Marketing experts say brands that have advertised themselves with a nod to CTV National News host Lisa LaFlamme‘s recent dismissal should beware of blowback.
Companies that integrate news moments into their branding run the risk of being seen as opportunistic and should prepare for added scrutiny from customers and employees, when they take a stand on hot button issues, said retail analyst Bruce Winder. “No one’s perfect, right?
Every brand has skeletons in the closet…and this does very much open them up to scrutiny… so you better make sure your house is in order, before you start throwing this out there,” he said. Read more: Wendy’s Canada backs Lisa LaFlamme, swaps mascot’s red hair for grey “There could be some blowback, if there’s anything hidden in the closets as it relates to anything both companies have done, so it’s a real high-risk move.” Winder’s remarks come after fast-food chain Wendy’s changed the profile photo on its Canadian Twitter account Thursday to its mascot bearing grey hair instead of her usual red locks.
The tweet reads “because a star is a star regardless of hair colour,” using two star emojis, and includes LaFlamme’s name in a hashtag.