're doing — even if those things aren't necessarily a solution to the problem.
By contrast, some marketers address negative issues a little more directly. In April 2010, global newscasts were awash in images of oil-stained beaches from the Deep Water Horizon spill.
Tourists were staying away in droves and Florida was losing millions of dollars in revenue. Rather than simply pretending there was no crisis, the state did something innovative.
Tourism authorities encouraged locals to post videos of hundreds of pristine beaches so prospective visitors could see for themselves that there were still lots of great destinations available. Such transparency resulted in an actual increase in visits in the second quarter of that year.
Unfortunately, some issues management campaigns aren't quite as effective. When the message appears desperate — as many observers characterize the SeaWorld ads — it can taint the brand further.
And when the message is vague and self-serving — as the SNC-Lavalin and Bombardier ads have been described — it's sometimes ignored or laughed at.
Bruce Chambers is a syndicated advertising columnist for CBC Radio.