Opinion
Controversy, advertising’s middle name
Summary
Why do brands court controversy? In the hope that it creates a buzz, and the resulting conversation increases brand awareness.“Bhagwan har jagah hain, or OYO bhi." Translated into English, “God is everywhere, so is OYO." A half-page ad released in a Hindi newspaper by OYO suddenly ignited the internet last week, and #BoycottOYO made it to the top of trending lists. OYO was accused of allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Posts by outraged users and calls for a boycott inundated social media.
As protests escalated, OYO responded that the ad was meant to highlight the company’s role in religious tourism rather than offend religious sentiments. “We have immense respect for the diverse faiths and beliefs of our country and celebrate India's rich spiritual traditions," OYO said in a statement. It further announced plans to expand its presence by adding 500 hotels across 12 major pilgrimage destinations by the end of 2025.
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Controversies have a way of being fuelled by past controversies. As the outrage intensified on social media, some remarks by OYO’s founder, Ritesh Agarwal, resurfaced. At some point in the past, Agarwal mentioned that OYO’s logo was inspired by Lord Jagannath, with the two ‘O’s representing the deity’s eyes and the ‘Y’ symbolising the nose. Critics now found a convenient argument in saying that using religious imagery for commercial purposes is inappropriate. Some religious leaders instantly demanded that OYO redesign its logo!
Methinks OYO got engulfed in a needless controversy. The Bhagwan headline was innocent; it was a clever play on words, yes, and little else. There seems to be no prima facie intent in there to either insult God Almighty or declare its brand OYO as omnipresent or omniscient. As more and more Indians embrace spiritual tourism, all that OYO wanted to say perhaps was that they are dedicated to enhancing this sacred experience—“and that is what we wanted to highlight through the advertisement," their statement reiterated. The internet overreacted. And how! But there is no antidote to the mob mentality on social media these days.
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Manyavar’s “Kanyadaan" ad featuring Alia Bhatt was criticized for disrespecting Hindu rituals. The ad intended to promote progressive thinking but was seen mocking Hindu traditions. Tanishq’s ad depicting an interfaith marriage was met with criticism and accusations of promoting “love jihad". Zomato’s billboards with the abbreviations “MC" and “BC" were perceived as offensive too. Volkswagen’s Dusshera ad featuring actors portraying Ram and Ravan in a light-hearted scene was questioned for the appropriateness of depicting religious figures commercially. Sunny Leone’s Navratri ad for Manforce condoms also came into the crosshairs of social media.
Why do brands court controversy? Brands sometimes court controversy as a marketing tactic to generate significant buzz and attention, hoping the resulting conversation and strong reactions, even if negative from some, will lead to increased brand awareness, engagement, and ultimately, sales, essentially betting that the potential positive publicity outweighs the risk of backlash from certain demographics. Honestly, in the OYO case, even that doesn’t seem to be the intention. It is just a headline trying to be smart. Little else.
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But that is not to say that OYO has not had its fair share of controversies. Sometimes self-triggered. When it launched, OYO democratised access to private spaces for a burgeoning young population in many ways. That was the company’s core value and the primary source of its appeal. However, a couple of months ago, it announced that it would no longer allow unmarried couples to check into its hotels in Meerut and might extend that policy to other towns. Naturally, the policy has set off something of a firestorm.
In the Meerut controversy, OYO scored a hit-wicket. For the type of customer that it largely hosts, OYO has been a chaddar-badlu hotel for one night (or mostly a few hours long) stands for long. No secrets about that. The Meerut announcement may have appeased some socially conservative right-wing groups, but OYO’s core customers suddenly ran the risk of alienation. Social media, in part, applauded OYO, but they were not the ones filling up and paying for empty room nights. Will OYO roll out the ban nationally? If it does, the business impact on revenues could be tremendous. Young couples seeking time together are a significant segment for OYO.
Poor chaps OYO: spurning love or seeking God, everything is social dynamite these days!
Dr Sandeep Goyal is chairman of Rediffusion.
