The Norwegian telecom company Telenor is one of the largest players in the Swedish telecom market with its three million mobile customers, 700,000 fiber and broadband customers and around half a million TV customers.
Through their social media channels, they regularly post pictures and videos promoting the latest products and launches.
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Customers’ anger towards Telenor: “You should be ashamed”
In one of the latest posts the company shared on its Facebook page, it promotes the new “Missed Calls” service.
“What have you saved to remember a loved one who has passed away? A voice message can be completely unimportant, until we have lost the person who left it,” writes Telenor Sweden.
Some of the customers who chose to comment on the post with the marketing video where the “Missed Calls” service appreciates the new service.
“So very nice”.
“Do not understand all the complaints about this advertisement. I wish I could have listened to a call from my mother,” writes one person, referring to the string of negative comments also posted.
Photo: Screenshot Facebook/Telenor Sweden
In them, Telenor is criticized for marketing itself based on the sadness of others.
“Terribly unethical to run advertising based on other people’s grief. You should be ashamed,” writes one outraged person.
“I just heard this commercial. Gets both pissed off and sad that you use marketing based on someone losing their child. Disgusting advertising and a thought that no one even wants to think or even more so experience. You should be ashamed,” writes another.
“No, you run your marketing linked to people’s feelings. Unethical if you ask me,” writes a third.
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Photo: Screenshot Facebook/Telenor SwedenPhoto: Screenshot Facebook/Telenor Sweden
The psychologist on Telenor’s advertising: “Always problematic”
Some people are therefore of the opinion that the post and the advertisement play on people’s feelings, something that is not seen as positive as there are those who can be harmed.
But how are people in grief actually affected by saving, storing and listening to the voice of a deceased loved one?
In an interview with News24 says Per Johnsondocent in clinical psychology and university lecturer at Lund University, that it is no wonder that people are annoyed by how companies market themselves.
– Of course, big companies annoy some people, but in this case you can say that there were discs you could record sound on at the end of the 19th century, so the phenomenon of being able to store sound and image has existed for a long time, he says and adds :
– It’s always problematic, they always want to make money. There are always things in everyday life that remind us of loved ones and even those who have passed away. But you have a choice, if it’s too hard then you should refrain, that’s my recommendation.
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Per Johnsson believes that large companies often annoy people, but remembering what has been can also have a positive effect in grief work. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT
If some think that you can be negatively affected by the grief that someone has died, Johnsson believes that there is nothing wrong with being reminded of what was, even if it includes people who are no longer alive.
– Most people want to be reminded of the memory of those who have passed away. But of course it is also about the type of relationship you had with the deceased. If there are older people in the family, it may be experienced by more people as more natural. If it is a child who died in an accident, it is probably more problematic. Everything is affected by circumstances and the relationship to the deceased.
He also says that as long as you can make an active choice, it is rather positive to be able to remember, listen, feel and miss.
– Once we are born, we are born, but we will all die sooner or later, hopefully as late as possible, which we all hope for. Rather, it is probably positive to be able to be reminded, but there are always those who experience it as negative. What I think is important is that you have the opportunity to remove it without major problems if you want to move on without the opportunity to listen to the voices of the deceased, he tells Nyheter24.
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Telenor’s response to the criticism
In another email News24 says Nina Freyresponsible for social sustainability at Telenor Sweden, that it is important to talk about both what is fun but also what is difficult and difficult.
“We have received a very positive response to our Missed Calls initiative, many have contacted us and said that it is a nice campaign and a good service. What we want is, through a small effort, to help more people save their loved ones’ messages and when we got confirmation that it’s good for grief work, we felt that it’s clear that those of us who can do this. We also think it’s important that we can talk about both fun things and more difficult topics”.
Freye also says that the reception has been mixed but that sensitive topics do not always appeal to everyone.
“Communications that touch on sensitive topics do not appeal to everyone. In our social channels, there is a mixed reception, both those who are critical and those who appreciate the initiative. We of course respect those who were offended by our communication and regret it. We are very sorry about communicating about this topic with consideration and respect for the fact that people are different”.
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Nina Freye is responsible for social sustainability at Telenor Sweden. Photo: Press photo Telenor Sweden