It could be said that the flow of opinions and information through social networks is completely uncontrollable. Much to the chagrin of brands, the double-edged promotional weapon could end up cutting them if they are not alert. Pepsi has shown great control in delicate situations, as Chris Abraham explains in his article for AdAge .
The cola brand launched a series of adverts in which a poor, lonely calorie decides to commit suicide. These adverts, which appeared in a number of German lifestyle magazines, caught the attention of Matt Creamer, who wrote an article about them. Chris Abraham picked up on the news and shared it on the most popular social network, Twitter.
Suddenly, without being aware of the magnitude of his bitcoin data action, a heated debate about Pepsi's advertising arose, culminating in a slew of criticism. Bonin Bough, the company's director of social media and new media, not content with withdrawing the ads in the face of the controversy generated, sent a statement to Abraham apologizing.
Here's a short excerpt from the statement: "I saw your Tweet and just wanted to make sure I responded to you personally. We agree that this creative is totally inappropriate; we apologize and let you know that we will not be using it anymore. Thanks for the response and the Digg, it's important to discuss these kinds of topics. My best friend committed suicide and this is a topic that is close to home for me. So once again I offer my deepest apologies."
Given the impossibility of managing corporate information, sensationalism and the echo that distorts the intention of advertising, companies can only defend themselves with transparency. Abraham praises Bough for having reacted quickly and clearly. But on the other hand he wonders if, although controversially, his post has not gratuitously multiplied the reach of Pepsi's campaign. And although it is a cliché, advertising, although bad, is advertising after all.