You can’t forget the past by pretending to be something else tomorrow

We've all witnessed Miley Cyrus very publicly trying to break free from her whiter than white Hannah Montana Disney character image, and her latest antics have sparked yet more controversy. Not only did the 20-year-old pose provocatively for Terry Richardson, she has also hit back at Sinead O’Connor’s open letter, in which she pleads with Miley not to let the music moguls ‘make a prostitute’ of her.

Sinead’s comments were in response to an interview the young pop singer did with Rolling Stone magazine, where she revealed that the video for her latest single, Wrecking Ball, was inspired by Sinead’s legendary video, Nothing Compares 2 U. Ouch.

However, Sinead makes an important point in her (slightly ranting) letter, calling on Miley to ditch the fabricated persona that she has adopted in an obvious and see-through attempt to be recognised as a “bona fide” pop star – simply stating let the talent you have speak for itself.

Trying to engineer something that you’re not, whether it’s a person, brand, product or business is no smart move. It will undoubtedly lead to controversy and break any trust you may once have had.

A business’s reputation is earned through its actions and behaviours; it’s shaped by where it began, where it is today and where it wants to be in the future. It’s our role as PRs to ensure our clients’ talents receive the recognition they deserve, but only authenticity will secure the longevity and growth of their business.

Alexandra Underwood

Account executive 

Adverts – you either love them or hate them

This week, Marmite’s new ad campaign, which features jars of the product being ‘saved’ by rescue teams from the back of consumers’ cupboards, has caused outrage from some viewers, leading to the Advertising Standards Authority receiving almost 400 complaints.

Described by complainants as being in ‘poor taste, deeply offensive and trivialising the work of animal welfare charities and child protection agencies’, it joins a list of ads that have offended consumers.

Despite this, it’s actually far from the most complained about ad, which for 2012 went to the Go Compare adverts, with almost 2,000 complaints.

As a result, we have seen Marmite’s PR team leap into action and show the PR world how to respond to listen to consumers and respond to a crisis in the right way. They could have just issued a statement to clarify its relative metaphorical humour, however they have taken it one step further and decided to make a donation of £18,000 to animal welfare charity, the RSPCA. For me, this shows professionalism in dealing with the situation and it’s a great result for the RSPCA too.

This is a strong example of the power of the consumer and emphasises the need for every PR or marketing campaign to be executed with precision and compassion. Get it right and you can win the hearts and minds of consumers, but get it wrong and you can severely damage your reputation.

But, with animal cruelty among one of the top themes which is likely to provoke a complaint, I did ask myself why Marmite would even run the risk of causing offence among viewers and ending up with a potential crisis.

Well, whether you like it or not, it has undoubtedly been effective at creating conversation about the product. The advert is obviously designed to be light hearted, and it sits well with the brands strap line, ‘love it or hate it’.

And let’s face it, there will always be someone who disapproves or takes offence, but as with anything in life unless you take the risk you will never achieve anything.

Hannah Dudek

Account Executive