Finally, a major company makes a company wide decision against female stereotypes and eating disorders. Unilever has announced that it will no longer use emaciated skinny models and actors in its advertisements. This is a breath of fresh air. Of course, Unilever took a position more than a year ago and launched its "Campaign for Real Beauty" for its Dove product line. This unified decision is very clever.
Let's face it, most of Unilever 's consumers are regular people who may have a few extra pounds, unperfect skin and mediocre hair. It makes sense that their ads represent the people who actually support their products. Yes, I am sure there are few rich Hollywood actors or models who may have a favorite Dove product, but the bulk of Unilever consumers are average people
Companies who make a public statement such as this are doing well at connecting with their customers. By eliminating thin actors and models, Unilever is making a statement without making a statement. This is the best form of brand building and connecting to your customer base.
I can't wait to see more real people promoting products. And this will yield more opportunities for models and actors who don't look like supermodels. If other companies follow suit, average-sized/looking models and actors will find themselves very busy. I like that idea.
Need assistance with your brand? Visit www.pradviser.net
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Imus Fired: So What Took Them So Long?
By Shakira M. Brown, www.pradviser.net
After a week of outrage from women, consumers, political and civil rights groups, Don Imus has been fired by the CBS Corporation. I would say his career was cut short, but with 40 plus years on the airwaves that seems a bit inappropriate. So let’s just say IT IS OVER for the crotchey radio man – at least on CBS. What surprises me is that his firing for uttering a truly offensive and senseless comment about a successful group of talented female athletes comes nearly eight days and many years too late. My question is – what took them so long?
This week, advertisers such as Proctor & Gamble and American Express, plus a host of others, pulled out on the Imus in the Morning program. MSNBC caved under pressure and cancelled its daily television broadcast of the radio show. And then CBS followed. I commend all of these companies for not supporting negative characterization of women and down-right ignorance – this time. However, I wonder if these organizations would have done the same thing if this tasteless incident was not covered widely in the press and various social media websites.
According to a CBS corporation internal memo from Les Moonves circulating on the internet, it seems that even CBS’ own employees spoke out against Mr. Imus. So with external and internal pressure mounting, CBS had no other choice but to let him go. I say it is long over due, because he has uttered countless other unsavory and racially charged comments over the years which seem to fall on deaf ears of the CBS brass on many occasions. But this whole scenario brings to mind the importance of who we do business with. We all should proceed with caution.
It is typical that marketing and advertising executives focus on the numbers and not the quality of content. In today’s socially conscious environment, we must begin to look beyond the numbers. Mr. Imus was no angel and his advertisers had to know this. But if advertisers really considered his track record, they would have ever financially supported his program in the first place? After all, no decent company would use advertising copy with the word “ho” or refer to Blacks as “You People.” So, why broadcast an advertisement during a program that does?
Some would argue that Mr. Imus also has committed himself to positive causes such as supporting a ranch for kids with cancer and hosting radiothons to support it. Unfortunately, throughout his career he consistently undermined the good work he was doing off-the-air by displaying bigotry on-the-air. It seems his advertisers were not alarmed at this until now. After all, their dollars supported the daily function of his program for many years.
I believe it is time to employ social responsibility in advertising. Advertising executives should have a clear understanding of what it is they are supporting when they buy time or space. Look beyond the numbers, examine the content and identify whether it complements the product or service you wish to sell. Perform your own due diligence and really think about whether your core audience would be offended by the vehicle in which you choose to deliver your message. Make all involved accountable for their behavior and commentary.
Some consumers are forgiving and can deal with tongue and cheek comments for the sake of a joke. But when similar comments are made that effect innocent people or worse, negative comments are made against individuals achieving the extraordinary, is where we all need to draw the line. I suggest before you approve your next advertising agreement, consider how your decision may impact the overall view of your brand. Remember, your advertising dollars support the medium you are using to share your messages. Make sure that the medium at the very least reflects your company’s mission and goals, so your product or service won’t get caught up in the next scandal.
Shakira Brown is an award-winning public relations and marketing professional with array of experience leading communications strategies for various entities. She can be reached at http://pradviser.net/contactus.aspx.
After a week of outrage from women, consumers, political and civil rights groups, Don Imus has been fired by the CBS Corporation. I would say his career was cut short, but with 40 plus years on the airwaves that seems a bit inappropriate. So let’s just say IT IS OVER for the crotchey radio man – at least on CBS. What surprises me is that his firing for uttering a truly offensive and senseless comment about a successful group of talented female athletes comes nearly eight days and many years too late. My question is – what took them so long?
This week, advertisers such as Proctor & Gamble and American Express, plus a host of others, pulled out on the Imus in the Morning program. MSNBC caved under pressure and cancelled its daily television broadcast of the radio show. And then CBS followed. I commend all of these companies for not supporting negative characterization of women and down-right ignorance – this time. However, I wonder if these organizations would have done the same thing if this tasteless incident was not covered widely in the press and various social media websites.
According to a CBS corporation internal memo from Les Moonves circulating on the internet, it seems that even CBS’ own employees spoke out against Mr. Imus. So with external and internal pressure mounting, CBS had no other choice but to let him go. I say it is long over due, because he has uttered countless other unsavory and racially charged comments over the years which seem to fall on deaf ears of the CBS brass on many occasions. But this whole scenario brings to mind the importance of who we do business with. We all should proceed with caution.
It is typical that marketing and advertising executives focus on the numbers and not the quality of content. In today’s socially conscious environment, we must begin to look beyond the numbers. Mr. Imus was no angel and his advertisers had to know this. But if advertisers really considered his track record, they would have ever financially supported his program in the first place? After all, no decent company would use advertising copy with the word “ho” or refer to Blacks as “You People.” So, why broadcast an advertisement during a program that does?
Some would argue that Mr. Imus also has committed himself to positive causes such as supporting a ranch for kids with cancer and hosting radiothons to support it. Unfortunately, throughout his career he consistently undermined the good work he was doing off-the-air by displaying bigotry on-the-air. It seems his advertisers were not alarmed at this until now. After all, their dollars supported the daily function of his program for many years.
I believe it is time to employ social responsibility in advertising. Advertising executives should have a clear understanding of what it is they are supporting when they buy time or space. Look beyond the numbers, examine the content and identify whether it complements the product or service you wish to sell. Perform your own due diligence and really think about whether your core audience would be offended by the vehicle in which you choose to deliver your message. Make all involved accountable for their behavior and commentary.
Some consumers are forgiving and can deal with tongue and cheek comments for the sake of a joke. But when similar comments are made that effect innocent people or worse, negative comments are made against individuals achieving the extraordinary, is where we all need to draw the line. I suggest before you approve your next advertising agreement, consider how your decision may impact the overall view of your brand. Remember, your advertising dollars support the medium you are using to share your messages. Make sure that the medium at the very least reflects your company’s mission and goals, so your product or service won’t get caught up in the next scandal.
Shakira Brown is an award-winning public relations and marketing professional with array of experience leading communications strategies for various entities. She can be reached at http://pradviser.net/contactus.aspx.
Friday, February 9, 2007
TrimSpa: Facing the Death of Your Spokesperson
No Longer the "Envy" of its Competitors
By Shakira M. Brown, www.pradviser.net
When your brand's tagline is "Be.Envied" you are making a bold statement about its quality and results. Pair that tagline with the sudden death of the face of that very same brand, you have a major public relations and marketing disaster. TrimSpa's spokesperson, Anna Nicole Smith, is no longer envied. Her tumultuous life ended abruptly at 39 on February 8, 2007. She was beautiful and svelte, (according to ads - thanks to TrimSpa), but this fallen former Playboy Playmate had a lot of turmoil in her life. So you have to wonder, why did Goen Technologies, the maker of TrimSpa, stick it out with her so long as to end up in a major branding conundrum?
Perhaps it was loyalty or faith that the buxom blonde would pull through her worst of times. But you have to wonder if anyone had prepared an exit strategy for what was becoming a challenging relationship at the business end of the spectrum. Now, TrimSpa's viability as a brand will meet its ultimate competition- surviving life after the death of its spokesperson.
Just hours after her death, Goen Technologies cleverly pulled the TrimSpa website completely down from new traffic, although you could view cached versions of the site. This was a good move because Ms. Smith was featured on its home page and through out the site. They chose to replace the brand site with a white web page with a statement in simple text about their sadness for her death. I believe this was a good idea, given the fact that she could no longer represent the goals and strategy of their product.
Unfortunately, the executives behind-the-scenes at Goen have a much bigger problem on their hands. All of the companies promotional materials, Print/TV ads etc. and some of the product packaging includes Ms. Smith’s image. Ms. Smith was the face of the TrimSpa brand. Now that she is gone, she can no longer represent a brand that encourages a happy, fit life. As a consumer, I might be curious how a 39 years-old seemingly fit, (again according to the ads) may have died after a collapse. Other consumers are probably wondering the same as should TrimSpa’s makers.
TrimSpa being a diet product brings up some obvious suspicions. If this were my client, I would advise them to enter crisis mode and immediately pull products off of shelves featuring her image. I would guess that TrimSpa users are wondering if the product had anything to do with her sudden death. TrimSpa’s PR team should be planning for whatever comes their way.
Based on other complaints of diet products over the last several years, TrimSpa must be prepared to address the health risks of their products even if their product had no role in her death. The sudden, tragic loss of a spokesperson is a difficult situation to address for any product company. Most companies typically develop a friendly business relationship with their spokesperson and dealing with the pain of that loss is always the first reaction. But going forward, TrimSpa as well as other product companies should be extremely cautious in such future relationships. But for Goen Technologies, it is my hope they have someone on the operations and communications side of the business in place to lead them through disaster recovery in order for their brand to survive this unfortunate tragedy.
www.pradviser.net
About Shakira Brown
Shakira is an award-winning public relations and marketing professional with array of experience leading communications strategies for various entities. In her nearly 15 years of experience in radio, print, and television journalism and public relations, Shakira has worked with high profile news broadcasters, entertainers, moguls, financial experts, small business owners and c-suite level executives in various industries.
Her clients have been featured in major market newspapers, national magazines, national shows, such as The Today Show, the Associated Press, BusinessWeek (print and online), Fortune, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, New York magazine, Lifetime Television, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR), ABC, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX News and CBS radio, Bloomberg Radio, Bloomberg Television and many other regional/local television affiliated networks and radio stations nationwide.
Prior to her career in PR, Shakira produced and worked on programming for MTV Networks, CBS News, MSNBC News, NBC News and ABC Networks and television network affiliates in New York and Boston. As a producer for MSNBC, Shakira produced daily news broadcast and served as producer for taped programming during the Network’s weekday and weekend broadcasts.
Shakira is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and immediate past chair of PRSA's National Financial Communications section. She also served as diversity chair on the executive board for the PRSA-NJ chapter. In addition, she has served on the Board of Trustees for TV-36, a local public access television station serving the five New Jersey towns of Berkeley Heights , Millburn/Short Hills, New Providence, Springfield and Summit . She also served as public relations chair on the executive committee for the New Jersey Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. Furthermore, Shakira is a voting member of the National Academy of Television & Arts Sciences, commonly known as the Television Emmy Organization.
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By Shakira M. Brown, www.pradviser.net
When your brand's tagline is "Be.Envied" you are making a bold statement about its quality and results. Pair that tagline with the sudden death of the face of that very same brand, you have a major public relations and marketing disaster. TrimSpa's spokesperson, Anna Nicole Smith, is no longer envied. Her tumultuous life ended abruptly at 39 on February 8, 2007. She was beautiful and svelte, (according to ads - thanks to TrimSpa), but this fallen former Playboy Playmate had a lot of turmoil in her life. So you have to wonder, why did Goen Technologies, the maker of TrimSpa, stick it out with her so long as to end up in a major branding conundrum?
Perhaps it was loyalty or faith that the buxom blonde would pull through her worst of times. But you have to wonder if anyone had prepared an exit strategy for what was becoming a challenging relationship at the business end of the spectrum. Now, TrimSpa's viability as a brand will meet its ultimate competition- surviving life after the death of its spokesperson.
Just hours after her death, Goen Technologies cleverly pulled the TrimSpa website completely down from new traffic, although you could view cached versions of the site. This was a good move because Ms. Smith was featured on its home page and through out the site. They chose to replace the brand site with a white web page with a statement in simple text about their sadness for her death. I believe this was a good idea, given the fact that she could no longer represent the goals and strategy of their product.
Unfortunately, the executives behind-the-scenes at Goen have a much bigger problem on their hands. All of the companies promotional materials, Print/TV ads etc. and some of the product packaging includes Ms. Smith’s image. Ms. Smith was the face of the TrimSpa brand. Now that she is gone, she can no longer represent a brand that encourages a happy, fit life. As a consumer, I might be curious how a 39 years-old seemingly fit, (again according to the ads) may have died after a collapse. Other consumers are probably wondering the same as should TrimSpa’s makers.
TrimSpa being a diet product brings up some obvious suspicions. If this were my client, I would advise them to enter crisis mode and immediately pull products off of shelves featuring her image. I would guess that TrimSpa users are wondering if the product had anything to do with her sudden death. TrimSpa’s PR team should be planning for whatever comes their way.
Based on other complaints of diet products over the last several years, TrimSpa must be prepared to address the health risks of their products even if their product had no role in her death. The sudden, tragic loss of a spokesperson is a difficult situation to address for any product company. Most companies typically develop a friendly business relationship with their spokesperson and dealing with the pain of that loss is always the first reaction. But going forward, TrimSpa as well as other product companies should be extremely cautious in such future relationships. But for Goen Technologies, it is my hope they have someone on the operations and communications side of the business in place to lead them through disaster recovery in order for their brand to survive this unfortunate tragedy.
www.pradviser.net
About Shakira Brown
Shakira is an award-winning public relations and marketing professional with array of experience leading communications strategies for various entities. In her nearly 15 years of experience in radio, print, and television journalism and public relations, Shakira has worked with high profile news broadcasters, entertainers, moguls, financial experts, small business owners and c-suite level executives in various industries.
Her clients have been featured in major market newspapers, national magazines, national shows, such as The Today Show, the Associated Press, BusinessWeek (print and online), Fortune, Forbes, The Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, New York magazine, Lifetime Television, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR), ABC, NBC, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX News and CBS radio, Bloomberg Radio, Bloomberg Television and many other regional/local television affiliated networks and radio stations nationwide.
Prior to her career in PR, Shakira produced and worked on programming for MTV Networks, CBS News, MSNBC News, NBC News and ABC Networks and television network affiliates in New York and Boston. As a producer for MSNBC, Shakira produced daily news broadcast and served as producer for taped programming during the Network’s weekday and weekend broadcasts.
Shakira is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and immediate past chair of PRSA's National Financial Communications section. She also served as diversity chair on the executive board for the PRSA-NJ chapter. In addition, she has served on the Board of Trustees for TV-36, a local public access television station serving the five New Jersey towns of Berkeley Heights , Millburn/Short Hills, New Providence, Springfield and Summit . She also served as public relations chair on the executive committee for the New Jersey Chapter of the National Black MBA Association. Furthermore, Shakira is a voting member of the National Academy of Television & Arts Sciences, commonly known as the Television Emmy Organization.
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