Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 21
Wowcher Apologizes for Email Referencing 3-Year-Old's Crocodile Attack
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 21

Wowcher Apologizes for Email Referencing 3-Year-Old's Crocodile Attack

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 21

Summary

  • Wowcher said it was “extremely sorry” after a Saturday marketing email used the subject line, “Snap up these deals quicker than a croc can catch a kid!”
  • Social media screenshots of the email triggered outrage, with some customers saying they unsubscribed and others calling the wording “disgusting” and demanding accountability.
  • The company said the line was never approved, accepted responsibility for the failure and is reviewing scheduled marketing while tightening creative, approval and sign-off safeguards.
  • The backlash came after a 3-year-old boy was attacked in a crocodile enclosure at Johnsons of Old Hurst near Huntingdon on Thursday and remains in critical but stable condition in hospital.
  • Police arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after the incident; he was later bailed because he was deemed unfit for interview.

Insights

After a tone-deaf joke about a child's tragedy, can a brand's apology ever truly restore customer trust?
When a suspect is deemed 'unfit for interview,' what does the path to justice look like for the young victim?