(Promo) It's every marketer's worst nightmare: a promotion gone terribly wrong.
Time
Warner's Turner Broadcasting System learned some hard lessons about
post-Sept. 11 marketing in January when it ran a street campaign that
turned into a bomb scare in Boston. The problem? People mistook the
blinking circuit-like boards erected on bridges and other
infrastructure for bombs.
The stunt was designed to promote Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force
TV show, part of the network's late-night adult programming. Instead,
it shut down the city and raised fears about terrorism. The campaign,
which was virtually unnoticed in nine other markets, created chaos for
all involved — including Interference, the agency that ran it, and two
men who help execute the campaign.
Peter
Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, are due back in court this month
on charges of placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct.
Jim Samples took the fall for Cartoon Network. The former executive vice president and general manager resigned last month.
And
the flap is far from over. At press time, Dr. Pepper scrapped a
promotion after Boston officials wouldn't allow treasure-hunt in the
historic Granary Burying Ground. Sources both in and out of the
industry are questioning the value of guerrilla marketing (seen by many
consumers as mischief or nuisance marketing.)
“Clients
will shy away from guerrilla for the short term,” says Martin Bihl
creative director for the 7419 agency, who formerly worked with
Renegade Marketing Group. “The Boston experience speaks to their worst
fears about guerrilla — that at best it's annoying and at worst it's
ignored, and that some unforeseen things happen as a result of it.”
With
that in mind, "Promo" spoke with several industry experts to determine
what went wrong, how to avoid it and what to do if you get nailed.
Just how do you handle damage control?
First,
implement your crisis communications plan. Look at the strategy that
outlines how you will respond to a difficult public situation. The plan
should spell everything out, specify internal roles, key external
contacts and general rules of the road.
When
done well, a plan addresses every imaginable issue that may arise, says
Liane Adduci Urevig, principal, AD Public Relations, Chicago.
Second,
respond quickly and set the tone, says Bill Keegan, executive vice
president/director of the U.S. Crisis and Issues Management
Practice for Edelman Public Relations. The first 24 hours are critical,
he says. A slow response could do more damage to your brand.
“How
you react to things is a huge brand credibility builder,” echoes Tom
Galbreath, senior vice president, executive creative director, The
Marketing Store. “Sometimes, the way you react to things is more
important than how you act” before the promotion begins.
Third,
accept responsibility and never point fingers. It will cast a poor
light in consumers' eyes. What's more, experts say be truthful and
honest. Agencies should work with clients on solutions to dispel rumors
and offer answers.
What's
more, demonstrate empathy. Show you understand what happened and any
harm that might have been caused, Urevig says. Also, explain how you
are going to remedy the situation and how you are going to prevent it
from happening again.
“The
ultimate goal is to put it behind you so that you move on,” says Brad
Drew, principal, AD Public Relations, Chicago. “If you find the
situation is impossible and you are unable to do it, it probably means
there is more communications work to be done.”
And if the unthinkable happens, don't disappear.
“The worst thing to do following a crisis is to hide,” says Urevig.
Interference
says it didn't hide right after the incident. Instead of talking, the
agency worked with city officials to alert them to light board
locations. It let Turner, its client, handle the public damage control.
“Turner
is our client,” Sam Ewen, CEO, Interference, Inc. told PROMO. “We were
doing everything we could to support them in their desire to help the
situation.”
Nevertheless,
the agency's Web site was down after the episode and some critics said
that Ewen should been quicker to make a statement.
The agency had a communications plan in place, but Ewen, wouldn't go into details about it.
“You
always have to have some plan in place and you always have the right
protocols on how to deal with that plan,” Ewen says. “For fortunate and
unfortunate reasons, we now, I guess, are experts in that.”
Assessing the risks How can brands avoid a sticky situation? By assessing vulnerabilities and developing a checklist of worst-case scenarios.
“For
all events, we have a two- to three-day training program and do a dry
run,” says Craig Goldstein, chief operations officer, Universal
Consulting Group. “It's important we go through a run of show before
the actual event to catch things.”
“You
got to have a Plan B or backup if you are going guerrilla,” says
Matthew Glass, CEO, Grand Central Marketing, New York. “You have to be
as creative in your approach and potential responses as in your initial
idea. Step back and say, ‘What's the worse thing that can happen?’
There's that risk assessment that has to come into play.”
If
agencies are unsure after reviewing local laws and regulations, they
should review potential drawbacks. Decide if it is worth the risk.
“Some
clients are prepared to really push the envelope and welcome the
controversy that might arise from a particular approach,” says Drew
Nessier, CEO of Renegade Marketing Group. “Other clients are far more
conservative and the creative strategy would reflect that conservatism.
Agencies need to clearly identify the risks associated with a
particular guerrilla program and the client needs to be completely
comfortable with those risks.”
With
any campaign, it's best to review local laws, says Joseph Lewczak, a
partner at Davis & Gilbert LLP, New York. That includes everything
from restrictions on wild postings, graffiti and littering to criminal
trespass problems.
In
Turner's case, people were surprised the stunt reached the street. The
company says Cartoon Network's marketing department devised the
campaign, while Interference handled its execution.
“I
have no idea how this got through,” says Kevin Glennon, creative
director, The Office of Kevin Glennon. “The campaign was ill-thought
out.”
Yet, predictions will carry marketers only so far. “Sometimes
you just can't anticipate everything,” Lewczak says. “Interference may
have done everything right, but at the end of the day, there was a
horrible backfire.”
To gain attention, some marketers may push the envelope and create a perceived crisis to boost their brand.
“These
days, sensational controversy often leads the news,” AD Public
Relation's Drew says. “In an effort to break through, some brands have
strategically sparked seemingly harmless public controversies to
guarantee a place in editorial coverage and water cooler banter. “The
danger, however, is that once the fire is stoked in the public domain,
it's essentially out of anyone's control. It can easily burn brighter
and spread faster than ever intended.”
The fallout factor The
Boston City Council is investigating further regulations on guerrilla
marketing. Members last month ordered a hearing to explore the issue,
including restructuring fines and the permitting process.
The
council also wants to involve the Federal Communications Commission. It
has filed a resolution, calling on state congressional leaders to urge
the agency to investigate marketing practices of broadcast outlets.
And
the Boston campaign may push other cities to step up enforcement of
guerrilla campaigns. Los Angeles and other major markets already have
local ordinances prohibiting the placement of signs and handbills on
city property. But those laws are only as good as the enforcement.
“Obviously,
there's been a lot of lax enforcement of these laws,” Lewczak says.
“With the Turner incident, you're likely to see increased activity from
local law enforcement.”
The problem? Customers thought the devices, red plastic box with wires protruding from them, were bombs.
The Boston two Despite
their arrest, Berdovsky and Stevens made light of the incident. At a
press conference this month after the two made bail, the artists used
the time to joke about hairstyles from the 1970s. They avoided the
issue at hand, and they're still keeping quiet about it.
Berdovsky
last month spoke to "Promo." He wouldn't discuss his work for
Interference or the Boston incident, but says he would consider doing
future work for brands or agencies.
“I
am always looking for collaboration,” he says. “If something hits me in
the right way, I'll go with it. I am very much open to anything that
comes my way.”
Berdovsky
runs a small business doing light video projection work for nightclubs
and editing video. His true passion? Doing live multiscreen,
surround-sound video performances. Last fall, he did some light video
mixing work for a major beverage brand, remixing commercials with
visuals to showcase on nightclubs screens.
Stevens
runs a company called Modern Mac Repair, doing Macintosh consulting for
businesses and artists, according to his Website.
Insurance considerations As
a result of the botched Turner campaign, insurance costs may rise, or
at the very least, policies may be under rigorous examination.
Universal
Consulting Group, a Boston area agency, says some underwriters now show
no interest in issuing policies for special promotions.
“Insurance
companies are afraid now because of the exposure this case now brings,”
Goldstein, says. “We feel we are going to be persecuted for that one
event.” What's more likely is that underwriters are being more
cautious, explains Jeff Elble, vice president, sales and marketing,
Paul Goebel Group.
“For
most agencies, you may see increased amounts of scrutiny,” he says.
“But I don't think it will mean agencies will have trouble getting
insurance.”
To lure marketers back in the water, agencies say it may take some convincing.
“Guerrilla
marketing is probably a bad word now,” says John Palumbo, founder/CEO of Big Heads Network and former president of DVC Worldwide's
experiential division.
Was the Cartoon Network campaign worth it in the end? Aqua Teen Hunger Force
ratings were relatively flat the week of the incident. The show drew
about 386,000 viewers 18-to-24-year-olds when the stunt around the show
hit the news, according to Nielsen Media Research. About 380,000 people
tuned in the previous week.
But
some say that Turner will win in the end. “This incident in terms of
measurable media is going to far exceed a Super Bowl ad,” Goldstein
says. “An incredible amount of publicity was generated by it. Publicity
was publicity.”
