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I really appreciated the video Katja put together because it showed moms pay attention. Not all the comments in the video are crys of out rage but thoughts about PR and how campaigns can go wrong. Also when you read just a bit further past the video Katja gives wonderful ways for any company, not just Motrin, to improve and reach out to target audience. s.
I think it is a shame that I never heard about the child pornoghraphy bill. I must say though I didnt hear about it from any other media source either. If I had surely I would have responded to that and would have tried to bring awareness to that as well. I hope you will give me the benefit of the doubt and believe me.
Motrin could have made the point that caring for a pre-mobile baby can lead to aches and pains in a way that didn't specifically denegrate babywearing, its benefits, and the women (note, specifically women, babywearing fathers never mentioned) who engage in it.
That a company as large as Johnson & Johnson (who owns the company that makes Motrin) allowed an ad like that to get through their multiple layers of marketing approval says that either everyone there is clueless or that they figured that nutty babywearing women - who are all apparently brainless trendoids - were an "okay" group to snark. That's not okay.
Is it an outrage on the level of child pornography? No. Should it be addressed just the same? Absolutely yes.
It's also almost comic that you left the link of this blog post to my blog to get more traffic to your blog, without actually reading my blog post.
I didn't take the ad personally, but as a marketing person I know a bad ad or bad PR when I see it. Do I ask everyone else's opinion every time that happens? Probably not, but this time I did. The talk was already going on at twitter, moms were already writing blog posts, I simply asked what moms thought and I could collect people's opinions on a video to be sent to Motrin.
What I didn't expect, nor encourage, that what I thought was going to be a 15 talk on twitter turned into something much bigger. But no wonder - the 15 minutes talk on twitter turned into over 150 answers from moms whose feelings were hurt. I simply did a video of mothers' feelings - I didn't create this - I simply told a story in a form of a video.
"personally", but I am also a person who doesn't respond to being patronized. The tone of this ad is so condescending it's almost laughable. Like I said in my post and Tweets, I make choices based on the quality of the product, not the morons in suits who create the ads, but c'mon now. A little research panel, a small mom-focus-group? Maybe they should've spent an even prettier penny to include these small details to ensure a FANTASTIC campaign and a different response.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patricia-handschi...
Why single Katja out when clearly this was a source of contention for so many moms out there? And then follow it up with a "I still love ya, though" as if disagreeing with her would mean that you didn't?
Alexis, I love you too, but to be honest...you came across as a little patronizing in this post and as someone who respects a lot of what you do, I was a little disappointed.
With that said, I still love ya though.
The thing that surprised me was how some of the moms who were offended by the ad were in turn, offended that some of us weren't offended. Ok, I have a headache and need a Motrin after just *writing* that sentence!
Plus, I wasn't offended because the ad spoke to me and addressed an actual problem I have had. That's what advertising does, folks. It identifies a problem, creates a message to connect with a target market, and then provides the solution. If someone was offended, it might be because of the good fortune they have had in NOT being in pain from babywearing and any other innumerable aches and pains that mommyhood creates. And it creates a lot of them, and I'm not to sanctimonious to admit that mommyhood, while wonderful and fun can also be a big fat pain in the neck!
So I say, "Thanks Motrin" for hearing my pain and recognizing an issue since there is a certain segment of the mom population who could care less about me. Off to buy a bottle of Motrin today just to be contrary....
Thanks for the rational post...wish there were more!
The thing that surprised me was how some of the moms who were offended by the ad were in turn, offended that some of us weren't offended. Ok, I have a headache and need a Motrin after just *writing* that sentence!
Plus, I wasn't offended because the ad spoke to me and addressed an actual problem I have had. That's what advertising does, folks. It identifies a problem, creates a message to connect with a target market, and then provides the solution. If someone was offended, it might be because of the good fortune they have had in NOT being in pain from babywearing and any other innumerable aches and pains that mommyhood creates. And it creates a lot of them, and I'm not to sanctimonious to admit that mommyhood, while wonderful and fun can also be a big fat pain in the neck!
So I say, "Thanks Motrin" for hearing my pain and recognizing an issue since there is a certain segment of the mom population who could care less about me. Off to buy a bottle of Motrin today just to be contrary....
Thanks for the rational post...wish there were more!
Regarding the former, where feelings were at stake, the Twitterati found immediate traction and momentum, and eventual vindication when the Motrin folks capitulated.
Regarding the latter, where actual lives and psyches are still at stake, and despite Patricia Handschiegel's valiant efforts, there was no immediate traction. It's a much more complex issue without the promise of immediate gratification.
Moms are powerful. It's proven. What would happen if the Motrin indignation were aimed at child trafficking?
I appreciate this post, Alexis.
It was a bad ad and clearly not made for their target market-but too many people took it way out of context. Aren't there many more pertinent issues going on in the world that we can all work our social media magic on to make better than worrying about an ad that would run its course in a few weeks? I just don't get the waste of energy on this-I am sorry.
As far as being a "dear friend", I followed this whole media frenzy unfold yesterday and can say with certainty that Katja was not at the forefront of this, she created a dynamic video to get a point across, but this whole thing did not unfold because of her and think it is poor judgment to post this kind of information without actual facts. This is how people get hurt.....especially "dear friends"......
I think the bigger picture here is this: moms want to be heard, to be recognized for the strength and power that they are. We drive the economy. I don't know any group of consumers that wants to be patronized...and that was really the larger picture, I believe.
Katja used her "muscle" as a powerful mom, a powerful bloggr to give a voice to moms (and dads) who were upset by the ad. I thank her for that.
I think it's a pretty safe bet the people who were involved with this ad campaign will take a step back before putting out another snarky ad that is condescending and rude (to anyone, not just moms or just women, I find the paper towel ads that portray men as bumbling idiots who can't figure out how to wipe up a spill insanely obnoxious and equally condescending).
I think the above commenter was correct that it is reflective of an ability to feel powerful enough to affect the change. And I HAVE seen equally vehement responses to political and legislative issues. One recent one being the attempt to change the definition of abortion arguably to include hormonal birth control another being the attempt in Colorado to define life as beginning at the moment of conception and the blog response to Prop. 8 being passed in Cali. The entire count down to the election last month. So to say that it is only superfluous issues that receive this type of response is incorrect.
And there is no sense in arguing what issue is more important. Each person has a limited amount of time in their life that they can devote to fighting issues. If we all picked the same issue as most important, than many other issues would have no effort put forth at all. So while it may not be a hot button issue for you that there are ads out there that are not only condescending but perpetuating the myth of moms doing things purely to be 'in style' and lacking any independent thought, it matters to me and I responded.
1.) The ad should have never run because companies the size of J&J can afford to test them for their "offensiveness" factor. The fact that the ad ran means they either mis-tested it, or, they didn't care. In either case they blew it and if they are smart they'll learn from it.
2.) We can debate the merits or demerits of the ad until the cows come home with their heads caved in -- everybody is entitled to their opinion. At the end of the day if 5% (let alone say 50%) of women don't like it, it was a mistake. If you think it's okay, or just lame and harmless, I congratulate you for your easy going nature. As a marketer though, if a significant chunk of the target market are having the kind of reaction they are clearly having, then it's a case study in marketing gone wrong, and my opinion doesn't count. The target's opinion counts.
3.) I take the Mompreneur's point that it may not deserve quite the level of emotion that's happening. So yes, a deep breath, and let's all learn from this. And -- let's not deny anybody's feelings, regardless of what we feel.
I think its great to have both sides heard, I am for one, on yours actually! But we should definitely not be attacking fellow BLOGGERS by name, its just fighting dirty.
But i like that you know how to get a google link. lol
trisha
momdot.com
Yes, some blogged and one in particular created a viral video.
And yes, we should do the very same thing for other much more important issues.
And yet, wouldn't you say that this was an appropriate response to being denigrated and patronized too...simply expressing disdain? It got a response, which was to pull the ad. I think in the end this is what most of us wanted. And after that, the vast majority of those that expressed concerns came away pretty satisfied.
Can we do the same thing about child pornography? I wish it were that easy. I think that would require a much bigger response and much more organized one.
This was simply one person, telling one friend, and she told two friends, and so on and so on...and people bitched and they were heard and the response was a simple one. A small issue, an easy solution...what made is unique was that it was driven by social media.
And hopefully it will teach us that we can do the same for larger, more important issues.
I'm sorry that my issue isn't big enough for you, but really I'm sad for women everywhere that some are still so insecure that they'd take their precious "empire building" time to berate another group of women.
Sheez...
The ad made me shrug. Maybe a bit snarky, but it seems most ads are these days. Other than that, what's the big deal?
This ad appears to simply have been put out by people who haven't a clue. The part where I get irritated is... "Plus, it totally makes me look like an official Mom..." Um, is the "mom" in this ad, "like, totally" 14?" And, apparently, looking like an "official mom" is looking tired and crazy. Excellent. Way to speak to your demographic.
A slightly different rhetoric here would've made the ad hilarious instead of just plain foolish.