Woman Responds After Zepto Calls Her ‘Cutie’ In Notification

In today’s digital age, the internet has become an important human need. Whether it is about communication, shopping, or education, the Internet will help you in many ways. Today, even we can online order food and groceries with doorstep delivery. This also leads to the emergence of various kinds of PR and promotion gimmicks to keep users engaged. Among them, bulk messages with a touch of personal care have become an instant hit. These messages frequently mix humor and promotions to stand out.

However, as this technique sounds effective, it can be damaging equally sometimes. When the messaging goes too far, this strategy can backfire with the same power. Something similar recently happened with the well-known e-commerce app Zepto. Zepto called her “cutie,” and that comment divided the internet.

Zepto called Bengaluru women a cutie

Mahak Verma, a Bengaluru resident, was shocked to get a push message from Zepto referring to her as “cutie.” For those who are unaware, the odd marketing message was sent out as part of a campaign to promote a brand of banana chips by Zepto. Along with the slug “cutie_mahak,” Zomato wrote in their message, saying,

You got a follow request from Namaskaram Banana Chips Original Style Salted.

Bengaluru woman linked Zepto’s message with harassment and women’s safety

Mahak Verma expressed her unease over the Zepto’s message on LinkedIn, saying that it was improper for a reputable organization to use such language while referring to a stranger. In her post, she wrote,

yesterday I received a push notification from Zepto which very conveniently addressed me as “Cutie_mahak”! and suddenly it brought along all the terrible instances that all teenage girls in India go through.. Random strangers calling out names/teasing on the street, some common terms: “Hey Dear, Sweetie, Cutie, Lovely, Darling, Sexy, Hottie, Chammak Challo….” the list goes on and on.. This is a harsh reality but all females in India have faced this kind of harassment and the childhood trauma still haunts them for years.

Mahak also argued if it is fine to call any random woman a “cutie.” She wrote,

Fast forward many years, we are in an era of startups and POSH acts and all talks about women safety yet a well-known brand finds it appropriate to call a random stranger “Cutie” with no context at all? If saying this publically on the street is #harassment and is not OK, then why is this push notification fine to be sent?

Mahak also talked about women’s safety and told how people think that she was exaggerating these things. She wrote,

#womensafety starts at home, starts in our daily talks, starts in our minds and till the time brands sensitise the common public that IT IS NOT OK to call someone random adverbs, nothing will change. Oh and to make things worse, I tried posting this as a poll on Instagram and many friends felt that I am blowing this out of proportion. Well, try and walk on small under-lit street , hear comments and then decide.

At last, Mahak thrashed Zepto for this kind of marketing, saying,

Sorry, but not Sorry! This kind of marketing is where I would like to draw a Line! Zepto Cares – Sure, but may be not so much about women !

Have a look at the original post below

Also read: Zepto Responds After ‘I Miss You, Says i-Pill’ Notification To Woman Sparks Backlash

How do people react to Mahak’s post and her accusations?

Opinions are divided on the internet. While the majority came in support of Mahak Verma, many others narrated their own story with similar experiences.

However, on the other side, there are some people who think that Mahak is totally exaggerating the situation.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time Zepto has come under fire for such kind of push messages. Recently, a woman named Pallavi Pareek criticized Zepto for sending a message related to contraceptives despite the fact that she never used them. The matter got so out of hand that even Zepto had to apologize to her. Other delivery services also received the same complaints from time to time. However, despite this, nothing seems to be improved.

What do you think about these kind of comments? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section of this article.