Recently, we have been talking a lot about listening to online users and monitoring their conversations online in class. Interestingly, I came across an example of a company, who listened well and responded timely, in a fairly “unique” way.
Last week, a man posted a long comment on Bodyform’s Facebook page – the company that produces maxipads. He was complaining about how the company’s advertisements have lied to him, leading him to believe that having a period is the most enjoyable thing in the month – bike riding, roller-coasters, dancing, parachuting, until he saw what it truly meant from his girlfriend. His post garnered about 97 000 likes and within a week, Bodyform replied with a somewhat awe-inspiring sarcastic video, featuring an actress playing as the CEO.
My first reaction to the video? A really bold move by Bodyform – they “acknowledged” their fault, but it wasn’t meant to be genuine. Is this a good or bad thing – I think it could go both ways. Speaking from a general public standpoint, people would assume that such a topic is of general knowledge, and thus, supports Bodyform for its classy, “funny” and “excellent” rebuttal. A minority might think that’s a bit harsh.
But, this is an example of how a company who chose not to ignore, instead, managed to realize an opportunity by turning around negative feedback and using it to its advantage. What more can be said since Bodyform has been receiving positive comments, 8569 ‘likes’ and 4504 ‘shares’ so far.