Brands and their controversies

Brands are very audience-driven when it comes to promotions. They make complete use of advertising and marketing to promote their products. Brands fight tooth and nail to emerge as the best among their competitors. Creating a positive image for brands is very important. This helps them accumulate a wider customer base and increase their sales. A positive image is also helpful for brands to build trust among customers. 

But, sometimes, brands get surrounded by controversy. Sometimes it is unintentional while at other times they do it on purpose. Controversies show brands in a negative light and their image is heavily impacted because of this. Despite being bad, controversies promote brands in a way. Over time, some brands become used to being surrounded by controversies.

Here is a list of some of the most controversial brands:

AMAZON:

Amazon is one brand that has been surrounded by controversies in many countries. It was called out by people for treating their factory workers poorly. They faced backlash when they launched t-shirts that read “Free Hong Kong” and “Hong Kong is not China.” They were targeted for being culturally insensitive. 

GOYA:

Goya is a Hispanic-owned food company in the US that sells products from the Caribbean, Mexico, Spain, and South America. The brand was boycotted by many when the company’s CEO praised US President Donald Trump saying that his leadership was a “blessing.” 

DOVE:

Dove is one brand that has been surrounded by controversies time and again. They were called out for being insensitive and racist for promoting fairness as a means of “real beauty.” They were also banned on social media.

MCDONALD’S:

McDonald’s is often surrounded by controversy for their ‘friendly banter’ with their counterpart Burger King. Apart from this, they were also called out for an insensitive advertisement that showed a boy mourning over his dead father. This ad created controversy for being insensitive towards the concept of death. 

Despite being surrounded by controversies, these brands have managed to leave a mark on the audiences’ minds.