Misleading has been a popular form of marketing since the past few years, especially since social media took off during Covid. You showcase one thing but use it to announce something else. It’s a form of clickbait. And it works rather well. However, when it comes to creative liberty in advertising and marketing, the line between what is seemingly acceptable and unacceptable is incredibly fine and blurry. It’s a lovely grey area where risk is savoured. And that’s where brands love operating in the most for marketing. It creates conversation and that’s good for publicity.
HT Media recently announced that they would be shutting down Fever FM, a radio station under Fever Network. This was a big marketing gimmick. The radio station isn’t actually shutting down. It’s simply preparing for a relaunch and will move to a new digital home.
Ramesh Menon, CEO of audio business, HT Media Group, took to Fever FM’s LinkedIn to announce the cease of operations of Fever FM.
This video and statement though misleading, created buzz and worked in favour of the brand from a publicity point of view. But, it begs the question, is it worth it and does it make sense for companies to announce the demise of their brands as a marketing tactic?
Branding guru Harish Bijoor said, “Death of a brand (even a feigned one) is a headline. If 100 read the headline, possibly 5 read the body (where the prank) is revealed. Therefore, doing this is a bad strategic move. It’s tempting. But don’t call the demise of your brand. Ever.”
A senior CMO shared, “A brand is immortal. It’s immortality is fed by its success. There are no instances of a great brand killing a business but there are innumerable examples of a great brand being let down by a failed business. Brand dharma is about keeping the brand alive and vital. Not to declare its demise.”
Dr. Sandeep Goyal, managing director at Rediffusion said, “Everything is fair these days – deepfakes to deadly sackings that are only for PR! It is just a question of catching eye balls. And brands these days don’t fight shy of anything that will become viralised because of its shock value.”
This is true. Catching eyeballs today seems to be the number one priority of many brands. Consequences be damned? Not really. HT Media could possibly end up in soup for its misleading statement.
While the campaign is a good publicity stunt for the brand, the flip side could be the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI) clamping down on them. Why? Well, whenever there is news of a public company shutting down any part of its business, it is mandatory for it to issue prior notice to stock exchanges. While this was a marketing ploy, it was misleading. Not just to its audience but also investors in the company. Misleading investors and not informing exchanges is a more than valid reason for SEBI to take action.
Recenty, HDFC Bank too released a campaign featuring Nora Fatehi. Well, not quite. It was a deepfake video of the actress promoting the brand’s services. The brand marketed the campaign as if it were a real deepfake concern. It had almost everyone fooled and why wouldn’t it? Deepfakes are a real plague to social media. Especially, when AI and its growing capabilities are becoming easily available for the common man to use. Everyone from social media users to CEO’s to Ministers have voiced their concerns, spread caution against the alarming rise in deepfake content and advocated for the responsible use of AI.
The video was a fake. A fake of a fake to be precise. It blurred the lines between actual AI threats and publicity stunts. Was it a clever marketing tactic? It’s hard to say really. It grabbed eyeballs, it turned viral, everyone was talking about it. But, at what cost? Brands are meant to make a positive impact on society. However, sometimes in the race to hop onto what seems like a trend, can easily backfire, causing a negative ripple effect.