NTUC says Rebecca Lim's "retirement" a lie and publicity stunt. Another lying org.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

So, insurer NTUC Income has come out to say that Singaporean actress Rebecca Lim’s retirement stunt was not meant to mislead the public.

At a press conference on Monday (15 Feb), NTUC Income’s chief marketing officer Marcus Chew reportedly said, “We did not set out to mislead anyone. We regret upsetting anyone over the weekend. Our intention for the post was really to draw attention to retirement planning, and retiring as a journey.”

Mr Chew’s sales pitch seems oddly placed. Then again, he could be trying to salvage what could be only described by some as unethical advertising.

The brouhaha began innocently enough on 12 Feb.

Lim, a rising MediaCorp TV starlet, implied she was quitting the business on her Instagram account.

The 29 year-old wrote, “Yes, I am retiring. I know you may have questions for me and I will answer them real soon. Meanwhile, be happy for me.”

Almost immediately, there was an outpouring of well wishes from the public.

But when the media chased the story, Lim took to her Facebook page to issue a clarification.

In the video, she said, “Nope I am not leaving my job. I love it too much. I have however signed a retirement plan with NTUC Income. And it is a relief to know that I am saving a little each day for my future.”

Then the sadness turned to outrage when fans realised it was really a ploy to drum up publicity for an insurance company selling retirement plans. Instant backlash ensued.

Facebook user Vincent Lim said, “I think you should not have said your fans "misinterpreted” or “misunderstood” your message. Nobody was speculating either. You said: “Yes, I’m retiring.” It is as clear as it can be. So just admit it was a marketing stunt with NTUC, I think your fans will take it better if you come clean and move on.”

The mainstream media were also whipped into frenzy.

When a comment from Lim and her minders proved elusive, they dragged in experts to weigh in on the effectiveness of the campaign.

Interestingly, the MediaCorp news outlets that reported about the retirement quietly dropped the story when it was found to be untrue.

While the stunt was not without supporters, the backlash was serious enough for representatives from NTUC and MediaCorp to hold a conference on 12 Feb to explain the situation, reported the Straits Times.

Now that the dust on this fiasco is settling, will Lim and NTUC Income survive this publicity faux pas?

Definitely. But was it worse then the other infamous local PR missteps listed below? You decide


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.