Earlier this week, an email allegedly from the HR department of YesMadam, an at-home beauty services firm, claimed that employees who reported feeling stressed in an internal survey were being terminated. This email quickly went viral across social media platforms, including the 'Reddit Startup India' community, sparking widespread outrage.
After nearly a day of speculation and backlash, the company revealed that the email was a marketing gimmick designed to draw attention to their wellness packages. Following the uproar, YesMadam issued an apology on LinkedIn and introduced a corporate wellness program in response to the controversy.
In an unexpected turn of events, V360, the firm’s PR consultant, released a statement this evening distancing itself from the planning and execution of the stunt.
In an email shared with PRmoment India, V 360 said, "The recent marketing campaign by YesMadam has sparked widespread discussion on social media, eliciting a range of opinions. While we are officially managing PR activities for Yes Madam, Value 360 Communications was neither consulted nor involved in the strategic planning or execution of this particular campaign."
Earlier this year, a similar controversy arose with a campaign involving a fabricated death announcement about Poonam Pandey, aimed at raising awareness about cervical cancer. The campaign was orchestrated pro bono by Schbang, a creative, media, and technology transformation company, for Hautterfly, a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle platform.