Is “Performance Mourning” Appropriate?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past week, the news of H.R.H Queen Elizabeth ii passing has set global media ablaze.
Flags are at half mast, the UK is in a state of mourning, and the queue to see her coffin is spreading halfway across central London. But the perhaps the most interesting part of the past week (at least from my point of view) is the peculiar volume of brands sharing condolences for the royal family.
From Anne Summers and Apple to Playmobile and Dominos, some unexpected brands have decided to share their grief online. But is it in good taste? The thumbnail of this article should be enough of an answer - but just in case, let’s take a look at the class or crass coverage from this week.
Content Isn’t Always King
The general rule of thumb in marketing is that content is always king, but several brands have discovered this isn’t always the case. Most marketers make it their mission to put their brand at the forefront of any conversation, but in this instance it wasn’t welcome. Nobody wants to see Greggs share their condolences, especially with the deceased pictured in matching colours.
Friday’s printed newspapers were almost entirely ad-free after advertisers pulled out on news of the Queen’s death, and there is little sign that many are keen to return in a hurry. Which makes sense, nobody wants their brand to sit adjacent to the weeks of unyielding coverage regarding the royal family.
For commercial organisations, there is a very fine line to walk between crass and class. Saying nothing may appear disrespectful, but if you’re to say something it needs to come across well. As we enter an era of media-savvy, socially aware consumers - it vital to ensure your messaging doesn’t come across like a tacky cash-grab…however well intentioned.
For example, Legoland Windsor announced it would close last Friday with a tweet of a picture of a Lego model that resembled the Queen, while Playmobil shared a black and white Instagram image of one its toy figures wearing a hat and clutching a handbag with the words “Rest in Peace Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022”.
Crossfit UK reposted a workout of the day called “Queen Elizabeth II”, originally created in June for the platinum jubilee, saying it was “only fitting that this workout should now be made into a tribute WOD to celebrate her life”.
A message on the Ann Summers homepage with a picture of the Queen and the words “Thank you Your Majesty” was shared, with links and images to sex toys and other products below.
Mark Borkowski, a PR consultant and author, described the Playmobil post as “a dumb-arse thing to do”.
“People should not judge the mood of the nation from social media. The metrics are coming out – what’s happening on Twitter, on Instagram, the latest TikToks – but the people who are feeling the greatest loss right now aren’t into that. So when they see all these people dancing around with clever ideas, they show how far away they are from the public.”
Brands should be waiting to see what the public reaction is to the Queen’s death before reacting, Borkowski said. “This is going to challenge people and show where the real geniuses exist,” he said. “The royal family came out with an immaculate piece of prose after the Meghan Markle broadcast – ‘some recollections may vary’. Brevity is a lost art.”
A few firms, “disruptive startups”, may find they can feed the outrage machine, Borkowski added. “But if you’re a brand with a wider audience, you have to be a lot more respectful.”
“I think this will resonate for some time because there’s no real good news on the horizon,” he added. “As we get deeper into strikes and power cuts and whatever, this is going to be a time that no one of any generation has experienced. This will plonk Charles front and centre.”
So is performance morning appropriate?
Of course it isn’t.
Brand solidarity has always been, and will always be, integral to social media marketing. But each instance requires careful thought and deliberation. Everyone wants to be the first to react during historical moments like this, but does it really pay off in the long term? Well, I feel the past 9 days are answer enough.
If you’re a social media manager keen to contribute to a conversation, take a minute and ask yourself “Is this appropriate?” does your brand really need to be involved in the conversation? If yes, then think long and hard about how relevant the post should be to your business.
Should the logo be there? Should your brand colouring be there? Or would this post be much better with just some simple text over a background.
*A great example of this is the messages in most shop windows “Superdrug send their condolences…” with no logo, or branding, just white text on a black background.