THE EVOLUTION OF COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

- Utkarsh Saxena

Introduction•Benetton the Italian apparel company was founded by Luciano Benetton in 1965.

•Revenue over 1.6 billion Euros.

•Worldwide business(presence over 120 countries)

•Group produces over 130 million garments every year.

•Company is listed in Borsa Italian, the Frankfurt stock exchange and the Ney York stock exchange.

• Company works on Exclusive Marketing strategy.

• In 1984 company Hired Photographer Oliviero Toscani as their Creative director.

• Benetton Group was mainly in the news for its Advertising campaigns.

• United Colors of Benetton was the first slogan in the history Which Became Trademark of the company.

Founders Thought

Luciano Benetton : "The purpose of advertising is not to sell more. It's to do with institutional publicity, whose aim is to communicate the company's values .We need to convey a single strong image, which can be shared anywhere in the world.“

Oliviero Toscani pursues this : "I am not here to sell pullovers, but to promote an image"... Benetton's advertising draws public attention to universal themes like racial integration, the protection of the environment, Aids...

ADVERTISING PHILOSOPHY

“communication should not be commissioned from outside the company, but conceived from within its heart.”

-Luciano Benetton’s

• Advertising campaign

• The company adopted the slogan as its actual logo

Brands

Positioning UCB captures desired image and positioning

•Product (colorful character)

•User consideration (diversity of people who wear it) •Leisure brand

Competitors

Advertising Idea• United color of Benetton

carries “A Big Idea” as a concept.– Grab attention by shocking images– A distinct image– Draw people attention towards issues like racial abuse– Position the company as a social conscious marketer

Building Value For The BrandThe process of building Value for the brand

(UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON) follows three phases.

• The cycle of difference

• The cycle of reality

• The cycle of free speech and the right to express it

The Cycle Of Difference

• In this cycle, the word “different” became a close cousin of “controversial.”

• Benetton learned that attempt to bring different individuals together can lead to conflict instead of happiness and euphoria.

By acknowledging these differences and prohibitions, the brand appeared more involved.

The Cycle Of reality• After equality and the exaltation of differences,

Benetton turned to the reality of what is common to all and shared by humankind.

In 1991, during the Gulf War, this image was created, a photo of a war cemetery.

Benetton answered with a birth, the famous image of a newborn baby still attached to the umbilical cord.

Photos of real, high-drama situations: a man dying of AIDS, a car on fire

The Cycle of Free speech and Right to Express it

• Through its alliance with non-profit associations, institutions, and large international organizations, Benetton proved that a “different” use of advertising was indeed possible and seen as the Creation of value and was soon came in fashion catalogues.

For the sixth World AIDS Day, on December 1st

1993, an enormous pink condom, 22 meters high and 3.5 meters wide, was placed on the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

All the daily and magazine press featured the image that has become a symbol of the fight against AIDS.

The controversy • Introduced controversial death row campaign

• Resulted in protests from various social groups

• Lead to the resignation of the creative head Oliviero Tasconi

• Sued in the court and finally have to settle down the matters by paying $50,000 to the victims family

Advertising Campaigns2001, Volunteers in Colors:

Benetton communication campaign, a special issue of COLORS and a concert, in collaboration with UN Volunteers to celebrate the International Year of Voluntary Work.

2003, Food For Life:

The campaign highlighted the problem of hunger, which is still the greatest humanitarian emergency around the world.

2004, James & Other Apes:

Through this initiative, Benetton continued its exploration of diversity ,extending it from the variety of human races to embrace the living beings that are our closest cousins.

Media Selection

• Magazines

• Internet

• Newspaper

• Television

Appeals• Emotions

•Fear

•FUN

Promotional tools

Sponsorships

Public relation

Social Network

PROBLEMS

• Controversial methods of advertising some times leading to protests

• Difficulty in correlating the themes with their products

• The effect of these advertisements on the buying behaviour of customers are difficult to be quantified

• Mostly restricted to print ads

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Even though the shock advertising has worked for

them it can be done in more customer friendly

advertising

• More TV Advertisement

• The collection of ideas for the campaign can be done

more carefully not to hurt any one feelings

THANK YOU!