A marketing expert has defended Kuoni in its decision to pull its adverts from Rihanna’s latest “explicit” music video.
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Rihanna video advert controversy highlights need for vigilance
Image via landmarkmedia / Shutterstock.com
A marketing expert has defended Kuoni in its decision to pull its adverts from Rihanna’s latest “explicit” music video.
Kuoni along with the Co-operative Group are unhappy with their adverts running alongside the musician’s B***h Better Have My Money video on YouTube.
The video shows Rihanna abduct and threaten a topless woman who is beaten, bound and hung upside down. She eventually chainsaws a man to death.
A spokesperson from Kuoni said: “We buy digital advertising space according to set criteria to suit our audience. There is a very clear agreement that we do not want to advertise alongside any explicit content.
“We are talking to our media agency to ensure it is withdrawn from this video and we are extra vigilant about online content.”
Justin Taylor, UK managing director at Teads, said: “It’s completely understandable that Kuoni and the Co-operative Group are frustrated after having their advertisements run before Rihanna’s music video.
“It’s only right that when paying for placements, brands have complete control and transparency about the content which surrounds their ads. Explicit or violent content might work for some brands, but they should have a choice about whether or not they run ads alongside it.
“Our research shows that where an advert appears can drastically affect how a consumer reacts to a brand. It can devalue a brand’s creative rather than enhance it.
“A recent study by Nielsen found that users were more likely to watch an ad all the way through if they thought the ad fit visually with the rest of the webpage and other content on the page.
“Transparency and distribution within quality environments should be the norm. By asking for site lists, running verification tools and looking at alternative advertising formats, brands should be able to avoid the situation where they are associated with content they deem inappropriate.”
