Throughout November, I have been hit with this advertisement over and over again. The video seen above is from last year, but this year's campaign has only been slightly altered, offering a trip across Canada to the winner, rather than a laptop.
The issue with this campaign is that it provides the wrong incentives as a call to action. When it comes to something as sensitive as Remembrance Day, campaigns should be centered on educating the public as to why it is important for them to remember. Encouraging them to tweet how they remember with a hashtag, #showyouremember, simply encourages a quick action that requires little thought or any changes in attitudes or behaviours.
The issue with this campaign is that it provides the wrong incentives as a call to action. When it comes to something as sensitive as Remembrance Day, campaigns should be centered on educating the public as to why it is important for them to remember. Encouraging them to tweet how they remember with a hashtag, #showyouremember, simply encourages a quick action that requires little thought or any changes in attitudes or behaviours.
I was quite shocked, and to put it bluntly, digusted, when the video concluded and it became apparent that there was a prize to be had. Have we hit such a state of apathy that only a prize will compel us to reflect on the bravery of our veterans? Worse yet, are we fueling this apathy and lack of sensitivity by creating campaigns that reinforce the idea that we cannot remember and sympathize without incentive?
This isn't the first misaligned hashtag promotion. Companies often forget to align their incentives with the objective at hand. For example, SugarCrisp recently ran a promotion on campus where you could be entered to win an iPad if you shared a photo on social media of you with the Sugar Crisp bear. The campaign fell short, receiving few entries, and giving away iPads to winners that were unlikely to become valuable consumers. Essentially, by misaligning the incentive and objective, SugarCrisp spent a large marketing budget on prizes with little hope of converting winners into valuable customers.
This isn't the first misaligned hashtag promotion. Companies often forget to align their incentives with the objective at hand. For example, SugarCrisp recently ran a promotion on campus where you could be entered to win an iPad if you shared a photo on social media of you with the Sugar Crisp bear. The campaign fell short, receiving few entries, and giving away iPads to winners that were unlikely to become valuable consumers. Essentially, by misaligning the incentive and objective, SugarCrisp spent a large marketing budget on prizes with little hope of converting winners into valuable customers.
What happened with Much Music's Remembrance Day campaign was a similar issue. Before running the campaign, Much Music should have clearly evaluated the objective of the campaign and ensure that the incentive provided (if any!) aligned with the call to action.
A commenter on the Much Music campaign page shares similar sentiments.
What do you think? Are you offended by Much Music's #showyouremember campaign? Do you feel the incentives are misaligned or do you think this campaign can or has been effective?
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