Pratfall Effect

Brands, Blunders and Pratfall Effect

Remember when Jennifer Lawrence tripped on her Dior dress while picking her best actress award.  This blunder made her look even more attractive. This is the essence of pratfall effect.

The effect was first studied by social psychologist Elliot Aronson in 1966. Aronson speculated that people considered “superior” by others could become more attractive upon committing a small pratfall (mistake)

Now the question is what about superior brands? What happens when they make blunders?

Do you think the effect is same for the brands.

There are several cases to prove how admitting weaknesses and being honest to consumers can make your brand seem more likeable and human. People know that nobody’s perfect and everyone makes mistake. All customers expect is a great recovery and handling of that failure.

People crave authenticity – and in some situations being less perfect is actually far more appealing.

In 2018, KFC faced a major crisis in the UK when they ran out of chicken due to delivery issues. Instead of a standard apology, they ran a full-page ad in newspapers featuring their signature bucket with the letters rearranged to spell “FCK.” The ad continued with a humble and humorous apology, stating, “A chicken restaurant without any chicken. It’s not ideal.” This clever response turned a potentially damaging situation into a public relations win, with many praising the company’s honesty and creativity.