This recent conclusion of the MasterchefSA should be the highlight for the sponsors and affiliated brands after running a most successful competition on DSTV in the inaugural competition. However, it has become a nightmare social media scenario for the sponsors and affiliated brands as the Twitterverse heats up over whether MasterchefSA prize is a scam.
How on earth did we get here?
Here is the exact wording from an earlier promotional article on the competition: MasterChef SA offers the most valuable prize in South African television history: R250 000 from Robertsons, a brand new Hyundai Elantra 1.6 GLS, a 7-day culinary experience in Italy and an Italian cookery course courtesy of Woolworths, a year’s supply of Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve wines and a customised sommelier course and one-on-one MasterClasses with Nederburg’s cellarmaster, as well as their very own Southern Sun restaurant at Sun Square Montecasino. The total prize value for South Africa’s first MasterChef exceeds R8 Million.
The above article entitled About: MasterChef South Africa appeared on the Tuesday, 20 Mar 2012 on the Masterchef DSTV website.
Fast forward to July 2012!
DEENA Naidoo, South Africa’s first Masterchef winner, will not be getting his very own restaurant. In fact he will only run the restaurant for two years in addition to the other prizes he gets for winning.
Social Media Strategy?
As the Twitters continue buzzing about the scandal, The MasterchefSA Twitter Account, @MasterChef_SA, makes no mention whatsover of the controversial prize issue in their tweets (as least at the time of writing). One can only wonder what the social media strategy is to handle such matters. Given the prestige of the Brands involved and the amounts involved, there is definitely a lot on the line.
Indeed, what’s cooking?
As The Citizen Online reported on the issue, M-Net’s Ingrid Engelbrecht denied the perception was created that the winner would own his or her own restaurant. I conclude by quoting what Citizen Online already asked, What’s cooking at MasterChef?