Real Is Better. Virtual and Augmented Reality To communicate Sustainability
19 May 2020
Virtual Reality (VR) is a trend to grow in the future: the market is still small, but according to Greenlight Insights it will come to a turnover of 38 billion dollars over the next ten years. The revolution that awaits VR is mainly Out-of-home, where it will allow consumers to cross the borders of one’s own home and intersect each other directly through technology.
To mark progress in this field will be the devices. The actual development is guided by Microsoft (HoloLens), Samsung Gear (VR), HTC (Live), Facebook (Oculus Rift) and Snapchat (Spectacles). Some are exploring the possibility to use the VR also with smartphones, using simple glasses cardboard, as those distributed by Google.
How can VR help spread Sustainability consciousness?
In 2015 the project The displaced from the New York Times, who triumphed at the Cannes Lions obtaining a Gran Prix, allowed users to immerse themselves in the lives of three children, refugees without many frills, aiming everything, with an immersive experience of VR technology, obtaining a double success, both as a news investigation and as a product innovation.
In 2016 Stella Artois BuyALadyADrink project was awarded in the Category People’s / VR at the Webby Awards, using AR to raise awareness among consumers of the importance of having access to clear water. Stella Artois and Water.org created with Unit9 a 360º split-screen VR film showing someone’s life before and after they have water access, (virtually) transporting the viewers in Honduras, where having clean water is a privilege for few and accessing clean drinking water can improve people’s lives. The film was launched at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival: “The film uses 360º filming to make the experience more real and to give the audience the ability to ‘look around’ while the film takes place, creating a more immersive approach to documentary filmmaking.” (Unit9 website)
In fact, ‘Layered’ research report, made by Mindshare UK and Neuro-Insight, demonstrated that AR experiences drive 45% higher levels of attention than other forms of media like TV or online browsing.
The progressive “normalization” of AR or VR experiences in the communication of CSR will probably soon join the introduction of users’ information, extracted from their social profiles, or from the data archived in the – more and more spread out- wearable technologies.
To succeed, the brand must have something relevant to say: an innovation, an experience, an achievement. The AR or VR success is not only linked to the unique story you are going to tell, but also to the exclusivity and accountability of the information revealed.
Unfortunately there is also a misuse of this powerful technology, used as greenwashing videos, laying on controversial facts .
Obviously creativity+technology is a powerful tool for sustainability storytelling. But “transparency” remains an essential watchword .
The AR and VR services carry with them an important value: they communicate the ‘self confidence’ of a brand that has no need to hide and that does not fear a direct contact with its audience. Almost an obligation for contemporary marketing – at least for CSR marketing – asked to know how to combine ethical business + branding for the benefit of its audience, the Planet and People on it.
Image Credits: Dominika GoreckaIllustration for magazine ‘MUTANTE’ Coimbra, Portugal
Since you’re here…
Our mission is to monitor Advertising to make certain that companies obey ethical standards of trustworthiness and transparency while communicating their commitment to addressing the great challenges of the New Millennium. From climate emergency to social inequality through all the issues included in the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda, we monitor the consistency of their statements, if they are ‘walking the talk’. With rising misinformation and commercial ownership, independent information is more and more rare. We think citizens deserve access to accurate analyses with integrity at their heart, so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and enviroment – based on fact, not fiction.
Our editorial independence means our content agenda is set only to voice our opinions, supported by in-depth research, free from any political and commercial bias, never influenced by interested owners or shareholders (which we don’t have). It means we can stand up to mainstream and give a voice to those less heard. We hope this will motivate you to make a contribution in support of our open, independent journalism. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable. Support BeIntelligent from as little as €5 – and it only takes a minute.Thank you.
I have been dealing with communication for 20 years, I have worked in marketing for large international and Italian companies and I know the mechanisms of advertising persuasion. I decided to invest my know-how and my skills to use the available resources of companies (budgets but also human capital) in positive transformation. Because to students from all over the world I teach at Purpose Brands in Catholic University I wish to give more and more examples of virtuous companies that have invested for the future, of everyone (and there are already many!). Because if we watch, without acting, without taking responsibility, we have no excuse. View all posts by elena grinta
Leroy Merlin wins the First Prize for Communication that does Good
27 November 2020
Promoted by Oltrelamedia Group in collaboration with BeIntelligent, the digital magazine of EG Media, an innovative start-up for benefits with strong expertise in the enhancement of corporate social and environmental responsibility, since 2018 committed to promoting ‘Communication that does Good’
Leroy Merlin wins the First Prize for Communication that does Bene, which was created with the intention of bringing to the attention of all stakeholders the role that the advertising industry and, more generally, the initiative of the private sector can play in the creation of a common good.
Elena Grinta (EG Media SB Founder): “The idea was born to create something new that was perceived not so much for its novelty as for its impact, for its ability to make people think. The goal is to question certain negative preconceptions that one has towards the industry and within the Advertising industry. We are convinced that communication can be instrumental to the common good and positive transformation and we hope that this is only the beginning of a long series of activities that we will organize together with others – perhaps starting from the jurors and members who have participated in this first edition – because we believe in the central role that the advertising industry and the private sector can play in achieving ambitious goals such as those of the 2030 Agenda. “
To support the work of the jurors, a unique and absolute novelty: the automated system developed by EG Media SB, publisher ofBeIntelligent, together with the Politecnico di Milano and theConsortium for the C2T Technology Transfer, to verify the reliability of the communication initiated by the relative brands sustainability and corporate responsibility, which made it possible to support the reliability of the results, at least from the point of view of the solidity of the actions undertaken by the companies and communicated through the candidate campaigns.
The tool had the dual purpose of resolving – if needed – any internal conflict within the jury, to support it in the decision of the winner, or to support a very clear choice also from a ‘scientific’ point of view, as it was for Lesson For Good, a project by Leroy Merlin which was awarded the Prize.
Elena Grinta: “I am happy that there was unanimity and agreement on the first classified. This means that although other campaigns have garnered the favor of the jurors with respect to the execution both from the point of view of storytelling and from the aesthetic point of view, however all have focused attention on the role that the campaign has had in terms of social impact. . The absence of divergence of opinions helped in the finalization of the award, but the Analysis tool – developed withtechniques data mining and natural language processing – was useful to comfort the choice of the jurors. From the analysis of the articles that we have been able to collect from 2017 to date, Leroy Merlin’s ability to be recognized externally for the theme of ’emergesadequate housing’ – one of the main topics monitored by our innovative solution which is specialized in the People Planet and Policies framework – proving to be able to create a positive interaction between the CSR initiatives that the company has been implementing for years, the communication activities and the perception of journalists, associations, NGOs. What I have been able to see is that this campaign – compared to others registered for the Award – is not ainitiative standing alone, designed only for a particular event, but it is an initiative that has its own historicity. This shows that when the company engages in a lawsuit, what is important is that the commitment is protracted over time, and the results are monitored ”
Figura 1 Risultati dell’Analisi Di EG Media SB su Leroy Merlin – vincitore del Premio Comunicazione che fa Bene
The Award Jury was a novelty in the panorama of advertising awards, having been selected to represent the various stakeholders at 360 °: from the private sector to the creative industry, from consumers to journalists, with a particular attention to the world of activism. A jury with a heterogeneous composition, not necessarily of ‘experts’, with the aim of giving space to different points of view, experiences and professionalism. The excellence of the profiles of the participants in this Jury does nothing but underline the importance of an initiative whose goal, it must be stressed, is to bring to the attention of all the crucial role of the advertising industry in facing the challenges of “Sustainable Development” (SDGs 2030), putting the spotlight on those projects that have chosen to use creative resources to improve the world we live in and help ensure a sustainable future for all. The following took part in the First Edition of the Communication that does Bene Award as Jurors: Andrea Di Stefano, Director of the monthly Valori.it, Andrea Farinet, President of the Fondazione Pubblicità Progresso, Patrizia Gilberti, Head of External Relations UPA, Luca Lorenzini, Co -founder & Executive Creative Director SMALL New York, Laura Pulcini, Vice-president ADOC – Ass. for the defense and consumer orientation, Celeste Righi Ricco, Co-Founder and Public Relations Manager at Change For Planet, Marina Spadafora, Sustainability consultant and National Coordinator by Fashion Revolution Italy.
The award for “Communication that is Good” was awarded to the campaign that – more than the others – has proven to have a lasting and measurable impact over time and has been able to raise public awareness by generating a positive change in the habits of citizens and workers – showing adherence to the principles described in the Manifesto for Communication that does Bene promoted by BeIntelligent.
Since you’re here… Our mission is to monitor Advertising to make certain that companies obey ethical standards of trustworthiness and transparency while communicating their commitment to addressing the great challenges of the New Millennium. From climate emergency to social inequality through all the issues included in the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda, we monitor the consistency of their statements, if they are ‘walking the talk’. With rising misinformation and commercial ownership, independent information is more and more rare. We think citizens deserve access to accurate analyses with integrity at their heart, so we can all make critical decisions about our lives, health and enviroment – based on fact, not fiction. Our editorial independence means our content agenda is set only to voice our opinions, supported by in-depth research, free from any political and commercial bias, never influenced by interested owners or shareholders (which we don’t have). It means we can stand up to mainstream and give a voice to those less heard. We hope this will motivate you to make a contribution in support of our open, independent journalism. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable. Support BeIntelligent from as little as €5 – and it only takes a minute.Thank you.
Gillette new ad: An attempt to positively impact its consumers mindset or another brand jump on the purpose bandwagon ?
A campaign to revitalise an ancient payoff
With its most talked AD, Gillette is attempting to take its ancient and highly distinctive slogan “The Best a man can get” and revitalise it for a new era
Gilette’s new campaign thoughtfully and critically examines what “The Best a Man Can Get,” the brand’s iconic tagline, means today. A must watchArianna Huffington Founder and CEO at Thrive Global
It reminds what Nike did for its ‘Just Do It’ tagline when it came out with the award-winning Colin Kaepernick ‘Dream Crazy’ campaign
“but the difference between Nike and Gillette is as glaring as that between night and day. Nike used the authenticity of Kaepernick, the pathos in his voice and the positivity of his message to inspire customers with an aspirational message that attracted them and then propelled them to purchase. Gillette’s ad feels like a tedious, politically correct public health video – the kind of film we were forced to watch in school about road safety before they invented the internet. Never mind making me hate Gillette, it makes me feel bad about pretty much everything.” Mark Ritson Marketing week [1]
The campaign is coupled with a donation pledge and a partnership with non-profits, starting with the Boys & Girls Club of America.
To be honest, while watching the video, you feel a little be uneasy, you don’t’ know exactly what’s wrong with it, is the blinkMalcom Gladwell describes in his book.
If the brand purpose was sincere, it could support association helping men who suffered of/from bullying, sexual harassment, or enroll a public school program to raise awareness on such problems (what they are probably doing). So, why Gillette and its agency Grey opted to engage Kim Gehrig, one of a new generation of directors showcased by the Free the Bid campaign (which attempts to hire more female directors into advertising) who directed some of the most awarded campaigns in the last 3-4 years (John Lewis ‘Man on the Moon’, Sport’s England’s ‘This girl can’ just to name a few)?
“Instead of wasting millions producing this BS spot, Gillette should have just donated the money to the Me Too movement”. Barbara Dickey ,Owner & Chief Creative Officer, Cre8tivision LLC
Bad PR is Still Good PR
Yes, the video generated a lot of buzz and conversations.
Since the ad was posted on 14 January on Gillette’s YouTube channel, it has received more than two million views. But gained over 80% downvote ratio with 500k dislikes. We can assume the concept of this campaign is to highlight the advent of a new “masculinity” banning any kind of toxicity (bullying, sexual assault, etc.).
This ad, instead of communicating the functionality of the product or highlighting its benefits over another product, is focused on evoking feelings about the brand, a brand that is a commodity in an increasingly boring industry (that’s oversaturated with too many competitors)
“In a commoditized industry, what becomes your competitive advantage may just be as simple as a making a social statement like this. To say they made a poor ad is really missing the point. On a more personal note, as a man with kids, I really liked the ad. And I liked the message. “The Best A Man Can Get.” Christopher Cope VP Sales & Marketing/Creative at Raleigh Enterprises
I looked at the polarised comments, with interest. Well, if sparking the conversation was the goal, they’ve certainly already[2] achieved it! But while the video is going viral, the dialogue seems to be lost in translation in all sides.
There are articles (on Forbes, marketing week…) that have underlined how the imagery and tone of the message (along with using the phrase “toxic masculinity”) do miss the mark. In truth, even if the intention was there, the execution fell short for many.
Some people found it sexist, condescending and preachy to men. Others quickly dislike politics and others throwing politics in extremist ways.
Some others think it represents the new “brand” of men.
Trying to define manhood
What it means to be a man nowadays? The ad suggests is to stand boldly for what is right and protect others who are facing injustice – no matter what gender, colour, or age. Isn’t this a ‘golden rule’ for any human being (no matter what gender?)
Also, shouldn’t most of these ideals had already been instilled in boys who have responsible parents?
“The implication from this ad is that, without self-awareness, men are automatically going to engage in “toxic masculinity”, rather than assuming the majority of men are well adjusted, and that masculinity itself is not toxic. In contrast to the marketing campaign P&G use for women, which takes the opposite tack: you ARE even better than you think! You ARE good enough! Literally the opposite of what this ad is implying”. Roger Wemyss Cybersecurity Product Manager
“This was P&G’s attempt to replicate the (deserved) success of its Dove “Real Beauty” campaign, which also sought to affect social norms. The crucial difference is that campaign made the user feel better about herself. This does the opposite. Big mistake. “ Lisa Rothstein, Brand Storyteller, Communicate Better With Everyone | Brand Storyteller | New Yorker Cartoonist | Speaker | Copywriter | Visual Facilitator
“The strategy originally was probably on point; something around what an aspirational man looks like in 2019 as opposed to 1989. He doesn’t win at sports and fly planes, he is just a decent man and role model. Sadly, tactically this execution is dreadful. Conflates innocent male behavior with the very worst kind of almost criminal behavior. Focuses almost entirely on the negative, not the positive and leaves the viewer depressed”. Ian MacDonald Partner, VP Strategy & Media at CO-OP | Tech Investor
In 2019 you still find plenty of ” men as idiots” ads that actually do tell men how to behave or make laugh of abusive behaviors. Apparently nobody come up in an uproar about those. And Gillette used to create a super-man ideal (“Its male image is masculine, confident and well groomed”[3],) in the last 30 years through influential sportsmen in the same ‘macho’ context they now blame. After decades of Gillette feeding the same toxic masculinity they now condemn (Gillette promoted the new razor with a campaign in Italy starring Antoine Griezmann and Neymar Jr no later than 6 months ago claiming: “No matter what the challenge, to do your best, you should constantly strive to improve yourself.”) , the campaign puts a mirror in front of men and fuels the debate in the ‘human’ direction. What if, before awaking their consumers’ souls, they acknowledge the role they played in the past with a Mea Culpa?
“Sadly this is a company that embraced the toxins of mainstream masculinity to its fullest when it suited their advertising needs, and not only do I see no razors, I see almost no visual tip of the hat to the fact that their ads helped fuel this behavior in the past. If Larry keeps kicking me in the shins, I don’t want Larry to tell me “We all need to take a good look at ourselves, and think about the damage we have done to people’s shins in the past!” I want Larry to admit he was a jerk and promise me he won’t kick me in the shins again.” Lyon Reese First Assistant Director
They could take many different ways to get to the point/mark: on Jul 11, 2018 Dollar Shave Club published on YT their inclusive campaign “Whoever you are, however you Get Ready… Welcome to the Club.”[4] A very different way to welcome every kind of masculinity
And if the generalization had brought Gillette to a type of stereotyping different from that against ‘diversity’ but still condemnable, for the principle itself that talking about ‘masculinity’ creates all of a bundle (be it toxic or not)?
“The ad is amateurishly stereotypical and mostly offers a caricature of masculinity”. [5] Avi Dan, Forbes
The epic men (from Ulysses to trovadores ) used to be represented as full of dignity, honourable and respectful, especially to women. Where has that gone to? Men in pop culture (from advertising to video games) are rarely honourable anymore, rarely dignified, and everyone cries that “chivalry is dead”. Watch television today, what kind of masculinity is pictured? and this is true for the movie industry as well. During 1970s-Madison Avenue and Hollywood decided that Sex sells-and women obliged. Now after 50+ years, the industry is trying to turn that around.
“Enough is enough ! We men are mad as hell, fed up to here and are not going to take it anymore ! I say we should boycott all personal grooming products (that includes you Gillette), let our hair and beards grow long and shaggy, stop bathing and brushing our teeth and start wearing furs and skins. We need to go back to being real men, the way our stone age male ancestors were before the invention of flint grooming tools turned us all into a bunch of soft sissified wimps ashamed of our toxic behavior (and odor). ” Michael Coulas. Senior Software/System Engineer
????
Certainly the search for a new type of manhood is underway, willy-nilly men have lost their reference points and struggle, even today, to find an ideal
What if the true target was the female one?
The campaign has the feminine touch of the director, who almost seems to use the film to free herself of a weight, a conscience too full of experiences (direct or indirect) that push her to shout “some are not enough!”(“Men need to hold other men accountable. To say the right thing. To act the right way. Some already are. But some is not enough.”[3])
“It’s rather sad that, as I watched the commercial, I found myself thinking, “This commercial and overall campaign must be the product of a woman’s mind. Men tend not to be so thoughtful and caring.” John C. Leighton Formerly R&D executive in synthetic and natural polymers, now gone to the dogs
And in so doing, she gathers around her call (of hope) the women who have already awakened their conscience (the quote to the initial #metoo campaign is emblematic). That’s with results:
“Tomorrow morning I am going to start buying Gillette products for my husband and my son. I AM certainly your target demographic customer and a vocal brand advocate now. WELL done.” Jill Elliott, SPHR , SVP, People + Culture + Charitable Foundation R&R Partners
Riding social causes is the new black.
Dentsu Aegis counted that in 2017, nearly 50% of the Lions awards were handed to purposeful campaigns (VS. 29% of the Grand Prix or Gold Lions in the previous four years). This trend was reinforced in 2018: Almost 60% (15 out of 27) of Cannes Grand Prix winners were assigned to purposeful campaigns. Trendwatching CEO David Mattin says consumers don’t want to make the world a better place, they want brands to do that for them. I know it’s not 100% true (some of them are ready to make a change) but it’s a big deal for corporations. And, also, a big challenge. That’s probably why purposeful campaigns have recently become an advertising trend.
“This is a moment here. The largest CPG company in the world just jumped into the camp of American Progressives with both feet. Bravo.” Pete Louison Creative Director at Oracle Data Cloud
“Amazing and brave leadership from Proctor and Gamble. Rather than demonizing men, I believe the ad highlights the enormous impact good men can have. Living in a country (Australia) where hundreds of women die every year at the hands of male partners / family members, where sexual assault and sexism is still a major problem, where young gay men go through absolute hell – anything that can encourage us all, and particularly men, to rethink behaviour has got to be a positive step. As a strong believer in business’ power to do good in this world, I’m wholly supportive of this campaign. ” Beth Worrall, National Skills Program Lead at Microsoft
And what if it was another brand jumps on the purpose bandwagon? Is this something Gillette really believes in? Why is this brand thrusting itself into a movement? is this a sincere message, or an exploitative play? has Gillette the rights to drive this conversation?
Don’t sweep the dirt under the carpet
There’s potential backlash for brands that don’t walk the talk. If brands create their own identity through ‘purposeful campaigns’, they actually expose themselves to the risk of being strongly criticized if there is a perceived values gap. As we all know brands are ultimately trying to sell more products, if they also ‘monetise’ human values it is a big ethical issue.
“You wanna talk about toxicity? Let’s do it, Gary! 1. Proctor & Gamble tests on animals, and has for decades. 2. Aluminum in your deodorants, + fluoride in your toothpastes and mouthwashes cross the BBB (blood brain barrier), causing the reduction of dendritic spines in the brain. This phenomenon is DIRECTLY linked to Alzheimers and other neurocognitive impairments plus a myriad of other neurological and physical ailments caused by heavy metal toxicity. You were saying?” Wes Dickinson, President at Lighthouse Group LLC
“You can’t be a purpose brand by accident – it has to pervade who you are, what you say and what you do.” Rob McPherson Former President – Bacardi Canada.
The brand was involved in another ‘social’ campaign last year: Handle with care that brought the attention of the public to the ‘grey generation’ and started a new chapter of brand advertising, intended to redefine masculinity.
Probably that campaign wasn’t ‘strong’ enough and Grey decided to push on the accelerator, and maybe has bitten off more than it can chew. I think brands that take purposeful communication seriously should start from their ‘why’. Once they find the real reason why they exist, they should “creact” : engage a critical process of reflection on the problems that afflict contemporaneity with an active approach to improve conditions on a daily basis through creativity.
Does this ‘cause related’ campaign will turn into a suicide in the market?
Marketing success or failure is ultimately judged on whether the campaign moves the sales needle. Will P&G’s stock go up or down? Hard to answer; Nike’s stock went up after their campaign on social issues while Starbucks’ stock went down while claiming its mission is to ‘inspire and nurture the human spirit’.
“There is a special place in marketing hell for companies that not only waste their marketing budgets but actually invest that money into things that ultimately make their situation much worse. That’s going to be the cost of this foray into brand purpose for Gillette”. (Marketing week)
Working in the Adv/media industry the last 20 years helped me to understand how companies could play a ‘better role’ in the society. For instance, they can use their efforts (investments, know-how, human capital…) to ‘do good’. But as I am a marketing (and business) professional, I knew that it would only work if they balanced the doing good with their financial performance.
At this stage we can certainly say Gillette did two things: 1. Got people talking or texting about Gillette with intent 2. Started an important discussion about what makes a man masculine.
Gillette new ad: An attempt to positively impact its consumers mindset or another brand jump on the purpose bandwagon ?
A campaign to revitalise an ancient payoff
With its most talked AD, Gillette is attempting to take its ancient and highly distinctive slogan “The Best a man can get” and revitalise it for a new era
Gilette’s new campaign thoughtfully and critically examines what “The Best a Man Can Get,” the brand’s iconic tagline, means today. A must watchArianna Huffington Founder and CEO at Thrive Global
It reminds what Nike did for its ‘Just Do It’ tagline when it came out with the award-winning Colin Kaepernick ‘Dream Crazy’ campaign
“but the difference between Nike and Gillette is as glaring as that between night and day. Nike used the authenticity of Kaepernick, the pathos in his voice and the positivity of his message to inspire customers with an aspirational message that attracted them and then propelled them to purchase. Gillette’s ad feels like a tedious, politically correct public health video – the kind of film we were forced to watch in school about road safety before they invented the internet. Never mind making me hate Gillette, it makes me feel bad about pretty much everything.” Mark Ritson Marketing week [1]
The campaign is coupled with a donation pledge and a partnership with non-profits, starting with the Boys & Girls Club of America.
To be honest, while watching the video, you feel a little be uneasy, you don’t’ know exactly what’s wrong with it, is the blinkMalcom Gladwell describes in his book.
If the brand purpose was sincere, it could support association helping men who suffered of/from bullying, sexual harassment, or enroll a public school program to raise awareness on such problems (what they are probably doing). So, why Gillette and its agency Grey opted to engage Kim Gehrig, one of a new generation of directors showcased by the Free the Bid campaign (which attempts to hire more female directors into advertising) who directed some of the most awarded campaigns in the last 3-4 years (John Lewis ‘Man on the Moon’, Sport’s England’s ‘This girl can’ just to name a few)?
“Instead of wasting millions producing this BS spot, Gillette should have just donated the money to the Me Too movement”. Barbara Dickey ,Owner & Chief Creative Officer, Cre8tivision LLC
Bad PR is Still Good PR
Yes, the video generated a lot of buzz and conversations.
Since the ad was posted on 14 January on Gillette’s YouTube channel, it has received more than two million views. But gained over 80% downvote ratio with 500k dislikes. We can assume the concept of this campaign is to highlight the advent of a new “masculinity” banning any kind of toxicity (bullying, sexual assault, etc.).
This ad, instead of communicating the functionality of the product or highlighting its benefits over another product, is focused on evoking feelings about the brand, a brand that is a commodity in an increasingly boring industry (that’s oversaturated with too many competitors)
“In a commoditized industry, what becomes your competitive advantage may just be as simple as a making a social statement like this. To say they made a poor ad is really missing the point. On a more personal note, as a man with kids, I really liked the ad. And I liked the message. “The Best A Man Can Get.” Christopher Cope VP Sales & Marketing/Creative at Raleigh Enterprises
I looked at the polarised comments, with interest. Well, if sparking the conversation was the goal, they’ve certainly already[2] achieved it! But while the video is going viral, the dialogue seems to be lost in translation in all sides.
There are articles (on Forbes, marketing week…) that have underlined how the imagery and tone of the message (along with using the phrase “toxic masculinity”) do miss the mark. In truth, even if the intention was there, the execution fell short for many.
Some people found it sexist, condescending and preachy to men. Others quickly dislike politics and others throwing politics in extremist ways.
Some others think it represents the new “brand” of men.
Trying to define manhood
What it means to be a man nowadays? The ad suggests is to stand boldly for what is right and protect others who are facing injustice – no matter what gender, colour, or age. Isn’t this a ‘golden rule’ for any human being (no matter what gender?)
Also, shouldn’t most of these ideals had already been instilled in boys who have responsible parents?
“The implication from this ad is that, without self-awareness, men are automatically going to engage in “toxic masculinity”, rather than assuming the majority of men are well adjusted, and that masculinity itself is not toxic. In contrast to the marketing campaign P&G use for women, which takes the opposite tack: you ARE even better than you think! You ARE good enough! Literally the opposite of what this ad is implying”. Roger Wemyss Cybersecurity Product Manager
“This was P&G’s attempt to replicate the (deserved) success of its Dove “Real Beauty” campaign, which also sought to affect social norms. The crucial difference is that campaign made the user feel better about herself. This does the opposite. Big mistake. “ Lisa Rothstein, Brand Storyteller, Communicate Better With Everyone | Brand Storyteller | New Yorker Cartoonist | Speaker | Copywriter | Visual Facilitator
“The strategy originally was probably on point; something around what an aspirational man looks like in 2019 as opposed to 1989. He doesn’t win at sports and fly planes, he is just a decent man and role model. Sadly, tactically this execution is dreadful. Conflates innocent male behavior with the very worst kind of almost criminal behavior. Focuses almost entirely on the negative, not the positive and leaves the viewer depressed”. Ian MacDonald Partner, VP Strategy & Media at CO-OP | Tech Investor
In 2019 you still find plenty of ” men as idiots” ads that actually do tell men how to behave or make laugh of abusive behaviors. Apparently nobody come up in an uproar about those. And Gillette used to create a super-man ideal (“Its male image is masculine, confident and well groomed”[3],) in the last 30 years through influential sportsmen in the same ‘macho’ context they now blame. After decades of Gillette feeding the same toxic masculinity they now condemn (Gillette promoted the new razor with a campaign in Italy starring Antoine Griezmann and Neymar Jr no later than 6 months ago claiming: “No matter what the challenge, to do your best, you should constantly strive to improve yourself.”) , the campaign puts a mirror in front of men and fuels the debate in the ‘human’ direction. What if, before awaking their consumers’ souls, they acknowledge the role they played in the past with a Mea Culpa?
“Sadly this is a company that embraced the toxins of mainstream masculinity to its fullest when it suited their advertising needs, and not only do I see no razors, I see almost no visual tip of the hat to the fact that their ads helped fuel this behavior in the past. If Larry keeps kicking me in the shins, I don’t want Larry to tell me “We all need to take a good look at ourselves, and think about the damage we have done to people’s shins in the past!” I want Larry to admit he was a jerk and promise me he won’t kick me in the shins again.” Lyon Reese First Assistant Director
They could take many different ways to get to the point/mark: on Jul 11, 2018 Dollar Shave Club published on YT their inclusive campaign “Whoever you are, however you Get Ready… Welcome to the Club.”[4] A very different way to welcome every kind of masculinity
And if the generalization had brought Gillette to a type of stereotyping different from that against ‘diversity’ but still condemnable, for the principle itself that talking about ‘masculinity’ creates all of a bundle (be it toxic or not)?
“The ad is amateurishly stereotypical and mostly offers a caricature of masculinity”. [5] Avi Dan, Forbes
The epic men (from Ulysses to trovadores ) used to be represented as full of dignity, honourable and respectful, especially to women. Where has that gone to? Men in pop culture (from advertising to video games) are rarely honourable anymore, rarely dignified, and everyone cries that “chivalry is dead”. Watch television today, what kind of masculinity is pictured? and this is true for the movie industry as well. During 1970s-Madison Avenue and Hollywood decided that Sex sells-and women obliged. Now after 50+ years, the industry is trying to turn that around.
“Enough is enough ! We men are mad as hell, fed up to here and are not going to take it anymore ! I say we should boycott all personal grooming products (that includes you Gillette), let our hair and beards grow long and shaggy, stop bathing and brushing our teeth and start wearing furs and skins. We need to go back to being real men, the way our stone age male ancestors were before the invention of flint grooming tools turned us all into a bunch of soft sissified wimps ashamed of our toxic behavior (and odor). ” Michael Coulas. Senior Software/System Engineer
????
Certainly the search for a new type of manhood is underway, willy-nilly men have lost their reference points and struggle, even today, to find an ideal
What if the true target was the female one?
The campaign has the feminine touch of the director, who almost seems to use the film to free herself of a weight, a conscience too full of experiences (direct or indirect) that push her to shout “some are not enough!”(“Men need to hold other men accountable. To say the right thing. To act the right way. Some already are. But some is not enough.”[3])
“It’s rather sad that, as I watched the commercial, I found myself thinking, “This commercial and overall campaign must be the product of a woman’s mind. Men tend not to be so thoughtful and caring.” John C. Leighton Formerly R&D executive in synthetic and natural polymers, now gone to the dogs
And in so doing, she gathers around her call (of hope) the women who have already awakened their conscience (the quote to the initial #metoo campaign is emblematic). That’s with results:
“Tomorrow morning I am going to start buying Gillette products for my husband and my son. I AM certainly your target demographic customer and a vocal brand advocate now. WELL done.” Jill Elliott, SPHR , SVP, People + Culture + Charitable Foundation R&R Partners
Riding social causes is the new black.
Dentsu Aegis counted that in 2017, nearly 50% of the Lions awards were handed to purposeful campaigns (VS. 29% of the Grand Prix or Gold Lions in the previous four years). This trend was reinforced in 2018: Almost 60% (15 out of 27) of Cannes Grand Prix winners were assigned to purposeful campaigns. Trendwatching CEO David Mattin says consumers don’t want to make the world a better place, they want brands to do that for them. I know it’s not 100% true (some of them are ready to make a change) but it’s a big deal for corporations. And, also, a big challenge. That’s probably why purposeful campaigns have recently become an advertising trend.
“This is a moment here. The largest CPG company in the world just jumped into the camp of American Progressives with both feet. Bravo.” Pete Louison Creative Director at Oracle Data Cloud
“Amazing and brave leadership from Proctor and Gamble. Rather than demonizing men, I believe the ad highlights the enormous impact good men can have. Living in a country (Australia) where hundreds of women die every year at the hands of male partners / family members, where sexual assault and sexism is still a major problem, where young gay men go through absolute hell – anything that can encourage us all, and particularly men, to rethink behaviour has got to be a positive step. As a strong believer in business’ power to do good in this world, I’m wholly supportive of this campaign. ” Beth Worrall, National Skills Program Lead at Microsoft
And what if it was another brand jumps on the purpose bandwagon? Is this something Gillette really believes in? Why is this brand thrusting itself into a movement? is this a sincere message, or an exploitative play? has Gillette the rights to drive this conversation?
Don’t sweep the dirt under the carpet
There’s potential backlash for brands that don’t walk the talk. If brands create their own identity through ‘purposeful campaigns’, they actually expose themselves to the risk of being strongly criticized if there is a perceived values gap. As we all know brands are ultimately trying to sell more products, if they also ‘monetise’ human values it is a big ethical issue.
“You wanna talk about toxicity? Let’s do it, Gary! 1. Proctor & Gamble tests on animals, and has for decades. 2. Aluminum in your deodorants, + fluoride in your toothpastes and mouthwashes cross the BBB (blood brain barrier), causing the reduction of dendritic spines in the brain. This phenomenon is DIRECTLY linked to Alzheimers and other neurocognitive impairments plus a myriad of other neurological and physical ailments caused by heavy metal toxicity. You were saying?” Wes Dickinson, President at Lighthouse Group LLC
“You can’t be a purpose brand by accident – it has to pervade who you are, what you say and what you do.” Rob McPherson Former President – Bacardi Canada.
The brand was involved in another ‘social’ campaign last year: Handle with care that brought the attention of the public to the ‘grey generation’ and started a new chapter of brand advertising, intended to redefine masculinity.
Probably that campaign wasn’t ‘strong’ enough and Grey decided to push on the accelerator, and maybe has bitten off more than it can chew. I think brands that take purposeful communication seriously should start from their ‘why’. Once they find the real reason why they exist, they should “creact” : engage a critical process of reflection on the problems that afflict contemporaneity with an active approach to improve conditions on a daily basis through creativity.
Does this ‘cause related’ campaign will turn into a suicide in the market?
Marketing success or failure is ultimately judged on whether the campaign moves the sales needle. Will P&G’s stock go up or down? Hard to answer; Nike’s stock went up after their campaign on social issues while Starbucks’ stock went down while claiming its mission is to ‘inspire and nurture the human spirit’.
“There is a special place in marketing hell for companies that not only waste their marketing budgets but actually invest that money into things that ultimately make their situation much worse. That’s going to be the cost of this foray into brand purpose for Gillette”. (Marketing week)
Working in the Adv/media industry the last 20 years helped me to understand how companies could play a ‘better role’ in the society. For instance, they can use their efforts (investments, know-how, human capital…) to ‘do good’. But as I am a marketing (and business) professional, I knew that it would only work if they balanced the doing good with their financial performance.
At this stage we can certainly say Gillette did two things: 1. Got people talking or texting about Gillette with intent 2. Started an important discussion about what makes a man masculine.
7 Golden Rules to Make a Branded Entertainment Strategy Work
To be effective, a branded content & entertainment strategy must keep in mind some rules, taking in account the different reactions that the consumer may have confronted with the request to ‘interact’ with a content made by a brand, when he doesn’t expect it. Here are some tips from some of the greatest examples of this new form of communication
1 . IT’S ALONG TERM STRATEGY
Branded entertainment is a strategy for building brand identity, so it should be pursued in the medium to long term.
SET CLEAR GOALS
The strategy can be adjusted in line with the needs of the company. You need to set clear goals from the beginning of an initiative.
3.TURN AUDIENCES INTO CONSUMERS
Branded entertainment is a useful marketing tool for building the relationship between consumer and brand. Its active function is to strengthen or change consumer behavior.
4.TRANSPARENCY
It’s crucial to have a clear target audience with which to create a relationship. The consumer is willing to accept the presence of the brand in new spaces (TV programs, newspaper article, etc.), if the role the brand plays in the content is clear (producer, creator, sponsor, etc.).
5.STORYTELLING
It’s equally important to define the traits of the brand identity that will set the stage for the relationship through narration. For this to work, the brand must have a narrative function. Whether the objective of the content is to inform or entertain, it must interest and empower the viewer.
6.MEASUREMENT
Use a campaign metrics model that’s able to analyse the effectiveness of branded entertainment by standard KPIs, such as brand trust, familiarity, consideration and loyalty.
7.EXPERTISE
Branded entertainment expertise can both grow internally through special training courses and be found among professionals who can provide the talent and creativity for a content-driven strategy.
Sustainability and responsibility have never been so MOVING
It is estimated that advertising spending worldwide will surpass 560 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, representing a growth of roughly four percent compared with the previous year.
The “purposeful communication” is from 2017 a marketing trend: that year almost half of the Cannes Lions awards were handed out to “purpose driven” campaigns – VS 29% in the previous four years (source: Dentsu Aegis). This trend was confirmed in 2018 (15 of 27). And 2019 was a BOOM: Purpose was at the core in Talks and Works, often as empty buzzword and sometimes as an actual driver of change.
For companies, communicating their values through ‘purposeful’ campaigns is a great opportunity, but also a great challenge, in a climate of distrust, where 6 out of 10 consumers do not believe in a brand until they have seen concrete proof that the company kept its promises.
With the UN General Assembly (UNGA) focusing on the SDGs for the first time since the launch of Agenda 2030 in 2015, sustainable development is at the core of many corporate declarations. Starting from the financial sector. One hundred and thirty international banks with assets of 47 thousand billion dollars have signed the Principles for Responsible Banking document, a Magna Carta to face social and environmental issues.
The road, however, could still be largely covered, according to research by environmental associations. The Rainforest Action Network has shown that 33 banking giants – starting with US leading groups – have financed 1,800 fossil fuel companies in the last year with 654 billion, a figure that is growing and equal to more than two thirds of the total capital expenditure of the sector. Amazon Watch has denounced multimillion-dollar credits, from some of the same banks signatories to the Principles, granted to agro-food giants that take advantage of the decree of the Amazon.
According to Oxfam “there is a real risk that for many companies the sustainable development goals (SDGs) end up being not much more than another communication tool.” in other words, we should be aware that Using issues for good in advertising doesn’t mean using issues for the good of advertising
This is usually called ‘green washing’ and can have two declination: decoupling and attention deflection
The first (decoupling) refers to the doubling that occurs apparently satisfying the needs of the stakeholders without actually creating organizational changes. The second sees the deviation of attention from not appreciable performances in terms of sustainability through practices such as self-certifications and selective discrimination that highlight indicators with positive values about the environmental impact. (Suddaby and Greenwood, 2005; Marquis and Toffel,2012)
The importance of disseminating truthful and consistent information to help consumers make informed choices
In september 2019 ENI (Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi -National Hydrocarbons Authority) has been confirmed the only energy company among the selected companies as a participant in the Global Compact LEAD, an event within the UNGA led by the UN Global Compact, a voluntary initiative based on annual participant contributions up to 20.000$
Eni is a multinational Italian company with its base in the Italian capital, Rome, specializing in oil and gas. They operate in 79 countries worldwide and are ranked in the top 15 largest industrial organisations globally. The main focus areas of Eni’s work include refining/extraction, energy, chemicals and nuclear power. Eni has adopted a purposeful communication strategy plan that highlights their “corporate philosophy focused on the passion for technological innovation and progress, combined with values and integrity, respect for people and environmental protection” (Eni website)
The Italian company sees its commitment to compliance with the principles of the United Nations for responsible business rewarded proving that Eni is working towards environmental protection, social justice and renewable solutions, as in an article Forbes , saying ENI was the first company to develop biorefinery, high-quality biofuels and green diesel fuel. The article highlights the impacts of Eni’s groundbreaking sustainability work stating “the positive environmental impact of the initiative is undeniable”
Moreover, for 12 years running, Eni has been on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
Although, Eni has faced public scrutiny as a result of supposed unethical business practices such as bribing, corruption and cover ups (as for the Nigerian case), in addition to their connection to environmental dangerous techniques such as the natural gas extraction called fracking or oil spill disaster that in september 2017 contaminated Val d’Agri.
Corporations as well as some publishers, portrays an ethical and sustainable image of work practices and company identity. However, conflicting news articles make it difficult to decipher the truth behind the real brand identity and purpose of the brand.
How consumers could make conscious purchasing decisions, if some initiatives sponsor the company’s sustainability and other news and insights contradict it? This is the type of communication that is associated with the increase in skepticism
Alan Jope (Chief Executive Officer at Unilever) during the last Cannes Lions Festival provoked the adv industry saying :
“Please do not damage your industry by accepting briefs for brand which dont’ walk the talk on purpose. If there is no substance in what the brand wants to say, including a brand from Unilever, walk away, refuse the brief. We want to work with creative that teams share our values and passions, that believe we can change the world. By contrast we dont’ want to work with creative teams that have a track record of purpose washing producing anthemic messages with no substance lying on what the brand does”.
A study from the Economist shows that 68% of execs report companies are increasingly facing a backlash over inauthentic social initiatives and 83% of younger junior employees (below manager level) feel it is sometimes difficult to tell if a company cares about a social cause or is just trying to sell more products/services.
And one finding from a Harvard Business Review study, is that only 37% of executives believe the operations of their organisation are aligned with their purpose.
In such a climate of distrust, internal and external communication should improve.
Purpose washing to make consumers cry and buy is no longer an opportunity, is mostly a risk.
That’s why Be Intelligent Magazine is promoting the Be Intelligent Manifesto. Commitments initially written with input of several professionals including Nicola Giuggioli, CEO of Eco-Age and Geo Ceccarelli CEO General Manager at Breakfastforcontent e Chief Creative Officier in Gruppo Roncaglia. It was then revised with inputs from independent intellectuals, students and activists. Our hope is that advertisers from all over the world will read the Manifesto, sign it and make awesome creative works with it!
We are seeking feedback and signatures from advertisers professionals who commit to using their Talent to support the movement, who commit to practicing their creative work more sustainably and to partner with other stakeholders to meet the 2030 agenda for sustainable development
The Manifesto subscribers will be announced on Jan, 2020.
Author: elena grinta
I have been dealing with communication for 20 years, I have worked in marketing for large international and Italian companies and I know the mechanisms of advertising persuasion. I decided to invest my know-how and my skills to use the available resources of companies (budgets but also human capital) in positive transformation. Because to students from all over the world I teach at Purpose Brands in Catholic University I wish to give more and more examples of virtuous companies that have invested for the future, of everyone (and there are already many!). Because if we watch, without acting, without taking responsibility, we have no excuse. View all posts by elena grinta
IKEA continues its commitment to the defense of minorities against social issues: after the communication campaign against gender inequality and domestic violence in 2018, in February 2019 launched one against cyberbullying and May as against discrimination against the LGBT community
His commitment was rewarded at Cannes with a Lion grand prix Health & Wellbeing (health and wellness) thanks to product innovation created by Mccann Tel Aviv aimed at improving the social impact of Ikea products making them accessible to people with disabilities
All the campaigns mentioned so far are so-called cause-related marketing initiatives, that is advertising that supports social causes, and that represent the values of the brand (and suggest how the brand wants to be seen by its consumers)
Initiatives that also aim to correct the perception of the brand modified by some news that created a backlash like that of the single mother of two children – one of whom is 100% disabled – fired by the company (the judge’s sentence then confirmed the provision ) or the accusations of age discrimination in some stores in the United States [1]
Not only social in the Swedish giant brand communication: in order to align with the goals of sustainable development in the 2030 Agenda, Ikea developed with DDB Group Italy ” minds of change: we support the idea of changing ” an advertising campaign which promotes the initiative of those Italians who propose to improve the environment in response to the ecological emergency. In this perspective, Ikea has announced that starting from 2020 it will distribute only recycled plastic products or products made from renewable materials in its stores and that by 2030 it will reduce the impact of each marketed product by 70%.
Ikea is active in promoting responsible consumption styles and a stronger environmental awareness , as well as making us reflect and take a stand on controversial and debated issues of high social value, always connecting with the theme of the home. It is no coincidence that Ikea has embraced a strategy called ” People & Planet Positive “, for which sustainability and social activism take the form of projects and actions that allow more and more people to have a better, healthier and future-oriented daily life. Planet, explains a press release issued on the occasion of the 30th anniversary in Italy . “The ambition to improve the daily life of the majority of people has guided us in these first 30 years in Italy. We are proud to continue to do so every day together with our 7,500 employees and over 40 million customers who have chosen us only in the last year – says again in the statement Assunta Enrile, Country Retail Manager and Country Sustainability Manager of Ikea Italia -.We look at the present and the future with optimism, thinking about how to continue to be close to the people and the challenges they are facing, in social and environmental terms, remaining faithful to the idea of democratic design. Ikea, in fact, will continue to be at the forefront of these issues, because we are convinced that change also comes from small daily gestures and that design can help us live better in our homes, in society and on the planet that is our common home “.
Ikea has shown in recent years to be attentive to ecology, investing in product innovation, in particular on one of the ‘main’ raw materials of its furniture: wood. Ikea has been committed since 2016 to obtain 100% of wood from ecological sources [2] and works with environmental associations (such as the WWF) to develop a more sustainable market for wood and cotton [3]
The ecological policy is also applied to address the problem of pollution generated by indoor toxic substances, because it is at home that we are exposed to 95% of pollutants, according to a study by the National Renewable Energy Protection Association. The Swedish giant says it does not use flame retardant chemical solutions normally used in furniture (to have a certain level of fire resistance) to the benefit of more sustainable solutions such as wool [4]
And it is always with this in mind that in 2019, together with a team of engineers, designers and specialists, universities in Europe and Asia, Ikea designed the curtains that purify the air : GUNRID , made in a fabric that ‘dissolves’ common pollutants indoor air, such as formaldehyde. This fabric consists of a mineral-based photocatalytic coating that is applied to the fabric. If activated by light, both internal and external, GUNRID breaks the common indoor air pollutants. The GUNRID air purification tent will be available in IKEA stores in 2020. It is one of the first IKEA products to deal with indoor air pollution, but probably not the last.
The importance of ethical communication
If it is essential that the multinationals today promote dialogue on important issues such as bullying, gender inequality, homophobia, it is equally fundamental that they do not do it to deflect attention from their potentially harmful or bad practices, what in jargon is called ‘attention deflection’. It is a current topic, at a time when many citizens are worried about their future, and companies communicate their ‘green’ and social commitment like never before
Surely the adv campaigns created by Ikea in the world have the ability to make sustainability exciting, encourage users to move from intention to action, are new because they challenge the status quo, are Nurturing as they focus on the needs of Others, and inclusive and Respectful of all humans, they avoid discrimination
Despite their efforts of innovation and communication , for greater environmental sustainability and a maximum responsibility towards its consumers , to which Ikea would like to facilitate everyday life, the Swedish company risks a fine such as that assigned to FCA and Starbucks . By the end of the year, in fact, the European Commission, which has been investigating since 2017 on Inter IKEA Systems, will have to communicate its position regarding a 2016 report presented by the Greens in the European Parliament.
According to Reuters reports , the authorities would like to repress tax agreements granted to Inter Ikea Systems, from the Netherlands
Inter IKEA Systems is the owner of the intellectual property of the Ikea brand and concept, Inter IKEA System is part of Inter IKEA Holding based in Luxembourg, which belongs to a company in the Netherlands Antilles
Inter IKEA Systems commented by e-mail to Reuters that ” like all other companies that work under the IKEA brand, Inter IKEA Systems BV undertakes to pay taxes in accordance with laws and regulations, wherever it operates. We believe that even in these cases we have paid the correct amount of taxes ”.
In fact, as Forbes also points out, the practices that derive from the corporate establishment of entities that hold the intellectual property of a trademark are not illicit and indeed allow the company to save taxes and customers to enjoy quality products at affordable prices.
According to the Greens’ report, this’ saving ‘would amount to one billion euros
The information is also reported in the online company database D&B Hoovers [5] , which considers several branches of the company that could be used for tax avoidance purposes at high risk.
independently of the decision of the European Commission, Ikea’s commitment could be extended to allow all interested parties to discover the company’s decisions : what are the benefits that European consumers will derive from the decision to create a complex corporate system as far as legal that yes, as Forbes affirms, allows the abatement of prices on the shelf, but creates a loss to the treasury for each country that goes from 35% less collected in Belgium to 64% of France?
Allowing the consumer to have all the information to help him make an conscious purchase decision is an act of responsibility that every company that decides to embrace the ‘Communication forGood ‘ should do, so that sustainability could be a genuine, integrated practice ( not bolted on)
[1] a report on the Business and Human Rights website entitled “USA: the employee filed a lawsuit against Ikea for alleged age discrimination; incl. company statement “and dated February 2019, stated:” Ikea was hit with its fifth lawsuit in just over a year in US courts, claiming age discrimination. ”
[2] The IKEA Sustainability Report 2016 stated: “All the wood used in IKEA products comes in accordance with the IKEA IWAY standard Forestry Section. In Exercise 18 we expanded the IWAY forestry section to include paper-based materials, bamboo in non-industrial applications, rattan and wood-plastic composites. For more information on IWAY, see pages 46-47. Furthermore, we aim to obtain 100% of the wood we use from more sustainable sources: Forest Stewardship Council ™ (FSC ™) or recycled. In financial year 18 we obtained 85% of our wood from these sources, from 77% in fiscal 17 “.
[3] On the WWF website, on a page called “WWF and IKEA Transforming Business for People and Planet”, it was declared: “WWF and IKEA are working together to safeguard and manage valuable natural resources and transform the business for the benefit of people and the planet. Through commitment, innovation and defense, the partnership is driving the development of more sustainable cotton and timber markets. ”
[4] on the IKEA website in the “IKEA Frequently Asked Questions” area it is specified “The IKEA approach to chemicals is to add them only if necessary. IKEA undertakes to refrain completely from the use of chemical flame retardants in our products and instead use techniques and materials with flame retardant properties, eg. lanaAll brominated flame retardants were gradually eliminated from IKEA furniture production in 2000. ”
[5] D&B Hoovers was founded by Gary Hoover and Patrick Spain in 1990 as an American research company that provides information on companies and industries through their main product platform called “Hoover’s”. Today its database contains information on over 300 million companies with 30,000 global data sources updated 5 million times a day
Author: elena grinta
I have been dealing with communication for 20 years, I have worked in marketing for large international and Italian companies and I know the mechanisms of advertising persuasion. I decided to invest my know-how and my skills to use the available resources of companies (budgets but also human capital) in positive transformation. Because to students from all over the world I teach at Purpose Brands in Catholic University I wish to give more and more examples of virtuous companies that have invested for the future, of everyone (and there are already many!). Because if we watch, without acting, without taking responsibility, we have no excuse. View all posts by elena grinta
Danone, the French food giant, has decided to undergo the BCorp certification, which is a real challange, considering that Danone is listed on the stock exchange and that failure to achieve this goal could have negative repercussions on the company, adding only “paperwork and unnecessary restrictions” [1] . Instead, the CEO Emmanuel Faber has announced to want to reach the necessary parameters to the certification and to become a B Corp within 2030 , after that also Danone North America – the eighth branch of Danone (and the largest) – has become a B Corporation certified. Danone North America is Danone’s 8th subsidiary to become a Certified B Corporation. Some critics say that filing as a B adds unnecessary paperwork and restrictions. But for brands looking to connect with growing consumers, B Corp’s status establishes integrity and builds consumer goodwill.
A danger that is worth running, Faber said, because ” certification has received great support from employees and has won over skeptical investors” [2], as well as having instilled confidence in the banks, which they renegotiated at a lower loan of two billion euros [3] .
Emmanuel Faber fully embodies the role of the corporate activist , when he declares that he wants to be a promoter of a “Food Revolution”[4] and urges the industry to join a “movement” that aims to “the adoption of healthier products and of sustainable eating habits “[5] .
” Food sovereignty for us means giving up control and restoring power to people, and how credible would we be to tell our consumers if we didn’t start with our employees?”[6] , Faber asks.
To be credible as a ‘brand activist’, all stakeholders, starting with employees, should embody the values of the company and its ideology. “The purpose can become marginal if you don’t work at it. Therefore, it is essential to give people the responsibility to make the brand responsible for its goals and philosophy. “[7]
The new era of ‘people powered brands’ is no longer just a consumerat the center program, but a paradigmatic transformation from Business-to-Consumer to Human-to-Human (from B2C to H2H).
Here’s how the ‘legal person’ can become a ‘natural person’: through the hundreds of faces, personalities, dreams that constitute the ‘workforce’ of every business reality. Bryan Kramer, who first used the expression H2H, says “ Businesses do not have emotion. People do. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. People want to feel something. People want to be included [8] It is not just a ‘social media’ strategy [9] where it is sufficient to show the team behind the product and the magic is done. No. All human resources must be involved and treated as Resources, and Humans. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is investing huge budgets in campaigns to activate your customers and not invest effectively in internal communication, making little effort to tell your story and your progress within the company. Showing the social impact that the company is having can be highly effective when it is measurable and closely linked to the company’s operations.
We hope that Danone, once he has obtained the B Lab certification, will promote a 360 ° sustainable revolution, setting the pace for the other players, perhaps starting from the plastic issue. Perhaps then they will think twice about launching “innovative products” like Eletrolytes Evian for millennials [10] or Mickey Mouse water for children . The oceans will be thankful.
[6] The whole concept behind food sovereignty is for us to surrender control and give the power back to people, and how credible would it be to say to our consumers if we don’t start with our employees? “
[10] We re-ignited our evian brands in the US through the innovative #Iwanna campaign featuring Maria Sharapova, Madison Keys, Luka Sabbat and many inspiring micro-influencers across the country. Engagement was 20 times higher than traditional campaigns, reaching over 18 million consumers.
Author: elena grinta
I have been dealing with communication for 20 years, I have worked in marketing for large international and Italian companies and I know the mechanisms of advertising persuasion. I decided to invest my know-how and my skills to use the available resources of companies (budgets but also human capital) in positive transformation. Because to students from all over the world I teach at Purpose Brands in Catholic University I wish to give more and more examples of virtuous companies that have invested for the future, of everyone (and there are already many!). Because if we watch, without acting, without taking responsibility, we have no excuse. View all posts by elena grinta
Gender Inequality Storytelling Through Images and the Role of Brands
Stefano Stranges is a photographer from Turin who was born in 1978. In 2012, he attended the master class of the Magnum agency focused on reportage photography with particular interest in social projects. In one of his exhibitions called “Le bambine salvate,” Stranges was able to help raise awareness of the gender inequality problem in India by showing the lives of Indian girls. Some of the problems he shed light on included violence against women, forced marriages, rape, and general discrimination. Stranges has visited the villages where most of them come from and portrayed intimate, dramatic, and unexpectedly joyful moments.
“My projects and my work start with the social and sociological approach and are determined by the empathy between my subject and me.”
His photos are not posed. On the contrary, he portrays the typical day of an Indian girl at her house. In all of them you see young teenagers taking care of two or three children in their homes while their husbands are not around. They all share the same dream: to become successful independent working women.
If a fourth child is a female, a popular superstition regards it as a sign of misfortune: Indhumati, born after a male and two females, would have been sacrificed if Terre des Hommes had not intervened. She today is 19 years old and studies computer science. She wants to become a teacher and devote herself to the children of less well-off families. She is very proud of her personal story. “The infamy of killing little girls must never be repeated,” she says.
Karthiga, an 18-year-old girl and child of four, had another destiny: she got married with the boy next door and for this she had to interrupt her studies. Her day is divided between the child, the domestic tasks, and the calf to be cared for, all under the supervision of her mother-in-law.
Harini, last of three sisters, lives with her parents in two rooms without windows built on the back of her father’s barber shop. Her passion for the studio transformed the house walls into sheets for notes. She studied civil engineering and dreamed of becoming governor of the Salem District. “God blessed us when he changed our mind and did not allow us to kill her as soon as she was born,” says her mother, who works for Terre des Hommes today.
This dream for an Indian girl is very challenging to obtain; and for Stranges, it was not an easy task to describe.
Two of my students from Università Cattolica had the opportunity to see “Le bambine salvate” exhibition on the field trip study during my course. One is from Germany, the other from Ecuador: two completely different countries and realities. Coming from diverse backgrounds made them perceive the exhibition in different ways and awakened different feelings.
Constanze (German) said, “For me it was sad to see how gender inequality is still so strong and inclement in some corners of the world that it can even get to the point to kill little girls just to avoid paying for their education and life. However, when I saw the picture of the founder and director of Terre des Hommes Core, I felt a glimpse of hope for the Indian women. I knew that just the fact that one organization was already stepping up for women and their cause is already a good sign and way of getting to a better world. Coming from Germany where there are many independent and successful working women, it is really shocking to see these. I remember I was walking one day into a kindergarten to pick up one of my nieces and was surprised of the important number of fathers picking up the kids. I thought I was going to see more mothers, but this was not the case. I think people from India deserve to achieve this equity standard that Germany enjoys nowadays. In Germany women and men are almost equal. There are a lot of women who are responsible for their own works, families, and houses, just as men in India.”
Isabel replied “For me, coming from Ecuador, the images of Stranges were realities I see everyday when walking around my city. The exhibition reminded me of the town where I go to the beach. Once, on a Saturday morning, I went to a bakery and there were only women working in the neighborhood. I found this weird and then I heard they were all complaining about how lazy their husbands were. I think gender inequality in Ecuador is different than in India, but it is still present. In this small-town, men take advantage of women in every way. They go out to party and get very drunk. As a consequence the following day they cannot work, and their wives must take care of their houses, children, the mess from last night, and even their work responsibilities. They think they are the rulers and because of this their wives must do all they asked them to. This is very wrong, because responsibilities should be divided equally. It should be as in Germany, where both women and men work, clean, and pick up children from school. A place where men also do laundry and go grocery shopping.”
After discussing our different points of views, students mentioned the United Colors of Benetton campaign called #Unitedbyhalf that is committed to fighting gender inequality around the world, especially in Indian. It is a gender equality campaign that shows the many capabilities of Indian women and how they are the other half of the country. This means that not only the half of the country made up by men is able to achieve wonderful things, but women, the other half, are also capable of achieving highly.
They also mentioned Ariel’s#sharetheload campaign about men sharing the laundry load with women. These two big brands are notable examples of gender equality promotions. Also, they incentive oppressed women to fight for themselves and their rights and give hope of a better and more equal world.
While listening to their discussion, I thought both Ariel and Benetton are examples of ‘Purposewashing.’ I do prefer brands like Patagonia against Benetton because of its purpose (and I’m not alone), which is not just a matter of cause related marketing: Patagonia really does believe in what it does, because the company was born with it in its DNA. But at the same time I think we need to distinguish marketing/communication strategies and business strategies/processes.
I have then shared with all my students this question: Considering communication as a persuasive tool, what should brands do? Should they try more efficient ways to sell their products (even with AI, etc.) or could they also create debate on social issues (eg. Dove, Ariel, etc.)? In other words, should brands create more meaningful ads (like Persil “Free the Kids”) even while they still have horrible impacts on the environment (with plastic waste, water consumption, etc.)?
I have been dealing with communication for 20 years, I have worked in marketing for large international and Italian companies and I know the mechanisms of advertising persuasion. I decided to invest my know-how and my skills to use the available resources of companies (budgets but also human capital) in positive transformation. Because to students from all over the world I teach at Purpose Brands in Catholic University I wish to give more and more examples of virtuous companies that have invested for the future, of everyone (and there are already many!). Because if we watch, without acting, without taking responsibility, we have no excuse. View all posts by elena grinta
One of the most important key components of a brand’s success is communication. Most of the times, even though sustainable and ethical practices are in place in a company, they fail to communicate their responsibility. And while it’s great that companies don’t act in a “good way” just for publicity, it’s also important to involve the community around them and let them know of everything they are putting into practice. Building a strong communication channel not only gives brands the chance to put out there their sustainable actions, but also gives them the opportunity to create a stronger bond with community, which feels taken into account when its informed about “internal” brand policies and practices. Is there a connection between the rise of interest towards branded content and the creation of more & more purpose driven campaigns? What’s the line between the brand and its purpose? Glass box brands should bring solutions to issues they bring to light
Purposeful Communication: Opportunity or Threat?
One of the most important key components of a brand’s success is communication. Most of the time, even if sustainable and ethical practices are in place, companies fail to communicate their responsibility. And while it’s great that companies don’t act in a “good way” just for publicity, it’s also important to involve the community around them and let them know about everything they are putting into practice. Building a strong communication channel not only gives brands the chance to release their sustainable actions, but it also gives them the opportunity to create a stronger bond with community members, who then feel heard because they are informed about “internal” brand policies and practices.
Is There a Connection Between the Rise of Interest Towards Branded Content and the Creation of More and More Purpose-driven Campaigns?
I was asked to write a paper for the BCMA book celebrating 10 years of the association’s activity, so I started reviewing the Grand Prix winners of the BC&E category at Cannes Lions ever since its inception:
Winner of the 2012 Grand Prix was US-based Mexican restaurant chain, Chipotle for its “Cultivate” campaign; Intel and Pereira & O’Dell won for the “The Beauty Inside” in 2013, (No Grand Prix awarded on 2014 and 2015). In 2016 “The Displaced” for New York Timer VR, by Vrse; 2017 was “Beyond Money” by Santander and this year, KPN’s Evert_45 campaigns were awarded the Entertainment Grand Prix.
In all of these examples, brands put their environmental and/or social commitment at the center of their marketing strategy. They transformed their own “brand structure” into a “purpose” to build a deeper connection with consumers.
Surely, storytelling and purposing have a lot to share, but there is a potential downside for brands linking themselves to important social issues using storytelling to persuade their consumers.
Look at what happened to Chipotle. The company always claimed to be “the healthy alternative to fast food.” Chipotle’s problem started back in July in Washington state, when 5 people got sick with E. coli after eating Chipotle, but it only made news on the local paper. Chipotle became a national story when bad tomatoes in Minnesota stores infected 81 people with salmonella in August. About the same time in California, Chipotle told the local health department that 17 employees were sick with norovirus, a nasty intestinal bug: 230 people caught the virus. At this point, the problem, though serious, appeared to be isolated, and Chipotle’s executives thought they had it under control. That changed when a separate E. coli outbreak crossed state lines in late October. The company closed all 43 restaurants in 2 States. In total about 500 people got sick from eating Chipotle in the second half of 2015.
What’s the Line Between the Brand and Its Purpose?
“With an increasing number of businesses making it a focus of their marketing, consumers are understandably getting a little skeptical – particularly when there is not a clear line between the brand and its purpose.” -Charlotte Rogers, Marketingweek
I think it’s an important role that companies are playing in bringing social issues to the public’s attention, but at the same time I fear it may just be a trend in marketing rather than a real inside transformation for the company: sometimes it’s hard for consumers to trust brands embracing “causes” without demonstrating they “really believe” in what they say they stand for. And they are right. Unfortunately there are a lot of “purpose driven campaigns” created for companies that aren’t actually facing a radical change.
Glass Box Brands Should Bring Solutions to Issues They Bring to Light
Back when a business was a black box, the brand was whatever the marketing team painted on the outside. “Now that a business is a glass box, the brand is everything. Every person. Every process. Every value. Everything that happens, ever.” – David Mattin Trendwatching CEO.
Even if it is admirable that companies want to bring thoughtful issues to the public’s attention, it’s not enough: they should also bring and implement solutions. Dentsu Aegis found that “there is a clear set of preferred causes that businesses adopt: purposeful campaigns around the topics of Environment, Diversity, Health and Social welfare make up 70% of all winning entries.”
Transparency is key to success, but sometimes it is not enough to “put it out there.” Mindful communication with a purpose behind it is the ultimate goal. Reaching the right audience with the right message should be every company’s objective, and while it’s not always easy, following the brand core values and being true to themselves as well to consumers is the first step to get there.
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I have been dealing with communication for 20 years, I have worked in marketing for large international and Italian companies and I know the mechanisms of advertising persuasion. I decided to invest my know-how and my skills to use the available resources of companies (budgets but also human capital) in positive transformation. Because to students from all over the world I teach at Purpose Brands in Catholic University I wish to give more and more examples of virtuous companies that have invested for the future, of everyone (and there are already many!). Because if we watch, without acting, without taking responsibility, we have no excuse. View all posts by elena grinta
Virtual Reality (VR) is a trend to grow in the future: the market is still small, but according to Greenlight Insights it will come to a turnover of 38 billion dollars over the next ten years. The revolution that awaits VR is mainly Out-of-home, where it will allow consumers to cross the borders of one’s own home and intersect each other directly through technology.
To mark progress in this field will be the devices. The actual development is guided by Microsoft (HoloLens), Samsung Gear (VR), HTC (Live), Facebook (Oculus Rift) and Snapchat (Spectacles). Some are exploring the possibility to use the VR also with smartphones, using simple glasses cardboard, as those distributed by Google.
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