After a storm of criticism, the photo was withdrawn and an apology was issued, but by then the damage had already been done. On the other hand, there was a lot of talk about it. And the fact that I am still citing this example almost half a year later, shows that they were still somewhere top of mind with this 'clumsiness'.
In the end I can say with pretty much certainty that this may have been conceived and approved in a moment of madness, but it remains a moment where you can only shake your head and think, 'oh oh oh oh oh OHRA…'
Don't: Just run off with iconic figures
In 2013, the American advertising agency of Swiffer (you know, those new style dustpans and brooms) had 'a great idea'. They were going to reuse Rosie the Riveter in their new content marketing campaign. Who is Rosie again? During World War II, this cartoon lady was the symbol for all American women who worked in factories while the men fought on the front lines in Europe.
But what did Swiffer do? They translated it to a lady hong-kong business email list who doesn't earn her own money, but is back in the household. And they knew it, because the criticism was not off the air.
The sting is mainly in the outfit. If the production department had not opted for the denim blouse, the red headband and a similar pose, the campaign would have set a completely different tone. Then probably no one would have crowed. It actually struck a chord too sensitively with many people, because the company bent an iconic figure into something she did not stand for at all. It is therefore miles away from the feeling of understanding that women like to receive from companies.
Are you a local entrepreneur in a small town or village? A hair salon, restaurant or antique shop? Then being findable online probably doesn't seem that important to you. You have to rely on word-of-mouth advertising and some outdoor advertising in the area. But by doing so, you are leaving a very important target group behind: your online target group. In this article, I will explain how to use local SEO.
The increasing importance of local context is of course a direct result of the rapidly growing use of smartphones. Smartphones enable their users to find information about things in their immediate vicinity very easily and quickly. If people search for 'hair salon Delden' or an 'antique shop nearby' via Google and your company is not on the first page, then you can forget about all these potential new customers.