#226: When is Bad Publicity Bad?
Alexander Wang, women’s luxury fashion brand, has launched a controversial marketing strategy
Let’s look into negative PR, how to utilize it, and what to be cautious of!
100 Percent Certified Authentic
Alexander Wang launched a new bag, and with it a social media campaign featuring celebrity lookalikes. From Ariana Grande to Taylor Swift, at a glance one would assume that they themselves were the ones starring in the ads.
The response has been mixed, with some claiming the stars should sue the company and others saying this is genius marketing.
Ariana Grande had a similar experience a few years back with Forever 21, and they ended up settling in court.
However, it is undeniable that this campaign has made the name “Alexander Wang” viral for the past few days.
It’s also amusing that the caption for the video was “100 percent certified authentic”.
Bad Publicity’s Effectiveness
Negative PR is definitely an option that many in marketing consider, as sometimes sparking controversy is the fastest way to get your name out there. However, one should evaluate their situation before making any moves — as in, is it worth it?
Take this study from the Stanford Graduate School of Business:
It finds that for popular brands, negative PR could cause them to lose customers.
However, in the case of lesser known brands, negative PR raises awareness and can increase sales.
Pretty straightforward, right? Here’s another example. Remember the Shake Weight?
This thing was made fun of ad nauseam but earned the company $50 million in sales.
Losing Loyal Customers
In general, negative connotations to your brand could be a death sentence. This is how countless brands lose customers. But, if you need to make yourselves known, bad PR isn’t always bad — as long as you’re not hurting anyone.
💡 Ape of the Emerald City’s Takeaway:
In the case of Alexander Wang, though, I’m not sure it was a good move. It’s an established brand with many customers who likely wear their products because they have a fond perception of the brand’s values. This kind of strategy could make Alexander Wang relevant in the cultural zeitgeist for a while, but the danger of losing loyal fans could be larger than anticipated. But, of course, I’m sure their strategists have thought all this through.
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hmmm a luxury brand promoting 짝퉁?? sus