In October, Elon Musk confidently declared that his cyber truck "couldn't be pierced by a machine gun." Indeed, he tried to prove this at a public event for prototypes in 2019, but the results disgraced him.
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To prove the truck's ballistic performance, he and the product designer conducted an impact test of throwing metal balls into bulletproof windows. However, the glass was only smashed out of a hole and was not as unscathed as Musk expected. The panicked Musk and the designer tried again on the back window, and the results were no less disappointing.
However, this incident did not have a serious impact on the product or corporate image. Conversely, within a week of the incident, the cyber truck had 250,000 pre-orders. People seem to be focusing more on the truck's practicality and innovation than on its ballistic performance.
Although the display was not as good as it could have been, the public generally believed that this raw, unpolished display was more authentic and believable. There has been speculation that Musk deliberately made a mistake in order to attract public attention, but this is not the case. In this crisis, Tesla CEO Elon Musk explained the background and circumstances of the matter to the public in a sincere manner, did not cover up or humiliate mistakes, and also sold T-shirts printed with broken bulletproof glass of cyber trucks on **.
This candid approach has won Tesla more consumer support and love. Although the display was flawed, its authenticity was recognized by the general public, and it was believed that even the best of people could not avoid small mistakes. , which is known as the "Platford effect".
The Pratfall effect, also known as the gaffe effect, refers to situations in which an individual's careless mistake can increase the favorability of others. This effect first came from the field of comedy, and studies have found that comedians who can make people laugh often achieve comedic effects by deliberately making some mistakes, such as slips and slips. These missteps make people feel more real and endearing. In business and social situations, people occasionally make small mistakes, and if they can be handled in a humorous and self-deprecating way, they can not only defuse the awkward atmosphere, but also improve their attractiveness in the eyes of others. For this reason, the Platford effect is also known as the "Fool Effect".
The rationale for this effect is that people who are often perceived as too perfect and never make mistakes are unreal, while people who occasionally make small mistakes are more likely to resonate and lik. However, it is important to note that this effect only applies to those small mistakes and missteps, which can have a negative impact if they are serious mistakes or misconduct.
In 2018, KFC closed 900 stores in the UK due to logistics disruptions, facing a serious "shortage of chickens". To this end, KFC published a self-deprecating apology ad in the two major British newspapers, The Sun and Metropolis**. In the advertisement, an empty KFC fried chicken bucket with a red background occupied the entire page of the newspaper, which also made KFC make a lot of headlines. The "kfc" on the fried chicken bucket became "fck" with the apologetic text: "A fried chicken restaurant without chicken, this is not ideal." We apologize to our customers, especially those who come to the store only to be disappointed. We acknowledge our shortcomings and apologize, while thanking the staff for trying to clean up the mess." This self-deprecating humor and sincerity turned the crisis into an opportunity to boost brand favorability.