I used to think apology videos were always fake

After watching that CEO stumble through a 3 minute apology for their data breach where he couldn't even say the word 'sorry' right, it finally clicked why people get so mad at these things. When did you last see a brand apology that actually felt real?

2 comments

2 Comments

umathompson11d ago

Laugh at how they always cut to a close up of their face looking sad but their eyes are totally dead, like they're reading off a teleprompter for the first time. The last time I felt like a brand apology was real was when that small coffee chain sent out a video where the owner just said "we messed up, here's what we're doing to fix it" with no dramatic music or slow pans of their product lol. It's wild because the more polished and produced these apology videos get, the less I believe a single word coming out of their mouths. Honestly, I think brands need to realize that stumbling over your words and looking uncomfortable is way more trustworthy than a perfectly rehearsed speech with a sad piano track underneath it.

umathompson11d ago

My buddy's work had a brand screw up a few months back and the CEO came on screen looking like he'd just been told his dog died. He paused for a second too long before every sentence, his voice cracked once, and at one point he looked away from the camera like he was genuinely embarrassed. People in the comments were roasting him for being unprofessional but that video felt way more real than any of the slick ones from big companies. They ended up keeping most of their customers too, which says a lot.