Proctor & Gamble - The Man Your Man Could Smell Like - Case Study Example

Campaign Review School Affiliation: Introduction Proctor & gamble is widely known company in the US mainly or its beauty and health products including toothpaste and others. The company uses Old Spice as its brand for male products though the same products, often, end up being bought even by female clients. In 2011, Old Spice won a grand award for its successful campaign on one of its beauty products. A body-wash product advert was created prior to this win where it had a “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” as its line (Szmigin & Piacentini, 2014). Initially, the product was meant for men though it later became a phenomenon when even women bought it. As this paper will later highlight, the campaign had tremendous outcomes in terms of sales. Besides providing this information, this paper will investigate what worked for the campaign and what did not. Further, the conception, launching, assessment and the target of the campaign will be addresses here as well. Formative research In a bid to gain market advantage, Proctor & Gamble sought to introduce various brands of deodorants, body sprays and body washes using Old Spice as its name. Competition in this field had been high in 2008, and the company needed to be extra creative in order to remain competitive. After months of research, the firm agreed that women were instrumental in purchasing men products. As a result, it was agreed that a product meant for both women and men would be introduced. Despite using a man, Isaiah Mustafa, this particular campaign intended that both genders would find the product appealing. Upon agreeing on this part, producers, Eric Kallman and Craig Allen were approached about developing this advert (Mayar, & Ramsey, 2011). Prior to the development and subsequent release of this advertisement, the company conducted a study where it was found that men products needed to be unique. Apparently, there were several similar products, and as such, innovation was imperative if the company was going to be seen as outstanding (Szmigin & Piacentini, 2014). It is after this research that “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” was developed. Initially, the firm produced a 30-second advert but went on to have another one lasting for 15 second but both featured the same person, and had similar intention. The directors of this advertisement ensured that it would attract viewers by shooting it on various places. At one point, the actor is seen clad in a towel then on a boat and finally on a horse. While this may seem as an ordinary shooting, Kanagaraj, Archana and Tamilmani (2011) stated that a good advert ought to reflect different areas preferred by the targeted market. By employing this approach of boats and horses, the directors seemed to connect with the wider US audience whose passion for horseracing is not a secret. In addition, when an advert is being developed its success is to some extent dependent on the individual involved. Public figures normally help in ensuring a product achieves the much-needed publicity (Domini, 2009). While Isaiah Mustafa may not be the most famous, this choice was in line with the advert since the actor has been involved in various ventures including playing for Seattle Seahawks (Favaro, 2013). Additionally, the appearance of the actor has also been attributed to the success of the advert. Others feel the quality of the commercial is high especially by shooting on various places, and with effects. Then, a campaign has to have a target for the product and the advertisement need to be set in a way it resonates with its target. A failure in this area could see a product flop in the market regardless of the other procedures applied (Kanagaraj et al, 2011). The target for the said product by Old Spice seemed to be the young people judging from a number of things. First, the choice of the public figure clearly portrays the notion that the product was meant for this group. Secondly, the whole setting of the advert proves this assertion since there is no other indication. Setting or designing of a message in an advert is critically important as it could have significant implications when it comes to consumer decision (Szmigin & Piacentini, 2014). In the case of this Old Spice product, the message was designed in a way to create an impression of great achievement if certain things were done. It is for that reason that the character can be seen from one area to another and reciting monologues with an amazing voice and precision. Due to success in these areas, the advert had close to 2.4 million views in only 20 days (Favaro, 2013). Campaign launch, assessment and outcome At the beginning of the campaign, the company sought to advertise as many products as possible, and this was achieved by employing various tactics. First case entails “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” where the actor implies that if Old Spice products are used, then anything is possible. Here, the producers seemed to underline this impression by having the character recite the monologue without either pausing or batting an eyelid. Secondly, it is seemed the transitions between the bathroom, sailboat and eventually on the horse compounds this notion. This is the first advert, produced at the beginning of January 2010; in this campaign for the sale of these products that produced whose length was 30 second (Wentz, 2010). This advertisement was followed another titled. “Did you know?” where the actor remains Mustafa but other products by the same company are being advertised. This commercial was shot almost the same time as the main one but the time varies. The first one had a length of about 30 seconds while this lasted 15 seconds. Unlike the first one, which showed the character on a horse, this one seemed to show the same person riding the horse backwards (Mayar & Ramsey, 2011). Again, the company came with yet another advert this time titled, “Questions” where some changes are evident but the actor and motive remain unchanged. This advertisement released cleverly six months after the first one, which is seen as a strategy to keep the consumers focused on the products. The disparity in the first one with this is that the latest showed Mustafa talking to a group of women. In this scene, the character is asking the women what their desires were, and creating the impression that if Old Spice products were used, their wishes could become true. Several simulations take place and yet again, the actor recites the monologue yet again without hesitation or stammering. Eventually, the advert ends with Mustafa sitting on a motorbike, unlike the other two where the horse was utilized. Consistency in this advert is evident where the company is implying that all things would be possible if the products advertised are used. While this may just be an advertisement, Dominici (2009) noted that consistency in marketing is vitally important as it gives client some confidence. In addition to these two, Old Spice went ahead to have another secondary spot for the above advert by creating another one: ‘Boat’. On this one, the same character can be seen with a fake moustache on a boat. The first moustache appears to be unreal but upon pulling it off, another one looking meticulous can be seen. Since the company intended the products to gain as much publicity as possible, another advert, “Scent vacation” was released in 2011. Worth noting here is that before the start of the campaign, the company sought to erase the impression associated with its products. Apparently, the way it used to advertise implied the products were for the elderly (Wentz, 2013). Conversely, their approach in this campaign seemed to rectify the mistake by engaging young people in all of the products. As was the case in the other adverts where the central message was that Old Spice gives the confidence to go anywhere, this commercial had the same. Apart from the change in areas to do with background and computer effects, the advert’s aim to ensure that, the public understood that anyone could use it anywhere. Fish and other things are handled to Mustafa to show that using products can help the user do many things without having a bad scent (Wentz, 2013). Concerning the campaign assessment, the company relied heavily on online feedback and consumer response in terms of purchases. Apart from availing the commercial on TVs, online platforms proved vital in assessing how the commercial faired. Additionally, during the Olympics, the commercial was accessible online. Earlier, the company’s main assessment criterion was to be as per the sales not primarily the views. Surprisingly, the result was tremendous on both. Furthermore, the assessment was to be analysed as per the comments by major newspapers especially because of the character used (Favaro, 2013). As noted, the outcome was overwhelming with reference to positive reviews for the commercial but also the sales. The New York Daily commented positively on the advertisement especially the role and portrayal of Mustafa. Similarly, the People magazine noted that Mustafa’s ability to recite the monologue gave the commercial an outstanding appearance. Moreover, the commercial was voted as the most outstanding in the Primetime Emmy Award in July 2010. Still, a month prior to this award, the commercial feature in the Cannes Lions International Advertising festival, and was awarded the Grand prix for film. Then, by 2012, the commercial had hit the 43 million views mark on YouTube thus making quite popular (Wentz, 2010). Besides the popularity, the commercial saw a drastic increase on the sales of the advertised products and others by the company. As reported earlier, the company’s approach couple with intense competition did not have positive outcome. However, upon the release and the subsequent popularising of the commercial, the outlook changed for the better. It was noted afterwards that this campaign “changed the way brands can interact and engage with their fans and ultimately helped to double sales of Old Spice body wash from the previous year” (Effie, 2011). Because of the success brought about by this commercial, the company’s products have since been sold at a higher rate than was the case before. Additionally, the commercial itself has been parodied severally including in the Sessame street, iCarly and Puss in Boots. Even though the precision in the original commercial is not evident in these, the company is still credited for these commercials (Wentz, 2010). Therefore, it could be said that the company’s campaign helped in growing not only its clientele but also volumes of sales. Conclusion Having highlighted the outcomes of the campaign by Old Spice, this section will critically analyse the results, and offer recommendations. First, this part will focus on what worked in the commercial, then what failed to work and eventually give recommendations. As noted in this paper, Old Spice was previously thought to be for old people; besides, the name itself did not help much. By choosing to use a young person, the company’s intention of clearing the old perception can be said to have worked perfectly. Secondly, the fact that this commercial was uploaded to YouTube underlines this assertion that the company was pretty serious in altering this ‘old’ mind-set. Concisely, the promotion of deodorants and other products seemed to have worked well as evidenced by the increase of sales. Normally, the primary objective of a commercial is to inform the prospects of a product in a bid to ensure they finally buy the product. This is normally achieved through various forms including utilising the social media once a commercial is developed (Egbert, 2009). Because the sales increase in the year this commercial was developed, one can authoritatively conclude that the plan for sales worked. Then, the notion of deodorants being a ‘women-affair’ is clearly altered through this commercial. Interestingly, the product was dedicated to both women and men but the commercial’s choice was a man perhaps to help in the altering of this notion. Judging from the comments and views witnessed online, it is factual to state the company’s preconceived idea of ending this idea worked. Moreover, the need to ensure clients would not quickly forget about the product worked as evidenced by the number of views by 2012. As already stated, the views had reached 43 million two after its launch meaning the retention of customers is likely. A closer look at the commercial and the results witnessed reveals that the company must have realised the errors and worked to improve on the same. Earlier, it was noted the company’s ability to compete in the beauty products was dwindling. However, upon rectifying on the area of advertisement, the results are tremendous. One thing the company did that brought the turnaround was the targeting of the digitally aware, and 20-45 demographic consumers. Consequently, the company’s outcome did have a significant improvement, unlike in the past when despite the brand name, it struggled in this area. Notwithstanding these achievements, it seems the company’s overall goal of remaining a leader in the market was not realised. While the parent company, Proctor & Gamble remains quite competitive globally, the beauty products have encountered intense competition. Consequently, this has left analysts questioning the company’s product and strategic innovation with some stating the money spent each year on looking for opportunities ought to be directed elsewhere (Favaro, 2013). Therefore, one could argue that the company did not achieve the overall goal of strategic innovation. While it is clear the commercial signified needed product innovation, it could not offer future strategies. In light of the above findings, it is clear that the company’s future sales could not be guaranteed by the commercial. As Egbert (2009) argued, commercials seldom guarantee long-term success mainly because of the number of other competitors. That is to say, each company seeks to outdo the other in the matters of advertisement. A company has to work on other departments including a strong Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), and not rely solely on adverts. Therefore, Old Spice did not achieve the long-term assurance of its products; only the short-term which is subject to challenging by other competitors. Primarily, the company’s intention to have the product increase in sales from men was not mentioned meaning this may have failed. While the data shows an increase in the sales, it does not specifically state that more men or women bought the product. Besides a failure in this area, the company did not clearly point out why the consumers needed to buy the product. In the commercial, the popular line is that a lot is possible with Old Spice. However, this does not come out clearly, as to what exactly it seeks to achieve using this line. Therefore, there is a probability that once the advert is overtaken by another more exciting one, consumers will not have a reason to buy these products because they, initially, did not buy because of a conviction but rather fun. The introduction of Fabio as another character in the advertisement was unwelcome among the fans. Even though the company later retained Mustafa as the main character, it included Fabio in its online videos where the two challenged each other. By having the two individuals, the company intended to increase the popularity given that Fabio was more popular than Mustafa. Instead, this did not augur well with the fans, and it means the company’s revenues may have been affected because Fabio was still paid. In proposing what ought to be the next step, one ought to be aware of several things concerning the Old Spice. Firstly, the parent company is very competitive. Old Spice ought to utilize that strength. As argued above, the company ought to invest more on strategic innovation and remain consistent on product innovation. Prior to the success that came through the commercial, the products lagged behind despite having a strong parent company. Evidently, the issue then lies in both publicity and innovative ways of ensuring the product’s supremacy is retained. In other words, the Old Spice ought to use the comparative advantage that lies in association of Proctor & Gamble to increase the sales of these products. Exciting but realistic commercials coupled with effective Business Intelligence (BI) and Knowledge Management (KM) systems would have better results. Proctor & Gamble spends a considerable amount of money on research where new opportunities are exploited. There is need for the same approach to the already-existing products. In short, the Old Spice need to analyse the consumer needs and meet it. Most significantly, the fact that its products performed poorly means the competitors are ahead. By ensuring effective BI and KM, it will be easier to come up with a product that client-preferred as opposed to devising that which the company thinks is good for the consumers. References Dominici, G. (2009). From Marketing Mix to e-Marketing Mix: a literature overview and classification. IJBM, 4(9). Effie (2011). Effie Awards : Winners Showcase : 2011 : "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like". Retrieved 24 February 2015, from http://current.effie.org/winners/showcase/2011/4882 Egbert, H. (2009). Business Success Through Social Networks? A Comment on Social Networks and Business Success. American Journal Of Economics And Sociology, 68(3), 665-677. Favaro, K. (2013). Does P&G Need Product Innovation or Strategic Innovation?. Forbes. Retrieved 24 February 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/boozandcompany/2013/07/12/does-pg-need-product-innovation-or-strategic-innovation/ Kanagaraj, A. R. Archana, A., S. & Tamilmani, S. (2011). An Effective Advertisement Within A Minute. IJAR, 3(3), 228-229 Mayar, V., & Ramsey, G. (2011). Digital impact: The two secrets to online marketing success. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons Szmigin, I., & Piacentini, M. (2014). Consumer behaviour. Wentz, L. (2010). Old Spices Manly Body Wash TV Spot Takes Film Grand Prix. Adage.com. Retrieved 24 February 2015, from http://adage.com/article/cannes10/spice-s-man-man-smell-takes-film-grand-prix/144691/ Read More