It was a perfect example of why firms shouldn’t just do something because they can. Even when the message expresses condolences, shows tributes or offers other seemingly positive messages, they can still be damaging to a brand.
“It’s not as though people were waiting to hear what Domino’s Pizza or Pizza Express had to say about The Queen,” according to the article. “The same goes for sausage roll seller Greggs, Poundland…” During major events like the death of such an iconic world leader, consumers are unlikely to remember whether a firm posted a message or simply paused its brand activity.
“The fact that a commemorative post might even be thought of as ‘marketing’ tells you all you need to know about how tasteless this can appear,” Adam Chugg of media agency the7stars tells the publication. “But what brands forget is that most people don’t want or need to hear about their opinions on most things.”
He notes that firms that really want to weigh in should consider an understated acknowledgement of such a death, but nothing more. Getting it wrong comes with great risk—it can leave consumers puzzled or frustrated.