Boeing ad campaign targeting Canadians prompts social media backlash
Posted October 25, 2017 4:49 pm.
Last Updated October 25, 2017 4:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You may have heard or seen the ads, but a new campaign by an American aircraft giant seems to be backfiring in Canada. The so-called charm offensive by Boeing has prompted mostly negative comments on social media.
Many people have taken to Twitter or Facebook to complain about commercials like this one which points out at least 2,000 jobs in this country depend on Boeing.
Click here to see the ad.
SFU Marketing Professor Lindsay Meredith says the Chicago-based company is at risk of losing a lucrative contract that would see 18 Super Hornets support Canada’s aging fleet of CF-18 fighter jets.
“It’s produced a massively expensive jet fighter and it’s having trouble selling it. Canada was going to be one of the main customers for that product and guess what? The federal government fell out of love with them big time.”
In April, executives from Boeing accused the federal government of unfairly subsidizing the Montreal-based Bombardier and the US government has slapped a roughly 300 per cent tariff on contracts awarded for the CSeries aircraft.
Meredith explains he’s not surprised Boeing’s now appealing directly to Canadians for support.
“Basically now the issue is, sure, let’s kiss and make up when the Canadians are saying, ‘Hey, you’re the guys who started this nonsense in the first place. Boeing has made a hell of a mess of things… and now they’re trying to hope for at least ‘let’s try this, to hold on to the jet fighter stuff because, if we lose Canada, we’re going to start losing Europe too and we’re going to have a real mess as a corporation.'”
He adds savvy Canadians are not falling for the media blitz by Boeing which includes a reminder their business is worth $4 billion a year.
“When you hit a brick wall with a particular market segment, if you can, you try to go around that. ‘Did Canadians see through it? Oh hell yes!’ That’s the problem with those strategies. Those can backfire yet again because people say, ‘Hey look, I know you’re stripes. I know what you are and now you’re trying to convince me you’re that sheep. You’re really not a wolf anymore, huh?’ A little too late.”
Some complaints posted by Canadians on Facebook and Twitter include demands for Boeing to stop running the ads.
