I want to start this post off by apologizing for not posting on Monday. There are a few life changes in the works which have made things rather hectic! But hopefully I will be able to post about them soon!
On to the post!
This week marked the anniversary of 9/11. As someone in the Marketing world I know how important it is for companies to show that they are aware of the events of the world and not entirely centered on making a profit. Many companies do this by donating to charity, participating in community events (i.e Ice Bucket Challenge) and making timely posts surrounding holidays.
However, when events such as 9/11 come up, there is a lot of controversy about how a company should handle it. Companies like Build a Bear posted about their support, and the public reacted so negatively they were forced to take down their post. Here was Build a Bear’s post:
In my opinion this was a very tasteful post and shows that they are conscious of an event very close to many people’s heart. However, many people felt the post was distasteful because they felt the company was “pushing” their product. I would agree with this if there was a link included to buy the bear or any of the accessories. However, this is not the case. The company simply used their image to show support. I see nothing wrong with that.
However, being new in the marketing world I am curious about this. This is why I want to turn to you. Do you think companies should refrain from posting this sort of support on an event so near and dear to the hearts of many?
Let me know your thoughts!