The Viral Fizz — Impact on Brand Image due to Viral Popular Culture

Who would have thought that removing two bottles of coca-cola out of a camera frame would affect Coca-Cola’s brand image so much? But it’s more plausible when the person making such a move is the second wealthiest sportsperson in the world, the Portugal football team captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

With nearly 244 million followers on Instagram, he is the second most popular account on the social media app after Instagram itself. Ronaldo unintentionally created a stir worldwide when he removed two bottles of Coca-Cola during a recent press conference, denting the reputation of the famous beverage company. When putting away the Coca-Cola bottles, he advised everyone to drink water rather than consuming carbonated drinks.

Ironically the water bottle brand was owned by Coca Cola as well, but that didn’t help salvage any damage that was already caused.

Victoria’s Secret is another brand that is quite successful and has the highest market share in the USA but is said to be on a path of self-destruction. Until recently, it marketed unattainable standards of beauty by hiring popular supermodels who looked nothing like the brands’ consumers. VS was criticized for its misogynistic brand image that promoted sexism, sizeism, ageism and ableism. In a time where people are finally accepting body shapes that are different from the preconceived standard, VS struggled to keep up with this changing world around them.

In a time where people are more welcoming of the LGBTQ community, Edward Razek, the former Chief Marketing Officer of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company ‘L Brands‘ claimed that he won’t hire trans and plus-size models because they don’t exemplify the fantasy that VS was trying to sell. VS received much negative press because of this comment that eventually prompted Ed to resign. “We needed to stop being about what men want and to be about what women want”, said Martin Waters, the former head of Victoria’s Secret’s international business who was appointed chief executive of the brand in February.

This brings us to the leading question. What has made these brands lose so much money? Why suddenly was their reputation put at stake? What changed?

The answer is consumers. In a world that is constantly changing, and with people’s choices being heavily influenced by their surroundings, brands can’t afford to get complacent. Interactions between people in their everyday activities: the use of slang, greeting rituals and the foods that people eat are all examples of the origin of popular culture. Culture encompasses beliefs, customs and any other habits acquired by a person or a society. It primarily defines an individual’s behaviour and hence impacts consumption patterns. The demand for a product or a service offered by the brand originates from this point. If the brands are not mindful of their consumers’ needs, they will pay a hefty price.

When under fire, companies also need to provide appropriate responses to regain their reputation. For example, Victoria Secrets hired Barbara Palvin who didn’t tick any of the boxes which were required by the models before. This fresh move led to much-needed positive press for the company. It also tapped into a diverse set of women who were known for much more than their beauty, tagging them as The VS Collective.

After the Ronaldo incident, however, Coca-Cola’s half-hearted response, “Everyone is entitled to their drink preferences” was unsurprisingly ineffective.

Brands need to keep transitioning with the world not only to just keep up with the competition but, more importantly, to stay relevant.

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Author: Sukriti Saxena
Editorial and Digital Marketing Team, NjM
Class of 2023, NMIMS Mumbai

Creatives: Akanksha Kaul
Creatives Web & Promotions Team, NjM
Class of 2023, NMIMS Mumbai