Mets Acquire Zoloft Makeover: Funny or Not, Are Satirical Videos Good or Bad for Your Brand?

Posted on Apr 15, 2012 in Social Video, Views You Can Use | 2 comments

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Really? Always?

I love my wife of 25 years and often give her a squeeze and a kiss after dinners out. IF someone else did that would it enhance my brand? Would I be ‘flattered’? No, but the random kisser would be flattened. By me or the lovely Sherry Lynn? Both?

They say that parody is a comical form of imitation. Really? Always?

I respect and often am in awe of the accomplishments of modern medicine and the Pharmaceutical companies that help fuel it, Pfizer included. Conversely, while I respect friends and associates who are loyal, suffering fans of the NY Mets – I have little respect for team ownership and management. IF someone produces and posts a video inferring that the depressed friends of Mr. Met need meds – and connects it to a brand from a company expected to generate $63 Billion in 2012 – does it enhance either the big pharma or the big league brand? Both?

The answer may be both, but I don’t think so. I don’t think there would be much, if any, damage to the Zoloft brand – since this video (unlike many in search of a laugh and an audience) is relatively tame and amusing. There may even be some positive association by doctors who are good-natured Mets fans. It actually could help the team brand, serving as a rallying point for it’s self-deprecating fans who have learned to laugh (and cry) together. I found it being passed around on Facebook by a few battle scarred fans of the Amazin’ Mets.

I’m not sure if Pfizer or MLB would concur, but hope you – professional brand ambassadors – agree that satirical mash-ups and makeovers are often amusing, but also potentially dangerous. It’s too late to take your ball (brand) and go home, so step up to the plate.

My advice is to keep your head and content in the game then pitch, hit, run and …

1. Monitor and measure so you know what others are ‘communicating’ about your brand.

2. Create a steady stream of your own search engine optimized visual content to ensure your message is seen and voice is heard.

3. Resist the urge to use comedy if it’s not appropriate for your brand, message and corporate culture – or if it’s just not funny.

Otherwise, like fans of the Rodney Dangerfield of NY baseball teams – you may laugh early but will rarely laugh last.

Play ball! Work content.

Go Yankees!

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Larry is president of Latergy, a video services boutique that provides multimedia content strategy, production, distribution and measurement services to professional communicators. Prior to Latergy, Thomas pioneered online video marketing and PR as co-founder and president of PR Newswire’s MultiVu and COO of Medialink Worldwide, a NASDAQ company that was sold to a VC-backed competitor. He lives in NJ with his wife, Sherry Lynn, and their plethora of pups. Contact him at lthomas@Latergy.com.