Evolution of Communication Strategy - Case Study Example

Calls its advertising and marketing activities its communication strategy.

Problems
• Benetton’s so-called innovative communication strategy was not adequate to enhance its sales growth.
• Although this advertising strategy had initially produced fruitful effects, it gradually caused dissatisfaction among customers, retailers, government bodies, and various international non-profit organizations.
• In most of the time, Benetton’s ‘shock value’ advertisements produced negative impacts on the public
• Customers did not get the opportunity to evaluate Benetton’s products since the company had not adequately advertised its products.
• Most of the time, company advertisements hurt the religious, racial, or political sentiments of different communities.
Solution
• The company should not post advertisements that would hurt racial, political, or religious sentiments.
• It is recommendable for the company not to practice ‘shock value’ advertisements as their effectiveness depends on the mental perceptions of the viewers.
• An ultimate customer would always wish to see the company’s product collections. Therefore, the company must give great emphasis on displaying its new clothing collections.
• Moreover, the company must take the cultural difference of various courtiers into account while designing its advertisements as the firm has to operate in more than 120 countries.

Resolutions
The company practiced controversial advertisement techniques that applied the effects of photography to capture market attention. The case writers Ganesan and Krishna (2003) say that in 1984, the company’s campaign named ‘all the colors in the world’ reflected the message of racial integration but it evoked negative sentiments, especially in the US, England, and South Africa. Toscani planned a new communication strategy according to which the advertisements would neither show products nor the logo. The company’s black woman-white baby advertisement was severely criticized as it reminded the Blacks about the days of slavery. Similarly, the priest and nun kissing advertisement hurt the religious notions of Christianity and hence it was widely criticized by many including the Pope. According to Ganesan and Krishna (2003), the most troublesome situation occurred when the Benetton advertisements showed close-ups of human body parts tattooed with the abbreviation ‘HIV Positive’ as this symbol was very similar to the numbers tattooed by Nazis on concentration camp prisoners.

The case writers (2003) indicate that the company changed its communication strategy and turned to conventional advertising when it faced severe criticisms from various parts of the globe. It still gives focus on its social responsibility advertisements which seems to be a positive step in its strategic decision. Evidently, the new policy is beneficial for the company as it also considers customer feedback while maintaining the company’s interests. In my opinion, the company will have a prosperous future if it continues the same approach. Read More