We recently found ourselves embroiled in a debate about the recent viral marketing ploy by Beer Factory. Albeit successful in creating awareness about their upcoming promotions, there was a backlash in regards to public reaction.
A majority of the people were upset that they had been duped into promoting Beer Factory. Words like ‘tacky’ and ‘tasteless’ were thrown about. However, a few days prior to its reveal, the same people were more than happy to share the video of this ‘tacky’ and ‘tasteless’ fracas – but does this backlash necessarily make it a bad ad?
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity”.
Beer Factory is now at the receiving end of nitpicking-netizens lambasting their attempt at guerilla marketing. We had to pose ourselves a few questions to unearth some truth about this campaign:
Q: What is the purpose of viral marketing?
A: To obtain maximum outreach with minimum expenditure.
Q: Did this campaign achieve its purpose?
A: Yes.
Q: Will it affect sales positively?
A: Most probably.
Q: Did it elevate the brand name?
A: Debatable.
The last question is where it gets tricky.
A friend said “prior to this campaign, [she] didn’t even know about Beer Factory, let alone their promotions.” That said, a majority of the audience seems displeased. Is the displeasure merely a reflection of the audience or is it of the campaign itself? And will this negativity truly affect Beer Factory’s brand name?
It can be argued that the campaign is not aesthetically pleasing. But it is impactful.
Does that make it a bad ad?
If the brief was to raise awareness about the Beer Factory than they hit the nail on the head. However, the plot was lost because one, this stunt showcased the beer factory RUNNING OUT OF BEER, showing their lack of quality as A BEER FACTORY, and two, crazy sex deprived psychos drink at the Beer Factory, making it the last place you want to enjoy an ice cold glass of Guinness.
The idea was there and the viral intent was a success. However, this may have done more harm than good for the brand as a whole, bringing out the worst emotions during a time of celebration.
Does this ad make you thirst for a pint or just leave a sour taste in your mouth?
These questions are all but debatable. However, what we can truly learn from this interesting and insightful case study is that Beer Factory is offering RM10 Guinness Pints every Thursday throughout the month of September. Drink responsibly.
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