An Indian beauty service start-up, Yes Madam, has sparked outrage over a publicity campaign designed to highlight workplace stress. The controversy began when an internal email from the company, which appeared to fire employees who reported feeling stressed, went viral on social media. However, on Tuesday, Yes Madam clarified that no one had actually been fired and that the social media posts were part of a “planned effort to highlight the serious issue of workplace stress.”
The campaign has elicited mixed reactions online.
Some have praised the company for addressing an important issue, while others have criticized it for misleading people and toying with their emotions. The campaign did succeed in thrusting the relatively unknown brand into the spotlight. “Free promotion done right, huh?
Who needs a marketing budget when you have outrage as your social media manager?” one user posted on LinkedIn. This incident is not unique; other start-ups have also drawn negative attention for controversial marketing tactics. A recent example includes the founder of an Indian food delivery platform who faced criticism after posting a non-paid job opening requiring a costly donation to the company’s non-profit venture.
Yes Madam’s stress campaign backlash
Experts caution that such marketing stunts might help brands achieve short-term visibility but could harm their reputation in the long run. Karthik Srinivasan, a branding and communications consultant, explained that while exaggeration can be an effective advertising strategy, blatantly lying has no place in ethical advertising.
“Exaggeration is so obvious or conspicuous that a consumer isn’t likely or expected to believe it,” said Srinivasan, citing examples like Axe deodorant ads and a recent ad by rapper Snoop Dogg, which made exaggerated claims in a humorous manner. Brands engage in extreme campaigns because they can generate massive publicity with minimal funds. The key is to evoke strong opinions to ensure people engage with the campaign, according to Srinivasan.
But he warns that such tactics can damage a brand’s credibility and trust among both employees and consumers. “Credibility and trust take time to build, and a brand will find it hard to shake off the negative publicity that comes with an insensitive ad campaign,” he added. Mayank Sehgal, another marketing consultant, echoed this view.
“It’s crucial for brands to prioritize ethical marketing practices and avoid using people’s emotions as a tool for self-promotion,” he said. “While attention-grabbing tactics may work in the short term, they ultimately erode trust and damage brand reputation.”
