Marketing to Women » Amp http://www.wonderbranding.com Speaking, Workshops, Articles Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:41:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 The Pepsi Controversy: Did It Score With Women? http://www.wonderbranding.com/2009/10/the-pepsi-controversy-did-it-score-with-women/ http://www.wonderbranding.com/2009/10/the-pepsi-controversy-did-it-score-with-women/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:22:59 +0000 Michele Miller http://www.wonderbranding.com/?p=1914 Marcia1016A small ruckus was raised this past week over Pepsi’s new iPhone app Before You Score. Promoted as a marketing gimmick for the AMP energy drink, the app provides users with pick-up lines and inside info on 24 “categories” (otherwise known as “stereotypes”) of women.

Lots of folks are pretty peeved, evidenced by the comments on YouTube and Twitter. And therein lies the beauty of “controversy branding.”  Pepsi’s milquetoast apology a few days ago seems to be its way of saying, “Sorry, suckers – the app is a HUGE hit and getting a lot of attention.  If you think we’re gonna pull it down, you’re crazy.”

A confession: I downloaded Before You Score.  And while I consider it to be on par with the fart machine app, I have to say that the creators did an impressive job with cross-referencing technologies.  If Pepsi was smart, they’d use this expertise to create a kick-ass app that boasts some value power for its female customers.

What do you think of the Before You Score controversy?  It seems to have rung the “get attention” bell for Pepsi.  In the long run, will it be worth it for the company?  Did the company achieve the balance of controversy vs. short-term memory of the consumer?






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