The Motrin Moms Mobilize

by J. Butler, Content Development Specialist

Is there really no such thing as bad publicity?

A few weeks ago, the internet was buzzing with one tale of social media gone horribly awry. The story became notorious almost instantly: Motrin, manufacturer of painkillers, was at the center of the controversy, with a well-armed, plentiful group of consumers opposing them: mothers.

It began with a simple 30-second spot and a handful of print ads over the course of one weekend. Motrin, aiming for tongue-in-cheek clever, was sympathizing with the joys (and aches) of being a new mother: namely, the backache, muscle pain and headaches associated with carrying your child around in a sling instead of in a stroller or pram—often called ‘baby-wearing.’ While their message was sincere (“we feel your pain, let us help”), their approach proved too glib for so sensitive a topic: the message that emerged was “attachment parenting is trendy and tedious.”

As the video started circulating the internet, and almost as soon as blogging moms saw it, a powerful reaction began to brew. The ad, clearly intended as sly, harmless fun, was instead hitting a nerve. Calling baby-wearing a “supposedly” good bonding method, the ad implied that one of its chief benefits was making the wearer look like “an official mom.”

Many viewers thought it disrespectful to parents, and condescending to child-rearing. These outraged parents took to the streets of the information highway and protested loudly, on very public venues such as their blogs, Twitter, and YouTube. They began a thread on Twitter (#motrinmoms), collected the complaints and turned them into a YouTube video that had nearly 21,000 views within a handful of days. In other words, they got organized—and got themselves heard.

Motrin responded quickly by removing the offending video and issuing a formal apology on their website (see a play by play of the weekend’s activity here). The lesson here is clear: the instantaneous nature of social media means a new kind of responsibility for those who create content online. There’s never been a better time to speak up and harness such a powerful medium, because customers are now engaging in an active conversation about the products they use. Instead of using an apology to merely appease customers, mistakes can be used to spark a dialogue that could have endless potential in the future.

 

Source: Web Strategist