{"id":6640,"date":"2024-04-03T20:15:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/?p=6640"},"modified":"2024-04-03T20:15:47","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:15:47","slug":"can-brands-fake-it-till-they-make-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allisonworldwide.com\/can-brands-fake-it-till-they-make-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Can brands fake it till they make it?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Pranav Kumar<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When simply interpreted, the Hebbian Principle in psychology and neuroscience says: \u201cWhat fires together, wires together.\u201d This refers to the neural circuitry that forms when we do something in association with something else \u2013 the two things interlink at a neural level.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is similar to the adage \u201cfake it till you make it.\u201d You can<\/em> fake a smile and be happier, if self-critical emotions hold you back. You can<\/em> feel better visualizing your ideal mental state. If you\u2019re about to go on stage to speak and feel crippled with fear \u2013 apparently the fear of public speaking ranks only next to the fear of death \u2013 you can<\/em> mentally picture a stellar on-stage performance,<\/s> and somewhat overcome your fear. If used positively, it\u2019s a great way to manage mental states and emotions and achieve goals.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this often-used adage has its limitations and can even be risky. Surely, you can\u2019t fake your way into everything. You can\u2019t fake being rich by spending more money, nor can you fake your way into a job you don\u2019t qualify for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a similar vein, can brands fake it till they make it to where they aspire to be as a business or to achieve the campaign goal for the moment? \u201cFake marketing\u201d has trended in India with mixed reactions and outcomes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February, internet celebrity with more than 1.3 million followers Poonam Pandey faked her death<\/a> \u2013 her manager announced her untimely demise and a young life lost to cervical cancer. Expectedly, a social media storm and a frenetic news cycle followed. Rife with speculation, rumor mongering and misreporting based primarily on Pandey\u2019s official Instagram post of her \u201cdemise,\u201d the event drove coverage and conversations that <\/strong>derailed basic editorial ground rules on fact-checking and verification from credible sources.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miraculously, Pandey came back to life the next day. She admitted she faked her demise to spread awareness on cervical cancer and spark conversations on the silent killer and leading cause of death in Indian women after breast cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In yet another fake marketing moment and almost on cue, popular radio channel Fever 104 FM proclaimed the \u201cend of the radio industry is closer than we think.\u201d An official message about the end of the channel<\/a> followed and prompted an outpour of emotions and listener and public support. A few hours later, another post titled \u201cOld radio is now over\u201d announced the now reborn brand had spawned into its new and cooler avatar.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both tactics illustrate the fine line between creative marketing and taking things too far. Emotional marketing is notably effective in getting audience response, and the Indian audience perked up and noticed these two marketing moments.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Fever 104 FM\u2019s alleged demise, fans were saddened and many in the media industry lamented the demise of yet another media platform in what is already a disrupted landscape. Reactions were comparatively more visceral when Pandey\u2019s fake death was revealed, with people calling the stunt distasteful and hurtful for cervical cancer patients, survivors and their families.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This begs the question \u2013 does fakery have any place in marketing and reputation? And will public relations practitioners in the room sign off on these campaigns? If they are trying to be cautious, the answer is probably not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world of glitzy \u201cmoment marketing\u201d campaigns that leverage a cultural moment or a trend to go viral, immediate high-impact and noise are short-lived, while brand and reputation are long-lasting. These campaigns are far too risky. Some ideas can alienate audiences, and brands may not fully anticipate how their actions might have negative ramifications with different stakeholders. The outcomes are akin to having to manage self-created crises.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brands already need to grapple with too much nowadays: from fake news to misinformation and deepfakes. Confusing audiences with \u201cfake\u201d campaigns that foster unwarranted mistrust and a negative news cycle is the last thing brands want.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Were these truly clever marketing tactics? As expected, the Indian marketing and communications industry had mixed feelings. The majority agreed a brand demise tactic clearly does more harm than good and others cited a \u201ccreative deficit\u201d in a rush to grab views, resulting in campaigns done in poor taste.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memorable or not, fake marketing campaigns are fraught with risk. In most cases, they damage a brand\u2019s credibility rather than enhancing it. Just as people can apply \u201cfake it till you make it\u201d positively in their daily lives, brands should also favor constructive efforts that build their reputations and trust<\/a>, rather than using tactics that can take away from their believability.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pranav Kumar is the managing director of Allison India. With a focus on locally impactful storytelling, he elevates global brands within one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. When he\u2019s not crafting standout integrated communications campaigns with this teams, he enjoys time off playing golf<\/em>.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Pranav Kumar When simply interpreted, the Hebbian Principle in psychology and neuroscience says: \u201cWhat fires together, wires together.\u201d This […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":6641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCan brands fake it till they make it?\u00a0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When simply interpreted, the Hebbian Principle in psychology and neuroscience says: \u201cWhat fires together, wires together.\u201d This refers to the neural circuitry that forms when we do something in association with something else \u2013 the two things interlink at a neural level.\u00a0\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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