Cillit Bang’s Barry Scott… PR blog gone mad
Back in July I argued that public relations programmes should include blogs to help facilitate dialogue between stakeholders. And it’s not taken these big boys long to show everyone how not to do it.
First up in the Hall of Shame has to be Cillit Bang, whose marketing campaign centres on the fictitious Barry Scott. Barry’s a very cheesy caricature of the poor would-be actor/TV presenters who populate TV shopping channels. Cillit Bang want him to become a kind of cult and through the cult of Barry Scott make an otherwise boring product somehow trendy in an ironic, self-conscious kind of way. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Giving him his own blog was a cool idea too. But then it went pear-shaped.
Rather than give Barry’s blog a chance to find itself in the blogosphere – a process I’d say takes about three months – someone was employed to be Barry and go around placing comments on other people’s blogs. This might have worked if the comments were on-topic, that is, if they fitted in with the subject of the blog being commented on. Sadly, ‘Barry’ crossed the line. When someone blogged about meeting their estranged father after three decades, Barry’s made-up past suddenly included a similar chapter and this made up character was offering advice; ‘I was apprehensive but I kept telling myself that no matter how estranged we’d become there was no river to wide to cross. Drop me a line if I can be of any more help. Cheers, Barry’.
The big name public relations consultancy behind it all as since apologised. Well sort of. They said sorry while claiming it wasn’t them. Not clever as the comment and apologetic e-mail were quickly traced to the same server. Not surprisingly, Barry Scott’s blog has fallen silent
Contact Stephen Newton
Comments (7 comments)
Having just bought the new variant of cillit bang (stain and drain), I was surprised to see that the cap seems to be sub-standard quality. This is important because, as a corrosive the product needs a child resistant closure (CRS).
I’m sure the product meets minimum EU regulations, but the fact that a small child could unscrew the cap must be alarming. I’m amazed that Reckitt have not improved the design since launch several months ago.
It seems that there is a PR disaster just waiting to happen, which would no doubt bring the brand into disrepute.
I wonder what other peoples views are on this?
Anonymous / January 28th, 2006, 8:22 pm / #
I feel there’s a part of Barry Scott in all of us and you don’t necesarrily have to be THE Barry Scott (fictional) to feel what he feels. Peace.
Anonymous / March 5th, 2006, 1:24 pm / #
Much of marketing is simply common sense. Obviously that is in short supply and why not everyone is a good marketer.
Effective PR services / November 27th, 2006, 10:31 am / #
barry u r the reason i get up in the morning and make me get thought the day
steve-o / July 23rd, 2007, 3:20 pm / #
I missed the whole barry scott thing - shame it sounded like fascinating reading. Maybe if they had presented barry honestly as a fictitious character from the beginning he would have gained more credibility! I was just reading this http://www.markborkowski.com/?p=7105 art6icle by borkowski who also appears to share some views on [blogging and the] craft of pr”
Jon / September 6th, 2007, 10:28 am / #
Barry Scott seems to be quite a cult figure in student circles - surely not the best group to sell cleaning products to (?) or perhaps they saw the huge potential in helping students get their deposits back at the end of renting accomidation.
Does seem a bit distateful and cynical to use a ficticious character in this way.
Alastair Campbell / March 11th, 2008, 9:36 am / #
barry scott is a fantasdtic chareter whomhas brought joy to many people i agree with the person who sed it probaly wont help them sell products apart from the kids who buyu it just to spray at each other around the streets of there town but he’s loverly and bring entertaintment to adverts as apose to the crappy droll that we have to sit though such as “injury lawyer 4 u” and “direct line” who bore most people crapless and force them to change channels and have them then miss half of there show…well thats me at least
HollY1991 / September 17th, 2008, 2:03 am / #
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