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Is AI compromising our curiosity?
As AI becomes increasingly prominent in our lives, it is time for comms professionals to consider the impact on creativity and curiosity. ...Read more
Virtual reality is one of the most talked about new technologies at the moment, and another popular news topic of late has been the devastation in countries such as Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. These might seem like two very different topics to bring up in one sentence, but the combination did come up recently when Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg decided to take viewers on an Oculus VR journey through the damage in Puerto Rico to show what Oculus VR can do.
While the intention was to drive empathy with the victims among Facebook’s audience as Zuckerberg discussed what his company is doing to help the island, the approach missed the mark. The cartoon VR version of Mark Zuckerberg juxtaposed against the backdrop of the disaster in Puerto Rico left many wondering who thought that the stream would be a good idea.
Zuckerberg responded to the negativity, saying:
"One of the most powerful features of VR is empathy. My goal here was to show how VR can raise awareness and help us see what's happening in different parts of the world. I also wanted to share the news of our partnership with the Red Cross to help with the recovery. Reading some of the comments, I realise this wasn't clear, and I'm sorry to anyone this offended."
So why wasn’t it clear? Surely someone in the Facebook team raised the possibility this might happen, given it’s so obvious to an outsider?
This VR blunder isn’t the only brand mistake of late, with Dove also in the spotlight after being accused of racism and having to pull one of its latest advertisements. The Facebook ad in question showed a black woman removing a brown T-shirt, changing her to a white woman in a white T-shirt underneath. The white woman then removed her white T-shirt to reveal an Asian woman.
The ad is only three-seconds long, but created an outcry over the interpreted message that Dove’s soap turns black skin white, despite Dove’s intention of celebrating diversity and showing that the body wash is suitable for every kind of woman.
Again – to us outsiders, it seems like an obvious error, but as you’ll also know from working in marketing or PR, certain factors can cloud our judgement or push things over the line that not everyone agrees on. Whether it’s egos, fussy clients, money or another circumstance causing these issues, there are steps you can take to help prevent falling into Zuckerberg or Dove’s shoes.
No team can be perfect planners all of the time – even at tech giants like Facebook, but considering this checklist during your marketing or PR campaign planning can help you be braced for anything. Failing to plan is planning to fail, after all – and you’ll make your job easier by expecting the worst.
As AI becomes increasingly prominent in our lives, it is time for comms professionals to consider the impact on creativity and curiosity. ...Read more
Often, when communicating about technology, conversations can become quite technical. How can brands cut through the noise and communicate effectively? ...Read more
Barbie's reputation hasn't always been positive, but this year's Barbie film has changed the tides. What can this teach us about reputation shaping? ...Read more
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