As I’m sure many of you have seen, Tessica Brown, also named the “Gorilla Glue girl,” was successfully able to have a free surgery to remove the Gorilla Glue spray from her scalp. Not only did she benefit from her dangerous decision to put the adhesive in her hair to secure her hairstyle - she started a GoFundMe that generated over $20,000 -, but also Gorilla Glue profited from the viral sensation considerably:
“Gorilla Glue” searches on Google exploded 50-fold in February from January. More importantly, the brand’s Amazon search volume soared an even bigger 4,378%, and its best seller rank rose 129%, which translates into a significant spike in sales, according to Profitero.”
I suppose that I’m still irked by how, to a certain extent, companies do not have full control over their public/online image, as a post on social media can greatly improve or hinder sales and, potentially, brand loyalty.
Also, such antics on social media might prove dangerous for other consumers who choose to use a company’s product for attention in their own right - and this danger would be beyond the control of the business in question. Another TikTok user saw the plight of this “Gorilla Glue girl” as a gimmick, and, after his antics, ended up having to go to the ICU to have the red Solo cup removed from his top lip. It is actually unclear whether he faked his personal ordeal with the glue, solely to gain “clout.” To me, on both the positive and negative front, I see the slippery slope of social media that companies are somewhat obligated to navigate through, whether or not they choose to participate in the social media attention they are receiving.
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