When It Comes To Public Relations, Play Safe Is The Best Choice.
We are living in an era in which silence is a sin. We are being told that we are part of the world and that everything that happens on the earth is relevant to us. We are encouraged to speak loud for others because of the famous “first they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out” quote. But, when it comes to a brand, is it still necessary for it to act like a hero?
Probably not. At least, Blue Bottle Coffee didn’t choose to be the hero in the Ukraine war. Since the war outbreak, none of its social media released any posts related to the conflict or Ukraine. It is still the original Blue Bottle Coffee — aesthetic coffee and dessert image, tutorial about coffee making, traditional women history month celebration(Blue Bottle Coffee has a tradition of celebrating women empowerment during March as it is the month of international women’s day), and store opening information. It is full of harmonious and peaceful.
It should not be surprising as neither their stores nor supply chains have evolved with Ukraine or Russia. Its stores are located in the U.S. and East Asia, and the coffee bean is mostly grown in Central America and East Africa. That is to say, the war has no direct connection with Blue Bottle Coffee, which could be the biggest reason for its silence.
Let’s list the potential benefits and costs Blue Bottle Coffee can earn if it chooses to stand up with Ukraine.
Benefit 1
Earn support on the Internet. People who are also concerned about the Ukraine war and willing to support it on social media would definitely be willing to give a like to Blue Bottle Coffee’s post. Their support could increase engagement with Blue Bottle Coffee on their post, comments, and hashtags and likely to be turned into future customers.
Benefit 2
Earn free media exposure. The official announcement of standing with Ukraine will likely be reposted and reported on another media venture, such as a coffee magazine or a local newspaper, which can bring more traffic to Blue Bottle Coffee. Also, it is likely that Blue Bottle Coffee can earn extra exposure with hashtags like “SupportUkraine” and “StandWithUkarine”.
Benefit 3
Potential increasing sales. Although there is a gap between emotional support and actual buying behavior, research shows a strong positive correlation between consumer buying behavior and cooperation social responsibility. It is possible that part of potential consumers will switch from a neural coffee shop to a StandWithUkarine coffee shop, and it could be a good chance to make the financial reports look better.
Lost 1
Additional costs. Each support to Ukraine represents each additional cost a company has to pay. It could be direct financial donation(donate $10,000), indirect financial donation(10% of the item sold will be donated), and non-financial donation(donate foods and beverage), and all of these expenses are additional costs to the company. Moreover, the company has to pay extra energy to monitor public opinion and manage all donation work.
Lost 2
Potential criticism. People are suspicious and picky. A brand has to prepare for unexpected criticism when it chooses to stay out of its comfort zone. Critics could come from the Russian supporter and other people who don’t want a coffee brand to state its political stance.
No one wants to take the risk unless the expected profit is much better off than staying safe. When it comes to brand public relations, the two ends of the risk-safe scale will be more unbalanced. A brand must review each word it is going to say publicly and plan each possible outcome. To avoid the fallout, the simplest thing to do is maintain the status quo. And just play it safe.
This is Yang’s blog. Thanks for your reading. And see you next week :)
