Saturday, September 14, 2013

Titi Ogunbayo Blog #1


We’ve only taken one class in the Evolving Industries course and one thing has been reinforced:
if I hadn’t been wise enough to seek a Communications/Media Master’s program, I would be sent packing before lunch time on my 1st day at any Media agency that was kind enough to hire me. There's still much for me to remember and learn! 
 
At a media planning company interview in 2010, I recall being asked to state the  ‘6 P’s of Marketing’, I was only able to state 5 and that cost me a third interview. I made it to the second interview and one of the most basic tenets of marketing had eluded me. Come to find out that same ‘P’ would elude me again but thankfully this time, in a setting where I’m not judged for what I don’t know (at least not yet) but for my ability to learn and grow.
 
Just in case you are wondering, that ‘P’ is placement and it means the point of distribution for a product or service. This class has driven home a universal truth; an important part of any industry, be it Advertising or Medicine, is the constant need to learn and grow with the times and technology. It has been five years since I got my Bachelor’s in Advertising degree but I am confident that the elements that make up the Evolving Industries course, as well as, Steven’s immense wealth of experience will be stepping stones to a fulfilling career in the PR industry (let’s see how those agency visits and internships go).
 
The brand I will be shadowing this semester is Summer’s Eve, which I am sure most people are aware of. But for those who may not know, Summer’s Eve is a feminine hygiene care line owned by Fleet laboratories. Their products are distributed in the Americas, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
I chose Summer’s Eve because of their 2011 “Hail To The V” campaign that included a series of TV ads   that drew the ire of many people. In some of these ads, women’s private parts were hailed as the cradle of life, center of the universe and the treasure that men have fought and died for since time in memoriam. I must admit that even though, these commercials reduced women to no more than their sexual organs, I still found myself chuckling every time I saw them. Because a part of it stroked my ego (don’t judge me!) but I also couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Cs3Pp7mYg

However, it wasn’t the afore mentioned TV ad that had people seeing red; there were a series of 3 TV ads that featured vertical talking fists. Each fist was shown to represent a vagina of a woman who was either African American, Hispanic or Caucasian. The talking fist would then proceed to speak to its target demographic about taking care of their feminine parts using some stereotypes to convey the message. Here's a link to one of them: http://bcove.me/kmgwz4jg

I was flabbergasted when I saw these commercials; I couldn’t believe that someone had signed off on them and that the Richards Group, the agency responsible for their creation had been arrogant enough to think this would resonate with women. The blame doesn’t lie squarely on the ad agency’s shoulders but on Summer’s Eve, who had to give the final approval. How did they think these ads tied in with their commitment to educate women about their bodies and to empower girls? These ads clearly showed a disconnect in their message and their target audience.  Needless to say, the ads were quickly pulled from TV and most, not all memory of them have been scrubbed off the face of the web.
It’s been 2 years since the talking fist debacle and Summer’s Eve has kept their “Hail To The V” slogan but have changed advertising tactics. Now, their commercials focus on the feminine care routine and actual human interactions. They have Facebook and You Tube accounts for product promotion, coupons and event information and reminders. They also seem to be using a market driven approach to connect with customers on Facebook. I came across a post from their marketing department, asking fans to suggest new fragrances for their products and so far there have been 21 responses.
It is my goal to learn how Summer’s Eve was able to navigate through the 2011 public relations nightmare and arrive at a place where they’ve taken a more sensible and mature approach.

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