Catherine Guan's Blog

Those were the kisses that’s gotten people talking. No, it wasn’t on the big screen during a sweeping romance. Nor, for that matter was it on the grainy pages of a tabloid.  The Italian fashion company Benetton recently released a  controversial “Unhate Campaign,” consisting of various political and religious leaders locking lips. The campaign is composed of series of advertisements that includes, among others, images of Obama kissing Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez and Germany’s Angela Merkel kissing France’s Nicolas Sarkozy.

For a advertisement campaign that relied on traditional channels, like print publications and billboards, Benetton enjoyed enormous success. As Drew’s Marketing Minute pointed out, marketers shouldn’t dismiss traditional platforms quite yet. These simple, but jarring images, were more effective at attracting audiences than many elaborate digital advertisements.

While the campaign’s distribution strategy was impeccable, the ethics of Unhate is another matter.  It’s hard to find fault with a message promoting to undo the hatred between people of different race, orientation and creed. However, the link between compassion and the clothing manufacturer is strenuous at best. Does Benetton really want to ignite an authentic discussion or do they just want to sell more v-necks?  The campaign seems too calculated.

Benetton must have known they were playing a high risk hand when they unveiled the image of Pope Benedict XVI kissing Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb. The resulting furor of the Vatican has forced them to pull it. It’s now up to their PR team to prove that all publicity is indeed good publicity, that the increased interest will offset the loss of consumers deterred by these smooches. Benetton is playing a dangerous game.

Moments of euphoria and anguish, tears of heartbreak and joy, this year’s World Cup provided them all in abundance. My favorite memory was surprisingly not the triumph of La Furia Roja, the return of Maradona, nor the god-like abilities of Messi. It was a group of miniskirt-wearing women.

A daring marketing ploy by the Dutch brewing company Bavaria saw of group of young women arriving in red outfits that seem to be in the Danish colours to the game between Netherlands and Denmark; then stripping off those outfits to reveal the orange dresses with the Bavaria logo underneath. In the second half, the young women were removed from the stadium, questioned by FIFA and then by the police before being released.

This is can be considered as an instance of ambush marketing, because the official beer of the World Cup is Budweiser. FIFA is seeking to protect its sponsor’s interests by forbidding any promotional activity by competitors that uses fans to advertise products.

While I admire the audacity of Bavaria, finding legal loopholes is a dangerous game to play. FIFA, likewise, finds itself in a dilemma. There are boundaries as to how far it can punish offenders, because prison sentences of up to three years under the law seem too harsh. In 2006, FIFA ordered fans wearing Bavaria-branded Leeuwenhosen in 2006 to take them off and watch the game in their underpants. Thankfully, that option was not chosen this year, or there might have been more than great footwork to boggle the eye.

In the wake of the recession, there has been an outcry for greater transparency in businesses. Volkswagen took transparency to a whole new level with their Phaeton assembly plant in Dresden, Germany. Dubbed the Transparent Factory, it has glass walls, resembling something from a futuristic fairy tale. VW facilitates daily guided tours for anyone who is interested in seeing one of the greenest manufacturing plants in the world. Even the way VW moves parts and supplies is green, using an electric tram transportation system.

If I could hop on a plane to Germany, this is one stop I definitely wouldn’t miss. It would be amazing to witness what VW is doing for sustainability. While their competitors are trying to cut costs and payback government bailout, the German automaker is focusing on sustainability.

Indubitably, riding on the forefront of the “Green Wave” is advantageous for VW’s image. I believe it is also vital for their survival. Traditional transports rely on diminishing supplies of oil. Furthermore, air pollution and congestion resulting from conventional transports cause inefficiencies in supply chains, increasing the production cost. Thus, going green is not only embracing a dream of happily-ever-after for mankind; it is financially viable as well.

Here, we grumble and mumble about Tourism B.C.’s expensive star-studded “You Gotta Be Here” Campaign. Millions of tax-payers went to movie stars and sports legends to hock our coasts and mountains. Our neighbours over in Alberta are rumbling about quite the opposite. An advertisement campaign launched by Corporate Ethics International is urging travelers to stay away from the Rockies and Lake Jasper.

Displeased with the provincial government’s support of oil sands, “Rethink Alberta” compares Alberta to the recent Mexican Gulf Oil Spill and the plundering of Pandora. Pulling at heart-strings and attracting eye-balls, our sister province has gained plenty of unwanted attention. Alberta’s brand image has been tarnished. Regardless of what the reality of the oil industry may be, it is the perception that matters. Many American and British travelers are choosing another destination.

Conceded, we do need to consider the moral implications of our choices. What troubles me, however, is the people who are impacted by “Re-think Alberta”. Instead of Big Oil, it is the ordinary Albertans in the travel and service sectors who are suffering.

This campaign needs to rethink.

The world’s largest electric component maker, Foxconn, makes waves as the producer of trendy gadgets like the iPad and the iPhone. Earlier this year, it made waves with quite an unusual trend—worker suicides. Over a five month period, a rash of 13 suicide attempts were made by employees of Foxconn’s Shenzhen based plant, resulting in 10 deaths. Suicide-prevention netting was installed and workers were asked to sign no-suicide pledges.

Foxconn came under scrutiny concerning its employment practices, with reports of long work hours and discrimination. As the largest employers in the region, the company has a significant social impact. From a strictly commercial standpoint, the impact of low worker morale and negative public image are worrisome for Foxconn. Even Milton Friedman can’t find anything wrong with the management rushing to improve worker wages.

Corporations, while being commercial enterprises remain a part of our society and can’t escape that obligation. Sweatshops are morally repulsive to all human beings and as such, should not exist. After all, sprawling numbers on spreadsheets do not have any tangible meaning for the ordinary citizen. Without ethics, corporations are cancerous moles, mindlessly expanding, unsightly, and potentially fatal—as the Foxconn workers know too well.