By Sanjeev Kotnala
Today, international borders mean nothing and everything. Communications by global brands with a presence across warring neighbours are full of possibilities and pitfalls. Many a time, taking the brand by surprise, it seems Hyundai is one such case.
There is no doubt that the brands must stay clear of sensitive subjects. They should avoid regionalism, religionism, politics, gender bias, racism and geo-political comments.
Mistakes Are Part Of Life
Mistakes happen, and some rogue content gets into the public domain. The uproar is usually contained when brands take timely constructive demonstrative actions. Usually, half-measures are no response and are not acceptable.
Most brand errors are an attempt at target group alignment and appeasement. The brand wants to be seen as purpose-led and progressively woke in its approach without understanding the situation’s sensitivity. But why don’t they fail to evaluate their content on possibilities and the SMEAR index?
Reaction Guaranteed.
When messages touch patriotic emotions, reactions are bound to be hostile. The country of origin of the content does not matter. Hiding behind free speech is a waste, and the brand must bear the repercussions.
Multinational brands operating in multiple zones must be extra-sensitive. They need tighter control, guidelines, and sensitivity to political and national sentiments. Surprised Hyundai does not seem to have one; otherwise, how would you explain this gross error of misjudgment.
Hyundai’s Kashmir Act
Hyundai is not the first or the last case. Many brands have faltered in their understanding of the situation and possible damage. Let us face it, every brand communication is an open-eyed, conscious decision for potential gain. This one by Hyundai was no different.
However, even if the Pakistan Hyundai dealer’s ‘Solidarity with Kashmir’ was suitable for its audience, the multinational should have known better.
The post read: ‘Let us remember the sacrifice of our Kashmir brothers and stand in support as they struggle for freedom’.
Most of the reaction to #BoycottHyundai centred around the need for brands to be sensitive on geopolitical issues. And stand with the population and the country they operate in. It is unfathomable how it happened. How did Hyundai, with far larger sales in India than in Pakistan, allow it to happen and could not react before it triggered the reaction. And even if it happened, how badly they managed the crisis. Maybe the brand was confident and did not consider it a crisis situation. I thought the digital-savvy company’s listening post should have picked up the sentiments and reacted fast.
Possible Sales Impact.
The reaction on whether it will impact sales were divided, and rightly so.
People happily shouted for the boycott. Many marketers, including me, believe the impact will not be immediate or massive. The car-buying decision is not impulsive or a spur-of-the-moment decision. The cost-value-technology issues are involved, aspirations and dreams are built around it.
Rightly so, the protesters did not deflate Hyundai cars, and Hyundai owners did not cover Hyundai insignia. The dealerships were not threatened. Anyway, violent protests are not the way to react, and I at least don’t endorse it.
It was primarily silly armchair activists calling for a boycott at the start. Intent to cancel and cancelling orders are two different things. However, when the reactions started coming up on social platforms, it seemed the intent was converting into action.
Expectations From Hyundai.
Geopolitical issues are never simple. And Kashmir is a complex issue always primed up with high nationalistic emotions. On a richer scale, it is a 13-point tsunami-causing earthquake with an epicentre in Pakistan. Hyundai India needed to do something demonstrative, clearly disassociating it from the silly post. Hyundai India is under fire, They needed to act fast, and they were late by any standard.
The Real Experience.
The reaction of Hyundai India blocking social media handles questioning the brand was hardly the right way. It in no way was going to help manage or curtail the emotions. Patriotic feelings are a different level of emotive tectonic pressure. They needed more than the lame apology served by Hyundai India. The citizens of India rightly demanded a far more constructive corrective public reaction from Hyundai India.
Hyundai India Lame Apology.
Quote from Hyundai India post masquerading as an apology.
Hyundai Motor India has been committed to the Indian market for more than 25 years now, and we stand firmly for our strong ethos of respecting nationalism.
The unsolicited social media post linking Hyundai Motor India is offending our unparallel commitment and service to this great country. India is second home to Hyundai brand and we have zero-tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and we strongly condemn any such view.
As part of our commitment to India, we will continue our efforts toward the betterment of the country as well as its citizen.
Quote Close.
Hyundai India clearly failed to identify and rightly call the offending post. What do they mean by ‘ethos of respecting nationalism’, and which country were they referring to? Was the zero-tolerance policy about blocking people who ask questions? What is the ‘betterment’ of the country and its citizen’ all about? It was clearly one of the lamest apologies that were not coming from the heart and definitely not from the emotive blame. Here, the brand needed to be equally offended to be making any association or connection with the hurt citizens of the country.
Silence- The Hyundai India Houdini Act
Hyundai India was and is within its right not to act decisively. The brand must know the difference between expectation and experience creates dissonance leading to long-term damage. The citizens of India rightly expect a lot more, a lot better reaction than the lame apology that said nothing.
The Reason Behind Hyundai Initial Misplaced Confidence.
My dear friend and brand consultant, Mr Verma, believes Hyundai confidence comes from the past reaction of the Indian public to such errors of judgment. Hyundai must have been banking on the quality of their products, brand goodwill and short-term memory of the audience.
Moreover, they ignore what seems to be restricted social media-centric complaints by armchair activists. The ground level was not really simmering but definitely could explode.
Till then, ‘Silene’ seems a perfect justified escape route. It was the Hyundai Houdini act, and it could have worked in other times. Such issues in the past have fizzled out without real damage. Remember the Chinese product boycott, films boycott, the fiasco around the use of the national flag and deities, the jewellery brand boycott or mutation of a ritual by a clothing brand. Though most of them are not as severe as the Hyundai Kashmir post. Their refusal to clearly dissociate and condemn the act was surprising. An immediate reaction would have easily appeased the sentiments and may have added to the brand’s goodwill.
And it is another thing if the multinational Hyundai India chapter may not want to topple the sentiments and sales of its cars in Pakistan.
Hyundai Had Past Reference To Learn.
How did Hyundai India forget we are living in a different time. Here is a government that does not hesitate when national pride and sentiments are called. In the recent past, Late Sushma Swaraj, as Minister of External affairs, directly threatened to cancel Amazon employees’ visas and ban the e-commerce giant. The cause- doormats with Indian National Flag were being sold on the platform.
Sushma Swaraj tweet of 2017 read: “Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian visas to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier”.
We all know how the e-commerce giant reacted. The product was immediately stopped featuring on the site.
How come Hyundai thought that the same government would not step in or react to this post? Why the advisors did not advise the brand to respond immediately. Very little was needed initially to blow out the fire.
Hyundai Blinked With One Eye Open.
The government no longer could remain a silent observer. True to the country’s expectations, the government raised the subject with South Korea. The parent company released yet another cleverly-worded statement. It would be wrong to consider and call it an apology. It is a lollipop.
Quoting The Hyundai Second Lollipop. And everyone must read it.
As a business policy, Hyundai Motor Company does not comment on political or religious issues in any specific region. Therefore, it is clearly against Hyundai Motor’s policy that the independently-owned distributor in Pakistan made unauthorised Kashmir – related social media post from their own account.
Once the situation was brought to our attention, we made the distributor acutely aware of the inappropriateness of the action. We have since taken measures t to ensure the distributor, which misused the Hyundai Brand Identity, has removed the social media post and we have put in place processes to prevent a future recurrence. Our subsidiary, Hyundai Motor India, is not associated with the distributor in Pakistan, and we strongly reject the distributor’s unauthorised non-business related social media activity.
Hyundai Motor Company has been investing in India for many decades and remain strongly committed to Indian customers. We deeply regret any offence caused to the people of India by this unofficial social media activity.
Quote Close.
Hyundai Lollipop Has More Questions To Answer.
No one knows why the handle was Hyundai Pakistan? Why did it take so long for them to know? Don’t they know that good news should travel, but bad news must travel faster? How come the digitally savvy company’s social listening post failed to alert it of the negative sentiments riding the issue? Were they informed early but allowed the empowered Hyundai India to tackle it till the government stepped in? Made the dealer aware of the inappropriateness of the action? Now the process is being implemented- Jab Chidiya Chug Gayi Khet. Calling it just an unauthorised social media activity is Jaale Pe Namak Chidakna.
Sincerely, this will not do enough for Damage control.
Not The Last Time A Brand Will Give You Reason To Boycott.
I feel that this issue, too, will die its natural death. The lifecycle of a social platform rebellion is short. We will find another error by some other rogue brand to boycott. This is why brands refuse to take the citizens of this country, their patriotic, nationalistic emotions and call for a boycott seriously.
Hyundai Kashmir post has flared up. The sentiments are stronger than in the past. The lame apology and the parent company Lollipop is not sufficient.
KFC, too, is under fire because of last year social post. Pizza Hut Pakistan and Kia Motors Pakistan (Hyundai’s sister corporate) have also posted solidarity with Kashmir messages. Does that not sound odd?
‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ – 5th February- has been a national holiday in Pakistan since 2004. It is observed to show Pakistan’s support and unity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmiri separatist’s efforts to secede from India.
Don’t be surprised that it keeps on happening. But, thanks to the Indian government for acting promptly and the people not reacting violently. Violence is clearly not the answer.
Personally Speaking.
Personally, I believe that Indian companies may not have anything to do with these social media posts from Pakistan. I hope I am correct. It is a foolish attempt at Moment Marketing in the era of information democracy and sharing. I am also not satisfied with the lame apology and international lollipop.
Yes, one brother should not be punished for another brother’s crime. Still, the brother has to publicly disown the errant brother and, clearly speaking, of the reason. Speak from the heart and demonstrate with intent and action. However, if the brother does not act, behave, and demonstrate, Bhagwan hi Malik and the country’s citizens cannot be blamed.
Sanjeev Kotnala is a senior business strategist and educator. He writes on MxMIndia every Wednesday. His views here are personal
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