Recently, a clip appeared on social media recording a group of people wearing black carrying coffins in front of Ben Thanh Market - Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the initial investigation, Ho Ngoc Tuan, an online clothing trader on TikTok, was the mastermind of the incident. Tuan came up with the idea of parading the coffin to create a spread effect on social networks, attracting attention and increasing interaction for sales channels.
Tuan and a group of friends working together bought a coffin for 3.5 million VND, hired someone to carry the coffin for 500,000 VND/person. Then, they put decals on the coffin and filmed and took photos to PR for the sales channel.
The authorities determined that the behavior of this group showed signs of the crime of "Disturbing public order" as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 318 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2017). The investigation agency is consolidating the case file to handle the case in accordance with the provisions of law.
Whether this group of people "Disturbs public order" or not will have an answer from the authorities, please let me discuss another factor, which is the implementation of advertising programs.
Deploying unique ideas to PR for a brand or brand is something that every business or business establishment wants to do. But uniqueness does not mean arbitrariness, carelessness or affecting traditional customs, culture, and common aesthetic values of the community.
In this case, taking the coffin to the central area of the city and filming the clip and posting it online is clearly unique but not suitable. If everyone advertises their products and uses coffins as " tools", or brings things contrary to traditional customs to the public, there will only be chaos.
By implementing unique PR tricks to polish the brand but causing public outrage and frustration, consumers boycott and turn their backs, business will fail. When there are signs of law violations and the authorities take action, the collapse of the shop is a guarantee.
In case Ho Ngoc Tuan organized a street parade of coffins and the gate of victory from this PR trick and did not see it, the whole group entered the prison gate.
Businesses, advertisers, and PR need to refer to the case of carrying coffins across Ben Thanh market to learn from experience. be creative but must respect the aesthetic values, customs, and cultural traditions of the community.
