Borkowski Weekly Media Trends: Mizzy, Ron DeSantis & more...

PLUS 'Nudge' Marketing & The End of Greenwashing?

Les Mizzy-Rambles

In a recent episode of The Noughties Podcast (discussing the infamous Gary Neville prank call) Dom Joly talked pranking, explaining the difference between a properly crafted practical joke and a crass 'prank'.

The noughties were massive on pranks thanks to shows like Trigger Happy, Balls of Steel and Fonejacker and later YouTube. Some of the platform's most prominent stars, like VitalyzdTv, Roman Atwood, and Rémi Gaillard, were infamous for pranks, pushing boundaries for socially acceptable content. Unfortunately, these pranksters' reckless behaviour would inevitably cause their demise, like Roman Atwood staging a prank on his girlfriend by making her believe their child was blown up in a quad bike accident.

And whilst Jolly would be quick to disassociate his influence from this style of prank, they set the stage for Mizzy - the TikTok prankster causing a stir this week after months of posting videos of him trespassing people's homes and chains like Greggs and McDonald's.

This week his notoriety exploded after the 18-year-old was arrested for trespassing and fined, narrowly avoiding a prison sentence (although at time of writing he’s just been re-arrested for breaching his court order). But once this story made it to national news, Mizzy soaked up his 15 minutes of fame by accepting an invitation to talk to Piers Morgan on his show Uncensored, where he called Morgan a racist and obnoxiously shushed him live on air. Mizzy has taken his viral videos to a mainstream audience stoking anger for his lack of respect for the law and others.

Mizzy has chosen styles of videos that ultimately antagonise others, which includes stealing an old lady's dog and filming the snatch, only to return the dog to a visibly distressed owner. But he appears unfazed by the uproar he's caused and has been arrested for the second time in quick succession which has taken his online virality mainstream. 

We often talk about the power of authenticity in navigating a crisis and building fame. And whilst we wouldn't call Mizzy authentic, his commitment to these types of videos and pranks and his ability to wind up the nation have made him a national talking point. It's an impressive case study in translating TikTok views to mainstream attention, and as long as you're not bothered by everyone hating you, you can find success, assuming he doesn't end up in jail. However, his recent arrest does look like another prank...

DeSantis - Courtier of International Headlines

Ron DeSantis, the Florida Governor, has officially thrown his hat into the ring for the 2024 US presidential race. A move everyone thought had already happened. 

This announcement sets the stage for a showdown with none other than the former President himself, Donald Trump (assuming he does run in the end and doesn’t end up in prison first).

Trump is no fan of DeSantis, but this opprobrium has done his rival no harm; the ex-President’s unhinged rants have actually grown his rival’s name recognition and the petty, personal nature of his insults will on score points with those who are already Trump acolytes.

This said, DeSantis's launch got off to a shaky start, encountering technical issues with Twitter's "Spaces" feature where he made the eyebrow-raising but undeniably attention-grabbing decision to announce his campaign alongside politically neutral free-speech campaigner (who knows a thing or two about shaky launches) Elon Musk. 

But he is a contender. At the age of 43, DeSantis has quickly emerged as a rising star in the Republican Party. His handling (or not handling) of the COVID-19 pandemic and staunch opposition to vaccine mandates have garnered praise from libertarian and social conservatives nationwide. Moreover, he has not been shy about voicing his criticisms of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

DeSantis is a media-savvy candidate, unafraid of the Culture Wars and, while not in the same histrionic stratosphere as Trump, he knows how to garner global media attention. He is currently in a battle with Disney over their special status in his state, which he removed from them due to their liberal views on issues such as Trans rights. 

Although the 2024 presidential election remains two years away, the battle lines are already being drawn. This contest between the divergent wings of the Republican Party promises to be an intense and consequential clash. 

Data Breach or Discount Code? The Beauty Bay Campaign That Raised Eyebrow

In a weird marketing campaign that unfolded earlier this week, Beauty Bay went on Mission Impossible and the company sent out a suspicious push notification to app users that there had been an unrecognised app attempt on their iPhone. The notification was linked back to the Beautybay homepage, where a pop-up offered a 15% discount with the code "hacked15." Starting out small in 2006, Beauty Bay has quickly grown to become one of the leading online beauty retailers in the UK.

Naturally, the notification was met with a mixture of confusion and concern. Some people were worried that their phones had been hacked, while others were just plain confused. Why would a beauty retailer be sending you notifications about security breaches? Beauty Bay wanted to stand out from the crowd and add some extra sparkle to their marketing game. Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as planned and it backfired as they faced heavy criticism online.

We can’t ignore that cyber threats are more common than ever, and they're not just affecting big companies anymore, so sending a notification that makes it sound like someone has tried to hack into someone's phone is likely to cause anxiety and stress. The campaign missed the mark because it was misleading. This kind of deception can damage a company's reputation and make people less likely to trust them in the future. Cyber security is not a promotional tool; it can lead to data breaches, financial losses, and even reputational damage.

We’re seeing more brands utilising push notifications as a fresh way to incentivise engagement and drive user retention. When done right, push marketing can be leveraged to lure users back to the app with exclusive offers and discounts. When done wrong, they can lead to app uninstalls and op-outs.

However, shouldn't a leading brand be mindful of the concerns and anxieties of its target audience?  it's crucial to strike the right balance between creativity and sensitivity. When sending out a notification that could be interpreted as a security breach, you need to be prepared to address your customers’ worries and set their minds at ease. And so far, there’s been no response from Beauty Bay! And if you're using a marketing ploy that can be interpreted as a security alert, make sure it's clear that it's a ploy and there’s no actual threat…

End of ‘Carbon Neutral-by-offsetting’: The Beginning of the End for Greenwashing?

The Guardian this week reported that the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK is to ban claims that products are Carbon Neutral if that claim is based on Offsetting.

This is bad news to anyone planning to launch a carbon-guzzling product but also claim that it’s planet friendly because they’ve also thrown some money towards the planting of trees.

Offsetting is a complex and prickly topic in sustainability circles. It’s often used as a substitute for actual reduction of carbon emissions which is just as important; its prone to snake oil and pyramid schemes where trees are double-counted or not planted at all (as was the case in the Brewdog scandal last year); and even when it’s done correctly it has to be sustainable and contribute to biodiversity. In layman’s terms; if you just plant thousands of the same tree somewhere where they wouldn’t occur in that quantity naturally, you might actually be harming the environment.

These and many other factors have made ‘Carbon Neutral’ a bit of a shibboleth in recent years. Long gone are the days where vague notions of giving something to the environment scored easy reputation points, and this latest ruling will force brands and corporations to consider the substance of their sustainability claims even more closely.