Last week, Indian influencer, model and actress Poonam Pandey made headlines for faking her death. The fake death was part of a campaign by her agency Shubhang to raise awareness about cervical cancer. This stunt garnered attention from many internet users, most of which had a negative impact on Pandey's brand sentiment.This caused the agency to later apologize for the pain, but at the same time, the campaign It successfully achieved its objective of spreading awareness.
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“Mr. Pandey's actions led to cervical cancer and related terms becoming one of the most searched topics on Google,” the agency said. […] We understand that our method may have sparked debate about this approach. We regret the stress this has caused, but if this measure helps spread needed awareness and prevent deaths, that will have a real impact. ”
In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, influencer marketing industry experts from Singapore and Malaysia said they were heartbroken by Pandey and Shubhang's stunt.
“I have nothing against this concept,” said Nilote Chaweewannakorn, head of Southeast Asia talent at GushCloud International. The problem, in his opinion, was that Pandey had left it alone “too long before his true intentions were revealed.” Chaweewannakorn added that when stunts of a similar nature are successful, the true intentions are quickly revealed at the end of the content. This showed good intentions and there was no room for misunderstanding, Chaweewanakorn said.
“Overall, I think it's not the concept itself that matters, but the execution. Stunts like this create the biggest impact, but unfortunately they also come with a lot of risk,” Chaweewannakorn added. Ta.
Meanwhile, Nafunan Malaysia CEO Kausan Hieu is of the opinion that the stunt was a creative and attention-grabbing way to raise awareness. This is especially because consumers on social media have become desensitised. Hieu can relate to the fact that this campaign was designed to liberate individuals from complacency and spark meaningful conversations. But the ends do not justify the means.
This is especially true since Pandey has lied, faked his death, and taken viewers on a roller coaster of dishonest emotions. ”This will only hurt the influencer with the current backlash and could erode her confidence in future brand opportunities. “With her credibility broken, her audience is less likely to believe what she says, potentially reducing her effectiveness as an influencer,” Hieu said.
Impact of publicity stunt
While this move is definitely gaining attention, given that consumers are already losing trust in influencers, this kind of behavior is a risk factor for future campaigns, according to Impact.com's January 2024 report. may raise concerns when using influencers.
Similarly, an October 2023 report found that trust significantly outweighed other factors as a reason for following influencers. 72% of consumers surveyed cited credibility as the reason behind trusting influencer recommendations, highlighting how important authentic and trustworthy recommendations are in shaping consumer behavior. It shows whether there is.
That being said, one thing that influencer marketing industry experts can completely agree on is how this stunt will affect Pandey's credibility and trust among his followers.
Businesses that make an impact are built on a foundation of trust.
Hieu believes in the cause, but this method of raising awareness about cervical cancer is deceiving people.Hieu added that it is almost irresponsible to the influencer's followers and the general public.
“Such actions only erode the trust and goodwill that influencers have built over time with their followers,” Hieu said.
Yu Wen Fung, founder of Sushi Vid, shared a similar view, saying, “The act of orchestrating negative publicity carries significant risks. “It required no effort on the part of the encoder and caused a great deal of pain,” he added. Ultimately, such actions violate the trust of believers and are considered insensitive, especially when the goal is financial gain. ”
In extreme cases, influencers may even consider prison sentences. Earlier this week, Taiwanese influencer Chen Ningchuan, also known as Goodnight Chicken, was found guilty of fabricating a kidnapping, according to media reports.
Chen has been making videos about “paranormal phenomena” on social media, and reportedly staged the forced abduction and escape on an Instagram live feed with his friend Lu Zusheng.
Chen arrived in the Cambodian coastal city of Sihanoukville, an area notorious for gangs kidnapping people and forcing them to commit online fraud. On February 11, Chen reportedly showed viewers what he claimed was “the darkest corner of the world, where so many Taiwanese have been deceived and enslaved.”
The next day, Chen sneaked into a scam call center and livestreamed his alleged attack by a man in military uniform. Media reports said the video was interrupted when the camera fell to the ground. Meanwhile, his wife also reportedly posted on social media that her husband was missing.
On February 13, Chen returned to his livestream and claimed that he had run away from a fraudulent call center. According to reports, Chen claimed in the video that several armed men grabbed him, shot him with a Taser, shaved his head and robbed him of $3,500. Viewers questioned why the alleged kidnapper allowed Ms Chen to keep her live streaming equipment but took her cash.
Shortly after, police arrested Chen and Lu in their hotel room, and it turned out that they had fabricated the entire incident. pOris discovered that Chen's crew had purchased props, including military uniforms, fake guns, and fake blood. Both men were found guilty of sedition to disrupt social security and sentenced to two years in prison. They were also fined RM4 million.
the right approach
This does not mean that advertising should be avoided completely. However, it must be done carefully. At the end of the day, Hoon says a successful partnership should always aim for a win-win scenario.
When tackling sensitive topics such as death or serious illnesses like cancer, influencers must prioritize empathy, sensitivity, and authenticity.
Rather than exploiting these issues for attention, influencers could educate, raise awareness and provide support to those affected, Hoon said.
“One way to do this with more empathy is to share a lived experience of grief over the loss of a loved one, which may not have as much shock value as the 'fake death' version.” But it's much more respectful,” she added.
In addition, influencers need to be mindful of cultural differences and social norms, as perceptions of sensitive topics can vary widely between regions and communities.
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