In the pool of the Paris Olympics, a lightning bolt pierced the water.
China's Pan Zhanle not only broke his own record in the men's 100m freestyle competition at an astonishing speed, but also set a new world record and won the first gold for the Chinese swimming team. However, just when people were still immersed in this joy, an unexpected brand war quietly began.
Soon after the competition, Nongfu Spring quickly approached Pan Zhanle as an endorsement and released a new advertising campaign. In the advertisement, Pan Zhanle sincerely said: "I like Nongfu Spring very much, I have been drinking it during the preparation for the competition, I am very grateful to Nongfu Spring for standing on the world stage, my ambition is not so much, my career has just begun." These words not only show the sincerity of the athletes, but also subtly integrate the brand elements.
This operation of Nongfu Spring undoubtedly shows its keen market sense and quick response ability. In the field of sports marketing, seizing hot spots in a timely manner and cooperating with elite athletes can often bring huge exposure and favorability to brands. Unexpectedly, however, the campaign provoked a very different reaction online.
The comments of netizens were almost one-sided, but they were not on Nongfu Spring's side. "Watching the 'Nongfu Spring' advertisement and drinking 'Wahaha' water" has become the consensus of most netizens. Someone said: "I used to drink farmers, but now I only drink Wahaha, and it's useless for anyone to endorse me." Some netizens humorously said: "You can think of it this way, this child has earned advertising fees from Nongfu Spring, and we still continue to drink Wahaha, killing two birds with one stone." "
Behind this reaction is Nongfu Spring's recent mistakes in handling public relations. Earlier, Nongfu Spring fell into the whirlpool of public opinion because an advertising copy was accused of being "not patriotic enough". Although the company quickly apologized and revised the content, the incident seemed to leave an indelible mark on the minds of consumers.
In contrast, Wahaha, which is also a drinking water brand, has recently won a lot of favor due to the words and deeds of its founder Zong Qinghou. Zong Qinghou has repeatedly expressed his love for the country and concern for his employees in public, and this unpretentious image is in stark contrast to Nongfu Spring's well-designed marketing.
However, we also cannot ignore the complexities behind this "war of words". First of all, online reviews often have certain biased and emotional characteristics, and do not fully represent the real situation of the entire market. Secondly, the shaping of brand image is a long-term process, and it cannot be judged based on the trend of public opinion alone.
What is more worth thinking about is that in this era of information explosion, consumers' choices are increasingly influenced by many factors. Product quality, brand image, and social responsibility have all become important factors for consumers to consider. How to find the right position in the fierce market competition, and how to fulfill social responsibilities while pursuing profits, has become a problem that every brand needs to think about.
For Pan Zhanle, this endorsement is undoubtedly an important milestone in his career. As a good athlete, he proved his worth with his strength. And this endorsement contract also provides new possibilities for his career development. However, he also needs to be aware that in today's society, every choice made by a public figure can spark widespread discussion. How to balance personal development and social impact will be the challenge he will need to face in the future.
For consumers, this event is a reminder that when making purchasing decisions, you should not be influenced solely by advertising and endorsements. We need to comprehensively consider product quality, corporate culture, social responsibility and other factors to make a rational choice.
Finally, for businesses, this incident is undoubtedly a warning. While pursuing commercial interests, we should also pay attention to the shaping of corporate image and the fulfillment of social responsibility. Only by truly being recognized and respected by consumers can the brand be invincible in the fierce market competition.
In these fast-changing times, every choice has the potential to have a butterfly effect. Whether it's athletes, businesses or consumers, we all need to find our place in this complex web of relationships and make informed decisions. After all, the real victory is not only about the gold medal on the field, but also about how to earn respect and recognition in this challenging world.