Hello, OptiMIST People!
Back at it again with KaMIST! Your weekly dose of insights into the latest marketing trends. In this week’s KaMIST we’ll dive more into how brands all over the world pay their respect to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
The British Monarch has been the biggest and strongest monarch in the world for decades. Many have grown together with members of the monarch, including Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II herself. On September 8, 2022, the world was stunned by the sudden news of Her Majesty’s death. Until today, it has received controversy among the nation, or even broader, throughout the globe.
Due to this devastating news, many brands in the UK–from supermarkets to restaurants, have made several decisions as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. For instance, Tesco, one of the biggest supermarket chains in the UK have decided to close its store on the day of the Queen’s funeral. Moreover, the internationally celebrated football league, known as Premiere League has also decided to pause their league for a week as a form of respect to Her Majesty. Media across the UK has also taken their part in this tribute, for example, BBC has paused their programs and extended its news program. The fashion industry has also contributed to this matter, Burberry has cancelled their Spring/Summer runaway set on September 17. However, pubs across the UK have decided to still be open for the public to gather communities to witness the Queen’s funeral. All in all, all of those approaches are done to pay their respect to Her Majesty.
On the other side, all these approaches have derived controversy among the people. A survey by The Marketing Week stated that 58% of people said brand messages about the queen are only a matter of publicity stunt, and only 28% believed it is a message from the heart. Tanya Joseph, managing director at Hill + Knowlton Strategies said that during this time, brands need to choose their publication and words wisely. It may be necessary for those who have been associated with the Queen or the Royal Family to publicly state their condolences. However, those who haven’t got the chance to be associated with the Royal Family should focus on their internal communication.
So, do you think it is necessary for brands to put a grand gesture to honour the Queen? or do you think it was just a matter of a PR stunt?
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