Is soda political? Can a frozen food company change the way we think about rainforests? Is it advantageous for a brand to engage with a social concern? In my mind, taking on a social cause is not simply a brave step by a brand — it’s a way of engaging with your customers on the issues that matter to them.
While controversial, I believe that the Gillette advert did everything a good ad should: get people talking about your product, and also establishing a moral identity for your brand. If you have been living under a rock, it’s a great advert that keeps the focus on a very serious issue: the role of men in the modern age. From challenging male on male bullying to workplace sexism, it doesn’t shy away from controversy. It’s brave of Gillette to go down this path, as an advert that talks to such a sensitive issue is only going to polarise and divide opinion. However, this is not wholly a bad thing.
I genuinely believe that any men offended by it will most likely fall into the category of customers they’d rather not have, and that it will increase loyalty and propensity to buy from those who empathise with its core message. Humans are tribal animals, and when you buy or wear a label and display brand loyalty, you also say something about your own values and identity. If someone wants to be identified as a man who opposes sexism and inequality, he won’t mind being associated with a brand with and open stance on the issue such as Gillette. The days of “Men! Drink beer, have sex and shave, because you’re already brilliant!” are over. Lad culture has faded into yesterday. There’s a new kind of bloke who doesn’t want the ‘lad mag’ marketing for his daily shave. There’s method to the madness.
Some people have said that Gillette are virtue-signalling — or brandwagoning, to use the neologism — by taking on such a current concern. I don’t think that’s fair or true. Nor do I think brands should do that. However, I think if a brand is brave enough to nail its flag to a particular social issue then why shouldn’t they? Freedom of speech and all that apply to companies, not just individuals. Brands have been doing this for generations. It’s not a new phenomenon. It just doesn’t happen that often because few boards have the courage to sign off on something deemed to be potentially divisive or controversial. And few marketing directors have the vision or courage to create something like this. I for one applaud the ambition to progress past traditional masculine marketing to the needs and concerns of modern male customers.
But what happens when this approach goes wrong? There’s an obvious example that springs to mind: Pepsi. So how did it go so horribly, catastrophically wrong?
I believe the mistake Pepsi’s made with their Kendall Jenner ad was that they tried to infer that the soft drink could be the solution to calming down a volatile situation (i.e. a stand-off between police and protesters). What Gillette has done is express an opinion and take a side, not try to suggest they had the cure; they demonstrated a belief, a moral standing and a sense of purpose. Will it appeal to everyone? No. Does that matter? No.
What many people miss is the fact that retailers and other consumer brands have multiple segments of customers. You’ll never be all things to all people. So, in the first instance, you need to focus on core customer segments. I used to be a marketing director in the retail space, in the sports sector. I always ran focus groups to test ideas we had before we went to production. However, there’s usually a balance as, in truth, customers don’t always know what they want or need. That’s why advertising and new product development works. If you’d asked customers how they wanted to listen to music, they wouldn’t have imagined the iPod! Sometimes, you need to take risks. And sometimes, that bravery really pays off.
The purpose of an ethical ad is to align your brand identity to a cause and demonstrate that you’re a socially responsible brand. To communicate a sense of purpose. To identify with an issue that you believe is highly important to your most important customers.
It is something, crucially, I believe we need to see a lot more of.
Fascinating read, it makes you wonder what the dynamics of the marketing team are like of the companies that have successfully aligned their brand to a belief. It’s a big risk and like you say, I think Gillette have positioned themselves exactly where they want to be and pulle it off.