Following up on "Yep Wei's" Elusive Act! When Netizens Defend "This Isn't a Sponsored Post!" That's Successful Word-of-Mouth Marketing, we discussed that word-of-mouth marketing is primarily about "topic packaging" and "word-of-mouth placement", with the main goal being "helping followers immediately understand brand positioning and product pros and cons" and secondarily "maintaining online discussion momentum" and "making articles easier for followers to find".
This time, we'll discuss how brands that become too fixated on these goals end up facing criticism from followers saying "why can even she get trial products?" and "suddenly I don't think Brand X is classy at all."
Why does this happen?
Some brands, in pursuit of the aforementioned "word-of-mouth" effect, distribute trial products in bulk to beauty influencers and content creators. The threshold might be follower counts reaching ten thousand to twenty thousand or more, or simply being associated with fashion-related industries. Brands consider bloggers or influencers with "popularity" and "discussion value" as potential marketing targets.
Or they think they can reach different consumer groups through different types of influencers. However, this "casting a wide net" approach often overlooks the brand's core mission.
How is this related to brand mission?
Take this example: "Chanel gives women freedom, Saint Laurent gives women power." Both brands convey a sense of "elegance" and "fashion," so affluent women feel they're at the cutting edge of style when using these products. If such PR samples are given to beauty influencers whom followers view as ordinary people, naturally a comparison mentality emerges.
This comparison mentality operates according to the "Social Comparison Theory" in communications science. The core of this theory revolves around the idea that "only by making comparisons within a social context can one understand one's own value and abilities and make accurate self-assessments." Therefore, social comparison allows people to clearly understand the gaps between themselves and others, discover their own strengths, and identify their shortcomings. If followers believe an influencer's status doesn't warrant such treatment, they naturally perceive the brand as lowering its own standards, resulting in negative reviews instead.
Therefore, brands should maintain their "original mission" when seeking "placement targets" aligned with their brand values. Rather than rushing to adopt new marketing methods in the internet age and hastily distributing trial products to generate buzz, only to stumble as a result.
