This is a response to Trevor Melanson’s blog.
Wellllllllllllll, I think the picture says it all. On the left is “Pope Benedict XVI passionately kissing top Egyptian imam Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb,” who is on the right.
More of a publicity stunt than anything, United Colors of Benetton used this picture as part of their ‘UnHate’ marketing strategy. The Vatican’s subsequent announcement to take legal action only made the matter worse for itself, however.
In the ad business, it’s called earned media. A company does something newsworthy and journalists write about it and people talk about it. It is also known as the Streisand Effect.
As Trevor Melanson put: “The Vatican appears to have Streisanded itself.”
It’s certainly interesting and eye-catching, but does it help your company? In my opinion, it may get people talking about your company for a short while, similar to your “15 minutes of fame”, but it won’t keep people talking about your company. According to a BusinessWeek article, Vivek Wadhwa says the secret to getting attention is “you have to have a compelling message then make sure that the right audience hears it.”
Here’s another picture for your enjoyment:
