Hours of pure panic for the many fans of Lipton’s fishing tea after the company has announced that the production would have been interrupted. Then, however, a clarification came that transformed everything into an excellent marketing operation
Yesterday a surprise announcement arrived by Lipton through their social channels that left fans of his famous Ice tea at fishing without words. The company has in fact published a message on social media declaring that the production of the famous fishing variant it would have been interrupted. The post read:
You have perhaps heard that our iconic Lipton Ice Tea Taste Fishing is about to be withdrawn. We know … it hurts (sorry if we have just ruined your relaxing drink in the afternoon). But don’t panic, All your other favorite tastes are still here To refresh you! And who knows? Perhaps one day, fishing will make a legendary return … Thanks for your understanding during this transition and we apologize for the inconvenience.
The news, accompanied by the hashtag #Ripeachimmediately generated a wave of reactions between users, between disbelief and indignation. Many users have expressed their disappointment, comparing the possible disappearance of the fishing oce to a paradoxical event, as if the Coca-Cola stopped producing its classic drink.
It was a joke
The audience’s reaction was so intense that, the next day, Lipton decided to retrace his steps and reassure his customers with a new post that completely overturned the situation. The company also explained that it was an ironic gimmick and even added that it would reserve Special surprises for those who had left the most passionate comments and creative on the question. These are his words:
Update: as you had intuition, It was obviously a joke… or a very early April fish! Lipton has just published a new press release a few minutes ago to reassure his faithful consumers.
This Lipton move is part of an increasingly widespread trend among the brands: generate enormous visibility and involvement on social media through temporary panic on the alleged disappearance of a much loved product, transforming an initial concern into one Brilliant marketing operation. Similar strategies have been adopted in the past by other companies, such as the recent Duolingo case, which he had fake the “death” of his mascot before bringing it back to life with a new advertising expedient.
In the end, therefore, the Lipton Ice Tea at fishing will not disappear from the shelves, but the episode has shown how strong the attachment of consumers to certain products is. A successful operation? Probably yes, since the brand has obtained extraordinary visibility and a Increase in social interaction. In short, Lipton has been able to exploit media attention in his favor, transforming the story into a successful viral campaign.
