Silence is Golden

Many brands — and presumably their marketing teams — have a very difficult time recognizing that they do not have to acknowledge every national holiday, cultural milestone, or historic commemoration. Unless an occasion has a strong and direct tie to your organization and its mission, no one expects you to tweet about Pearl Harbor Day, or September 11, or Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The email example I shared below, from Kore Essentials, seems particularly crass. They are using the name and image of Martin Luther King Jr., struck down at age 39 by an assassin’s bullet, to hawk firearms accessories. Now, I don’t know much about this brand or its customers, and perhaps many among them are admirers of the great civil rights leader, who preached and practiced nonviolence. But if so, they would surely recognize how wholly inappropriate it is to use his name and face in an email promoting products that men can use to carry guns. (And white men to boot, based on the model.)

Here is my advice to brands on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and every day like it: Take the day off. Turn off those automated posts, and wait until next week to have that online sale. If you find yourself asking, “Should I post something about this day?” the answer is probably no.

Kore Essentials thought it was perfectly appropriate to use MLK’s name and image to sell firearms accessories.