Motrin Lessons

Over the weekend, quite the controversy brewed – and apparently caught Motrin off guard.

Have you seen the infamous ad? Motrin took it down, but it lives on – thanks to YouTube.

Much has already been written about the controversy from business experts … to social media gurus … to parenting experts. But, there are some important lessons worth pointing out:

We aren’t a Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 society. Bloggers and Tweeters don’t stop talking on the weekends … so companies can’t stop listening. Thanks to today’s always on, always connected lifestyle, marketing communications folks – from the bottom up – are never truly “off the clock.”

Companies big and small need to pay attention to Twitter. The Motrin ad went up on Saturday. Mommy-bloggers went to work almost instantly, and by Sunday, the controversy was so out of hand that Motrin pulled the ad. And, the company’s web site was still down until Monday around 1:15 p.m. Does anyone still question the power of Twitter?

You get what you wish for. Creative marketing departments everywhere try to come up with a buzz-worthy viral campaign. Who wouldn’t want to be the next BlenTec? But, be warned. As Motrin would likely tell you today, becoming an overnight sensation for the wrong reasons – like offending moms everywhere – is not good for business. Make sure your zest for generating a buzz doesn’t overtake your common sense.