How do brands post on 9/11?
How can brands insert themselves into the conversation without seeming opportunistic?
How can they show their sincerity?
It is a time for people to reflect, remember others and share stories to help heal. The pain is still real. Acknowledging this will be more respectful than anything else a brand can do because whatever they do, they will be criticized.
In 2013 AT&T posted this image of a mobile device taking a photo of the NYC skyline with the Tribute in Light searchlights.
Although no obvious product placement or brand plug, AT&T was criticized and referred to as being “very tasteless.” This was perceived as overt marketing. AT&T quickly apologized and back pedaled on this in a rescue attempt.
This example may be a bit extreme but makes the point. Personally, I don’t see this as a marketing ploy but on the other hand, I can see the many who lost loved ones as perceiving almost any post from a commercial enterprise as blatant advertising. It’s like walking on eggshells and rightfully so.
This year Verizon proclaimed their silence and went dark. Some others who followed were: Coca-Cola’s Twitter and Facebook, Google (besides a solemn black ribbon on its search homepage), Disney, Pepsi, Kellogg’s and McDonald’s.
Is simply silence the only solution for brands on a difficult day?