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12 March 2020

Is it right to use the virus to go viral?


So many viral marketing campaigns referencing the Corona Virus pandemic are going around. Is this smart marketing or insensitive opportunism?


December and January are usually the most positive periods in our lives.  I don't know if it's the much-awaited holidays or relief of a hard year gone by. Maybe, its the overdose of those feel-good Hollywood Christmas movies. Somehow, everyone believes in miracles in these months. We somehow believe that the turnaround is imminent. In our over-enthusiastic positivity, we make resolutions that would be broken in a few days, promises that would be forgotten even before we spell them out. Our romantic magical world slowly fades away like a beautiful dream does on a Monday morning. 

And reality sets in. 

2020, started with the same emotional cycle of life. Promise and hope fuelled the energy. The world was ready to take on the challenges of a new year, a new decade. But unknown to many, a nightmare that will shake the world, was brewing. A virus that was not too familiar to humans was sharing its CV in a little town with an evil intent that our race is all too familiar with. Colonizing. With every cough and sneeze these little devils spread from one person to another. Little did we anticipate that COVID -19 as they call it now, would change our realities completely. And so rapidly. 

Issues that everyone was fighting for, rooting for or fretting about are no longer as important. Who cares if the Mexican's could Trump the wall or not. Who cares what the Khan is rambling about. Who cares if the fugitive would live with his diamonds forever or if the Kings would be fished out of their good times and dragged back to India. Who cares about CAA or NRC.  Who cares about global warming or the "How dare you" squeal of a little girl. Is it Krona or Karona or Karuna virus? Who cares. Who cares about anything, anymore.

Corona marketing
Who cares? The marketers certainly seem to do. Or at least they claim to have a solution to reduce the human sufferings that even the Doctors and Scientists are clueless about. From Cumin Powder to Rasam Powder, everyone wants to ride on the fear. IT solutions that have been around for decades are suddenly promoted as a solution to this Corona conundrum. Even Sari 's (Indian wrap around for woman)  with few splattering of random colors are sold as Carona design. 


The line that separates creativity and sensitivity is too thin. Capitalizing on a trending hot topic is always part of a creative marketing strategy. However, is it right to capitalize on this human despair? Something about using the virus to go viral with your product seems wrong. However, Ethics and Morals are a matter of perspective. A terrorist for one is a freedom fighter for the other. So who is to say what is right or what is wrong. We can draw the line as thin or thick as we want to. We can choose a side and get ourselves in knots with this self-imposed moral dilemma in the name of sensitivity. Or we can be the creative opportunists who simply are smart enough to capitalize on an opportunity. The answers to these questions are as difficult as finding a cure for this virus. Even if you get one, you will never be sure if its the right one.

The global lockdown may be preventing us from crossing the real borders. But are we crossing the moral borders by capitalizing on this unprecedented fear? By writing this post on this subject, did I just step over that line too? 

Who cares?

1 comment:

  1. Weather we cross the line or not, the virus has crossed all lines real and imaginary and threatening rich and poor alike. One solace is the poor has more chance for survival than the rich as their immune system can withstand all brutal attacks in contrast to the rich with all their money might not withstand the onslaught. Here rich and poor are evened out. I would call it a level playing field. Corona virus in my opinion is a socialist rather than communist eventhough it came from communist china. So right or wrong the virus has wronged the right and vice versa. Very thought provoking. Continue your genuine thoughtprovoking efforts.

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