By Alexandra Radius
Here’s what’s been causing a stir the past few weeks in France: a video on YouTube showing some people putting corn in front of their mobile phones – and ending up with popcorn thanks to the radiation emitted during a call!
Lots of journalists have taken this video and created a real buzz around it, particularly as a new way to talk about the risk of mobile phone radiation. Plus, word of mouth works very well with new technology, so guess how I first received this video? On Facebook of course!
Of course, inevitably, it’s a hoax video for a brand of Bluetooth headset designed to scare people into thinking that mobile phones emit a dangerously high level of radiation and that they really should use a headset.
But I’m asking myself, is it really such a good marketing tool to scare customers into thinking they need a product? I’m pretty sure that French mobile carriers wouldn’t have been too happy to see the video on the internet, especially two days after a report by scientists showed the possible negative effect of mobile phones on your health.
Simple coincidence? Maybe, but it creates a real fear about mobile phones and I’m beginning to wonder how far is too far with a buzz campaign? Is the main purpose of communication to get your brand talked about even if it’s in connection with something negative? Is there really no such thing as bad publicity?
I’m not so sure, because in a Web 2.0 world, blogs and forums can very quickly turn consumers against a brand by generating negative buzz too. There is a very fine line between buzz marketing and scaremongering techniques, and companies who cross it do so at their own risk.
I had the same feeling when I heard what company was behind it...
Posted by: Steven | 02 July 2008 at 14:38