Procter & Gamble have rolled out a new advertising campaign, this time, with the intention of securing a market segment they already dominate – the mother market. Justifiably enough, most of their products cater to mothers, such as washing agents, grooming products and home amenities, to name a few. Their new campaign does put them in better light, and tagging themselves to mothers, as well as relating to the Olympics could be a masterstroke for them.
The advertisement maps out the daily life of a mom, from waking up the child, to setting breakfast, and traveling to practice, but with a twist. The timeline rapidly progresses, with the dedication of the mother clearly highlighted, until finally, their small children are Olympic winners.
In a touching moment, all of them win their respective events, and dedicate their victory to their mothers with teary eyes on both sides. Coupled with a gently progressive song on the piano, this hits just the right spot on the sentimental scale, which is exactly what they would have intended to achieve. Of course, a good ad cannot finish without the products itself, so screenshots of P & G’s flagship brands whiz by at the end.
Certainly, this campaign’s objectives are clearly stated, and whether it is successful depends on perspective, though it is certainly popular. The brand’s goodwill is certainly given a boost, especially through its brave statement, “Proud Sponsors of Mom’s Worldwide”.
But considering the fact that P & G are already at the pinnacle of sales and profits, financial increases are likely to be unexpected, or rather, would be nominal in comparison. The benefits are the added reputation, and a competitive advantage over its counterpart, Unilever, which is likely to retaliate.
Since P & G are official partners for the Olympics, they make it easier to conduct this marketing scheme. Reputation is almost everything in today’s business world, and to ensure that it is theirs, P & G have even introduced an Olympic fund to finance “American dreams”, likely Olympic talents of tomorrow. Philanthropy does go a long way, and also makes sure that Corporate Social Responsibility, and a few perks of this campaign to the public can be maintained. Furthermore, the campaign continues with videos of actual mothers of Olympians, a step which can bring the marketing ploy to end with a flourish, and ensure that their aims can be met.
The main channel was through television, and it has reached quite a large audience. The internet has allowed them to continue their “Mother of Olympians” ad sequence, and helped garner audience and recognition for their trust, as well as for their products too.
There is the fact that the marketing campaign would improve its customer base, and market share too, which cannot be fully negated, and will inevitably be the final objective for P & G. This can go a long way for them, and although short-term rises in revenue would occur, the long-term effect of improved brand quality through reputation can help it harness customers in good and bad times.
As today’s consumer is highly influenced by marketing, and a good brand image, this campaign can prove to be highly valuable for P & G.
Varun Srivatsan
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Image Source [http://myrealreview.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/mom-and-baby.png]
