Actor Poonam Pandey's recent death stunt for the sake of creating awareness for cervical cancer had the internet divided. While the majority disliked the strategy and felt disgusted, a few lauded the stunt. There have been instances of marketing stunts in the recent past as well like Ranbir Kapoor throwing an Oppo phone as a part of the smartphone maker's campaign or HDFC’s Vigil Aunty morphing into Nora Fatehi, which was later revealed that it was a part of their ‘EOSS’ campaign against deep fakes.

Much beforePoonam Pandey's deathstunt, in November 2023, Snoop Dogg announced that he was quitting "smoking," but later it was revealed that the "confession" was part of an endorsement campaign forSolo Stove firepit.

Stunts like these have forced the audience to take any news with a pinch of salt. However, faking news and pranking the audience are not new concepts in marketing. "Shockvertising" has been around for a long time, but it has suddenly gained popularity in recent times as a gimmicky strategy for brands to reach audiences and create awareness.

e4m reached out experts to understand whether such a strategy is right for creating awareness and does it really help in brand building. Speaking about Shockvertising’ and ‘Faking’ as a strategy, Krishna Iyer, Director - Marketing, MullenLowe Lintas Group, spoke about the recent stunt and said it is said that people went too far with this approach. He said, “Attention-grabbing stunts are nothing new. But Poonam Pandey's 'death by cervical cancer' hoax takes the cake (and throws it in the face of ethical marketing). Sure, it got likes and shares, but at what cost? Exploiting real tragedies and peddling misinformation isn't ‘shockvertising,’ it's just shockingly bad!”

“Surprise is an interesting positive way and I think it is done for short-term gains; it’s not a bad thing. However, brands should have a positive approach. There is a fine line between shock and surprise. The way brands approach is what makes the difference”, said, Lloyd Mathias, Brand strategist.Brewing controversiesand then revealing that it’s part of a campaign has become a way to have quick gains."

Mihir Karkare,Co-founder & EVP at Mirum India said, “It is a valid approach and has been a part of the marketing campaign to stand out however, it really depends on the content. When you choose to shock, there is a way to shock, but when it is not done with the right context and the content, it is not right.” He further said it also depends on the brand image, whether the brand image allows you to be witty, quirky, and pull off something like this, then it is an add-on however, if not, then the brand should be conscious of doing it.

Speaking on playing with authenticity and customer feelings, Viren Vesuwala, Lead, Corporate Communications, White Rivers Media said, "While shockvertising and attention-grabbing tactics can be tempting, it's important to consider that the loudest noise isn't always the most impactful. Firstly, if not executed sensitively, it trivializes serious issues and offends those involved. Moreover, it causes a breach of trust between brands and consumers."

When asked about whether it helps in generating ROI, he added, "Consumers value authenticity, and manipulating emotions for clicks creates scepticism, tarnishing the image of the entire industry. In addition, it rarely delivers ROI. Sure, it might generate buzz, but genuine engagement is built over time and not overnight”.

“If the brands believe that, it is in line with their brand ethos then they should do it. It does help in awareness but I am not sure whether it helps generate ROI or not”, said Emmanuel Upputuru, Founder of EFGH Brand Innovations.

Experts concluded that if ‘shockvertising’ done positively and has a positive outcome then it is really helpful for the brand. Mathias gave the example of Shah Rukh Khan My ad having a surprise or shock element and yet having a vast impact on people’s lives. Karkare said, “Irrespective of the recent examples, shock is a valid approach to reach people and gain awareness in the short term and I would advise brands to be cognizant of it.”