ob Apology

None of us have been in social media THAT long, so we are all still collectively learning.  Some of us get it right the first time out, like Old Spice, and some of us are still figuring our way, like ChapStick.




Well my agency was all a buzz on Friday about the latest social media campaign that seems to have gotten it right (at least for attracting attention), despite what could have been a risky move.

ob tampons.  What, you say?!  ob tampons, have not heard about them for a long time.  Exactly!

Evidently the brand quietly slipped off the shelves a couple years back, much to the dismay of their loyalists.  No explanation, really, although a bunch of rumors about production issues.  Some of their SKUs have found their way back, but not all of them.  For some, it's been a huge issue where they've turned to ebay to find their beloved products, at sky rocketed prices.  True supply and demand theory in action.

So what's a brand to do when it has disappointed and inconvenienced its most loyal customers?  What's a brand to do when it really has not explained itself and is going to still have more delays?

Apologize!

So the brand released a social media apology last week that features a cheesy (yes cheesy) hyper-typical guy playing a piano at the beach singing a song of apology.  The best part?  You type in your name before the video starts and the song gets customized to you!  I even tried it and he apologized to "Jim!"

Brilliant.  Fun. Viral.  A great example of a brand not taking itself too seriously yet dealing with a serious customer service issue.  A great example of a brand not really having to explain itself, yet at the same time dealing with an issue head on.  A great example of how quickly a marketing message can get spread around if you do it right.

Give it a try and tell me what you think.  What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President Lippe Taylor
Author of The Experience Effect
Professor at NYU