Are Working Moms Owing Their Children an Apology? Half-Box Field Coffee Brand Accused of Discriminating Against Working Women

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Coffee Brand Slogan Sparks Controversy Over Working Mothers

Recently, a netizen shared a slogan from a Half Box Coffee brand product on social media: "Every working mother owes her child an apology," and asked whether children must be raised by mothers at home. Subsequently, this post sparked heated online debate, with many netizens believing the brand was discriminating against working women.

Brand Response and Customer Service Explanation

In response, Half Box Coffee's customer service stated that the brand's intentions were different from what customers perceived, with the original intention being to hope that mothers would spend more time with their children.

According to customer service, this slogan appeared on the Friday packaging of Half Box Coffee's "Workwear Drip Bag Series," with the original intention being that mothers could spend more time with their children on weekends.

Backlash and Public Reaction

However, this explanation not only failed to resolve the issue but also pushed the controversy to its peak.

Some netizens believe such slogans constitute PUA (psychological manipulation) toward working mothers. Child-rearing should be the joint responsibility of both parents, yet the copywriting shifts the blame for children's lack of companionship onto mothers for working outside the home.

Many working mothers subsequently expressed in comment sections and on social media platforms that seeing such slogans made them extremely uncomfortable. Many mothers stated that if possible, they would also like to spend more time with their children, but life doesn't allow it. Others mentioned that they try their best to interact with and accompany their children every day after work... Such a simple sentence erases the efforts and persistence of working mothers.

Brand Investigation and Customer Service Response

Suddenly becoming a hot topic, many people immediately searched for information about this brand, but found no official flagship stores or specialty shops on mainstream e-commerce platforms.

Facing this situation, some netizens called the customer service hotline on the packaging. Customer service did not directly answer the question initially, mentioning that they sell through influencer marketing, and only under continued questioning did they mention sales on Douyin (TikTok). Regarding the slogan, customer service stated that the brand believes working mothers have it tough, needing to travel for business or work overtime on weekends, thus lacking time to be with their children, and that coffee helps mothers relax...

When netizens asked whether the company would provide consumers with an explanation regarding this incident, customer service responded by asking what they thought the company should do, while stating that the first batch of products had already been shipped and that improvements would be made later. As for how these improvements would be implemented, consumers would be able to see them subsequently.

Product Sales and Early Consumer Feedback

According to reports, the product has sold 18,000 units since its pre-sale began this July. Many consumers had already raised questions about the aforementioned slogan after receiving related products at the end of July.

Marketing Ethics and Brand Values

Nowadays, many major brands express their product themes through brief "inspirational quotes," and an increasing number of brands use similar approaches for marketing. However, such marketing not only reflects the level of the copywriter but also directly demonstrates the brand's core values.

Although the purpose of marketing and promotion is to attract more consumer attention, there must be boundaries. The topic of gender is inherently sensitive, and every single word can lead people to form different opinions about a brand. If one cannot maintain neutrality, respect, and fairness on these topics, it's better not to touch upon them lightly.

For a brand, one negative trending topic can bring more severe consequences than administrative penalties. To sell a product well requires consumer trust and word-of-mouth promotion. No amount of advertising can compare to customers' recommendations to others.

Image source: Internet

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