In Nadia’s blog, she addresses the issue of bad publicity backdropped by the case of United Airlines. In this situation, United Airlines poked fun at a sombre event in an attempt to win the attention of consumers. I strongly agree with her belief that “companies must balance creativity and sensitivity in marketing”.
GroupOn’s most recent Super Bowl advertisement was similar to the above case as it poked fun at the Tibetan political hardship in an attempt to receive attention and worldwide publicity. Although the ad was never intended to be disrespectful, it has raised doubts about the company’s apparent lack of compassion towards global issues.
So the question remains, why did they do it? CEO Andrew Mason explains it quite simply: “Because it’s different”. With increasing competition from other discount companies, GroupOn may have felt that they needed to reposition themselves in the market by developing a unique point of difference. In accordance with our COMM101 discussions and the insight of Ries and Trout, this may be a valid marketing strategy to penetrate the minds of the consumer and avoid being lost in the trap of “information overload”.
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