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Controversial Advertisement and New Investors: Is this a knock-OAT for the sustainable Company Oatly?

Edlund, Beata LU ; Pärsson, Emma and Gripwall, Johanna (2021) In LBMG Corporate Brand Management and Reputation - Masters Case Series BUSN35 20211
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
December 2nd 2016 it was established that Oatly had a new co-owner, China Resources, a partnership that went against not only their own core values but also the values of their oat followers. However, it was not until 2019 the media storm drew in. Oatly owned the spotlight and the debates continued whether Oatly could be trusted or if boycott was the best decision. Oatly however, answered the critique with another provocative ad campaign, ‘Show us your numbers’ aiming at all stakeholders who hide their Co2 impact. The fuel of the media storm finally ended and it was calmed for a moment. Just to blow up again, 14th of July Oatly announced their newest investor, Blackstone. The CEO defended the investment the same day with a press release,... (More)
December 2nd 2016 it was established that Oatly had a new co-owner, China Resources, a partnership that went against not only their own core values but also the values of their oat followers. However, it was not until 2019 the media storm drew in. Oatly owned the spotlight and the debates continued whether Oatly could be trusted or if boycott was the best decision. Oatly however, answered the critique with another provocative ad campaign, ‘Show us your numbers’ aiming at all stakeholders who hide their Co2 impact. The fuel of the media storm finally ended and it was calmed for a moment. Just to blow up again, 14th of July Oatly announced their newest investor, Blackstone. The CEO defended the investment the same day with a press release, claiming that change comes from within. However, the real response came a few months later, in October 2020, when Oatly once again was back in the spotlight countered with another ad campaign ‘Are you stupid? The milk lobby thinks you are’. Which drew the attention away from the investment and the focus once again landed on Oatly’s creative, provocative and activistic campaigns. These actions contradicting the core of the brand, arose the question;
How would you as Oatly’s Executive board, approach the massive criticism and respond to the betrayed stakeholders after the investments to lessen the effects on reputation and
image? (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Edlund, Beata LU ; Pärsson, Emma and Gripwall, Johanna
supervisor
organization
course
BUSN35 20211
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
brand activism, Oatly, corporate reputation, brand identity
publication/series
LBMG Corporate Brand Management and Reputation - Masters Case Series
language
English
id
9042511
date added to LUP
2021-03-29 11:05:58
date last changed
2021-03-29 11:05:58
@misc{9042511,
  abstract     = {{December 2nd 2016 it was established that Oatly had a new co-owner, China Resources, a partnership that went against not only their own core values but also the values of their oat followers. However, it was not until 2019 the media storm drew in. Oatly owned the spotlight and the debates continued whether Oatly could be trusted or if boycott was the best decision. Oatly however, answered the critique with another provocative ad campaign, ‘Show us your numbers’ aiming at all stakeholders who hide their Co2 impact. The fuel of the media storm finally ended and it was calmed for a moment. Just to blow up again, 14th of July Oatly announced their newest investor, Blackstone. The CEO defended the investment the same day with a press release, claiming that change comes from within. However, the real response came a few months later, in October 2020, when Oatly once again was back in the spotlight countered with another ad campaign ‘Are you stupid? The milk lobby thinks you are’. Which drew the attention away from the investment and the focus once again landed on Oatly’s creative, provocative and activistic campaigns. These actions contradicting the core of the brand, arose the question;
How would you as Oatly’s Executive board, approach the massive criticism and respond to the betrayed stakeholders after the investments to lessen the effects on reputation and
image?}},
  author       = {{Edlund, Beata and Pärsson, Emma and Gripwall, Johanna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{LBMG Corporate Brand Management and Reputation - Masters Case Series}},
  title        = {{Controversial Advertisement and New Investors: Is this a knock-OAT for the sustainable Company Oatly?}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}