Corporate Ad Gets in Trouble: Motrin Apologizes to Moms
November 18, 2008
How does your corporate media stand up to consumer sensitivity and awareness? Do you know what it is that your customers want, really want, and more importantly what they do not want? Being aware and sensitive to the needs of customers can be challenging along with staying cutting edge and in tune with today’s market. It takes a smart, sharp but edgey marketing department to know what will appeal to consumers and what could possibly turn them off.
Let’s say that your marketing department has a great idea for a marketing piece, one that they think would do well in reaching the mass audience of buyers for your product. Now, let’s also say that your product is used by millions and does its job well in satisfying their customers. And finally, let’s say that the corporate marketing department thinks that this ad campaign will be so appealing and so innovative, that sales will likely increase from it and the demand for the product will increase as well. Now, let’s see if what you ”say” in the ad will actually deliver. Herein is where the issue lies: What we say or what is said in advertising is crucial to the marketing impact that is made with consumers.
Earlier on last week, Motrin made a huge mistake when they ran an ad, attempting to appeal to moms who “wear” their babies on their bodies. The ad suggested that these moms were “tired” and “cranky” and are just burdened down with being connected to their babies all of the time. In the ad video made by Motrin, there is quite a bit of subliminal messaging to the listener suggesting that because you co-wear your baby, you are in pain all of the time, and you shouldn’t be held accountable for anything that you might do or say that could be potentially offensive. Motrin could not have made a more offensive move than putting this advertisement out to the consumer. But, after a series tweets, a flurry of emails, backlashes from bloggers and phone complaints, they immediately offered a statement of apology and promptly removed the ad from their site. This apology was done in a response to consumers and moms lashing out against these claims made by Motrin that co-wearing the baby is “undesireable” or “burdensome” to moms.
When companies goof up and make statements or ads like this, it can be unfortunate to their business and to their reputation. Now the only thing that saved Motrin in this case was the fact that they acknowledged their error, offered an immediate apology to those offended and removed the ad from their site:
I am the Vice President of Marketing for McNeil Consumer Healthcare. I have responsibility for the Motrin Brand, and am responding to concerns about recent advertising on our website. I am, myself, a mom of 3 daughters.
We certainly did not mean to offend moms through our advertising. Instead, we had intended to demonstrate genuine sympathy and appreciation for all that parents do for their babies. We believe deeply that moms know best and we sincerely apologize for disappointing you. Please know that we take your feedback seriously and will take swift action with regard to this ad. We are in process of removing it from our website. It will take longer, unfortunately, for it to be removed from magazine print as it is currently on newstands and in distribution.
-Kathy
Kathy Widmer
VP of Marketing - Pain, Pediatrics, GI, Specialty
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
215-273-8192
kwidmer@mccus.jnj.com
The apology offered by the Vice President of Marketing seems and sounds very sincere and well thought out. But I think what the company has learned from this grave error is to never assume anything about an audience or consumers. I personally have never co-worn any of my babies but I have carried them around all day, nursed them and have done my fair share of stooping over to pick up toys, tend to boo-boos and find imaginary ghosts in their closets. Tired? Sure, but to imply that because I’m cranky or worn from being a mommy to my children and that somehow taking Motrin will make it all better is by far an offensive thing to suggest. Motrin isn’t strong enough! Seriously though, moms are generally happy to hurt for their children and don’t always lash out against others because of our fatigue and overwhelmed feelings. It’s all a part of the job description. While we do and will need something on occassion for our discomfort, we want to be the ones to make that choice and determine that point. When a company says that they sympathize and understand what you’re feeling, you may have a hard time believing them. Every mom is different just as every consumer is different. Bottom line: don’t assume anything.
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Tech Companies Realize the Power of Social Marketing
November 14, 2008
When busy professionals invest in a gadget or software that makes their lives easier, they’re so ingratiated that they want to tell everyone about it. That’s exactly what the tech industry hopes that you will do.
Social media sites like FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and others have finally gotten the attention of some Tech companies who are looking to increase their customer base by using these outlets. Although these media channels have long been thought of as simply ways to meet people who are interested in personal relationships, the shift towards marketing and media relations has been gradually shifting and allowing companies the chance to get on board an absolutely savvy marketing idea that’s good for all interested parties. Read more
Full of Croc or a Great Idea? The Croc Shoe Company Does a Good Thing
November 10, 2008
Donating proceeds for good causes has always been something that major businesses and corporations have done for years. They do this in an effort to spread goodwill AND to bring exposure to their companies. Many times, large corporations will make an all out televised effort to spread cheer, or some will even do local-based community efforts as a way of furthering their mission and objective.
The event has long passed, but some things worth noting that made this public relations effort memorable is 1.) the international significance that it reached and 2.) the product itself.
Since everyone wears shoes, it’s a given that the campaign would appeal to the majority of customers nationwide. Crocs are heralded by many as being one of the most comfortable shoes available. Although it lacks a bit in fashion and style, is rather large and clunky looking and doesn’t seem quite certain as to what gender, age group or social group that it wants to market to, it remains a popular shoe choice. However that doesn’t stop the company from branding itself and making it one of the most popular consumer shoes available today.
The shoe campaign that Croc started along with Dispatch, a popular American Rock Band, was certain to bring in record crowds who loved this music style and those who either wore or liked the Croc shoe. Companies who sponsor events such as this are not always necessarily appreciative of the drawing crowd attraction, but that the crowd does get what they’re selling…and in this case, it’s the shoes. Crocs specifically.
The other element about this program that was impressive was the international significance of how the company marketed itself. They coupled with another international effort, pooled their ideas and resources and offered an incentive for customers to buy. For every purchase that the customer made, there would be a recycled pair of Crocs donated to the foundation, Soles United, and the shoes would be given to Zimbabweans. There were over 10,000 shoes donated to this effort, so in essence there are now about 10,000 Zimbabwean residents walking around in their country fashionably sporting an in-demand pair of classic Croc shoes.
What’s so special then about a company and a donation effort? The way they reach the consumer. Some media outlets especially like special interest stories that make a difference in the lives of others. Even more so, stories that reflect a giving nature and that highlight on the good that companies are doing rather than all of the wrong things are also especially nice. With Croc, they are not just giving away money, but they’re being a part of an effort to give people something that they also need…shoes. How ingenious could it be to have your name tied into an effort that helps a group of people, in a way where the help is wanted and needed, and at the same time bring classic exposure to your company and product? Sure it’s savvy marketing, but it also scores high media points and limitless warm and fuzzies with consumers. Shoes and people go together, well, like shoes and people.
Not a bunch of Croc. Just a great idea!
FaceBook, MySpace and YouTube: How Barack Obama Cinched the U.S. Presidential Election
November 5, 2008
Social networks like Facebook, MySpace and YouTube are used by people everywhere to share, connect, meet people, make personal and business contacts and bring attention to themselves. While it’s not so unusual to find companies or individuals using the social sites to their advantage, what is unusual is finding political candidates using the sites to further their political message, targeting specific groups and being completely successful in doing so. Less than 24 hous ago, presidential hopeful Barack Obama took the election win as the president of the United States. He maximized his use of social networks, making connections and convincing folks to become an integral part of his campaign. But how much did these social sites play a part in that happening for the candidate?
Some time ago - as a media relations experiment - I decided to see if there was any legitimacy to the claims of social sites “effectiveness” for politicians. I went to Twitter and found President-elect Obama’s twitter page and decided to connect to him and follow his tweets. Surprisingly (or maybe not), he connected to me within minutes and began following me and my twitter updates. Was I impressed? Well…
The social sites that Obama has a presence on has done a lot to help him winning the presidency. Barack and his team learned early on, very early on, the importance and significance of connecting with those that can make a difference. He was able to connect with people on a common, everyday level and win their trust and confidence in his objectives. The Obama team was able to use media platforms to further their mission, expound on their policies and keep their mantra, “Yes We Can”, in front of their audience at all times. The brilliance in the social media strategy is multi-faceted:
- The Obama campaign was able to successfully enlist the support and garner the votes of many brand new 18-year olds. “Students For Barack Obama, cannot drink legally, and if they didn’t vote in 2004, it was likely because they were just shy of 18 years old.” Full Story.
- Barack also allowed his supporters to interact with his campaign by inviting them to participate in his forums and by offering tools for supporters to schedule meetings about the election. “Users could upload their photos and videos, of the meeting they had organized, on his blog for others to see. Allowing people to create their own content is the golden rule of social media. Barack Obama got more people to participate in his campaign because of this.” Full Blog Post
- Mr. Obama strategically used his website and blog to keep his supporters abreast of his thoughts, appearances and most of all to keep them motivated. There are links on his website to YouTube videos, audio speeches and photos of his rallies and debates.
Finally, what is impressive about the campaign’s effectiveness is that it has set a standard for the way future campaigns will be run. No doubt that the losing party and any future suitors are taking note of the way Barack maximized social media and caused it to work to his advantage. What will possibly happen in future elections is that candidates will aggressively seize opportunities to use social media sites to their ultimate advantage, engaging and pursuing candidates to participate with them in their objectives. The impact will be phenomenal and the competition fierce. It worked this time. It’s bound to work again.
Embarassing Media Moments: What We Can Learn From Sarah Palin’s Conversation with President Sarkozy
November 3, 2008
Business people have a lot of responsibilities to take care of on a day-to-day basis, but also in many cases have assistants to help them get everything accomplished. But even with so many things to do and always seemingly in a hurry to get them done, inevitably something will fall through the cracks and fail. Although it may sound and seem like a grandiose, self-inflating thing to do, it is a wise piece of advice for any person in business:
Always have your phone calls screened.
No matter what level of business or type of industry you’re in, it is a wise thing to always be careful and mindful of the things you say and the people to whom you say them. In this digital age that we live in, there is always the unfortunate chance that the things you say, email, post and vlog can come back to get you.
This past weekend was one such case of embarrassment, humiliation and regret having not properly screened a phone call or double-checked to make sure that the person is in fact who they said they were. The United States Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin (R-AK) received a “supposed” telephone call from the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, when in fact she was being pranked by two Canadian comedians. The phone call lasted for about six minutes, just long enough for Governor Palin to say and hear some embarrassing and regretful things about animal killing, Sarkozy’s sexy wife and a pornography tape made (without consent) about Palin. Governor Palin during the conversation never corrected or questioned President Sarkozy. She really thought that she was speaking to the French President himself.
Unfortunately, the phone call was six minutes of conversation that could potentially hurt the McCain campaign and further shed a despairingly negative light about the already controversial and questionable Sarah Palin. For instance, if in fact that had really been French President Sarkozy, would he have really been discussing his wife and their intimate bedroom life? Would he have in fact said “I can see Belgium from my house!”, or, “I love killing animals, mmmm.” These are things that make you take pause and wonder before you respond, or at least you should.
But in Governor Palin’s defense, I’m sure that she was 1.) absolutely flattered that a country’s president was calling her, 2.) again flattered that said president of a country was calling her this close to the election, perhaps to wish her well, 3.) again, flattered that he called her on her cell phone, while she out on the campaign trail. In any event, Governor Palin I’m sure today is regretting that she ever took that call and remorseful about some of the things she said and discussed.
Often in business, we’re more than eager to satisfy the customer and give them what they want. Maybe we don’t want to offend anyone or come across as unfriendly or out of touch, so we laugh nervously at their jokes or if there is something said uncomfortably, we just ignore it or pretend we didn’t hear it.
Most of us in everyday business won’t have to necessarily worry about our words becoming publicly accessed and ridiculed, but we still all need to be mindful of what we say and to whom we say it. Aside from pranksters, the media is a powerful news outlet and has the strength to sway notions and opinions in the general population. While much blame can be assigned to the media in making this prank a matter of public ridicule, what can you do to avoid embarrassment for your company?
- Ensure that the proper personnel has sufficent knowledge and resources to protect the company’s reputation. Is everyone on a “need-to-know” status? Does any and everyone who asks to speak to you get through?
- Become familiar enough with the local and national media sources to see how they typically highlight business owners and deliver information. Learn (or make note of) names , positions and reporting styles within media outlets. This includes blogs, newspapers and radio.
- Be consistent in the information that you share with the media. Don’t say one thing to a blog writer and another thing to a reporter interviewer. Be assured that stories will get compared and differences will be magnified.
Is it really necessary to overthink everything that you do and say to the media or by way of conducting business? Probably not, but what is suggested is to be careful and focused on the things that you do choose to share that relate to your company. It may not be that your company ends up in the news in an embarassing situation, but why take chances?