You’ve probably all heard about/taken part in the latest cute marketing idea gone wrong….the Twitter Motrin Moms fiasco (#motrinmoms if you’re searching).
As a mom, and a mom who wore my baby (and still do when a stroller just isn’t convenient) I took no offense to the ad. I thought it was cute. But I can see how some would be offended by it.
I’m not going to spend time here debating whether or not Motrin did something wrong or dissecting the ad for its political and social correctness. What I am more interested in is the firestorm it sparked on Twitter…
Its a true testament to the effectiveness of social media. 5 years ago the ad would have come out, sparked few hundred one-on-one calls to the company, maybe a hand written petition to remove the ad from print and television, and may have been mentioned in a few telephone calls across the country. Now though, with the popularity of social media, the whole world gets to have a look inside the suggestion box, and the complaints to Motrin are fodder for more, and more, and more complaints.
Sure, a few people are “defending” Motrin, saying what’s the big deal, really. But those few don’t mean anything against the throngs of seething moms out there.
So what can we learn from Motrin’s mistake?
- Number one: know your audience. That should go without saying.
- Number two: if you think your ad might piss someone off, tone it down, pull it, or only publish it to the groups you know will appreciate the questionable humor.
- Number three: this is a good one, so pay attention. Utilize social media to your advantage. Obviously, it works. Unfortunately for Motrin, it worked against them. Find something your customers can rally around and apply it (positively) to your product.
I only wish I worked for Tylenol right now. What a great campaign you could build around this story. Not only is Tylenol safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, they have the opportunity to step in and look like the winners in this situation. To say they do not condone pill popping and would never label the moms that use their products. But they do understand that sometimes you need a little relief, no matter who you are.
