The corn syrup “re-brand” - putting social media to the test

Yesterday emerged the new “re-branding” of corn syrup into ‘corn sugar’. My initial reaction was a slight chuckle at the audacity of the move. But the more I thought about it the more it annoyed me.

First, and most obvious, it’s just a huge lie. It’s classic old-school spin that contains the arrogance that like sheep we will all believe whatever pretty package is sold to us. This we see everyday and it somewhat rolled off my shoulders.

Second, and more importantly, it bothered me that this is being called a “re-brand”. Now this part annoys me because it validates the idea that branding is simply making up a story and imposing it on something regardless of the truth. The idea that I work in an industry where truth and ethics are relative (or irrelevant) and that the idea we want the customer to believe is the only thing that matters.

My instincts tell me that this won’t stand. This shouldn’t stand. This can’t stand. In this new world of transparency, immediacy, information and consumer empowerment this message will not survive. The facts will emerge, the people will make their voices heard and the campaign will fall flat. The world has changed, the worm has turned, power to the people, you can’t pull the wool over our eyes - right?

 I quickly came to the realization that this may be a watershed moment that demonstrates that the new world order exists or it doesn’t. After all, if an industry makes such a claim as the corn syrup manufacturers are making, and it works, then I think we can all guess what other companies will feel empowered to do.

What is at stake is the fundamental concept that the information age has changed anything. In just one day I saw all the requisite ire and indignation in the social stratosphere – Facebook, Twitter, blogs, comments, etc. But what I started to wonder is whether the social world just becoming noise or is it a true voice that has an impact?

Will the outrage matter? It had better.

UPDATE:
Well, the demise of the new Gap logo may have put this entire issue to rest? Amen.