Introduction
In the 2011 Super Bowl, Groupon launched a series of ads that were regarded as a way for the company to ‘come out.’ The ad campaign involved a series of 30-second ads where celebrities like Timothy Hutton, Cuba Gooding Jnr, and Elizabeth Hurley talked about global issues and then later talk about the discounts being offered by Groupon. Some of the critical issues that the celebrities talked about involved the deforestation taking place in Brazil, the plight of Tibetan culture, and the extinction of the killer whale. In one of the 30-second ads by Timothy Hutton, he notes how the Tibetans are in trouble but yet still able to make an amazing fish curry.
The ad goes on to note that 200 individuals can enjoy Tibetan food at half price at Chicago’s Himalayan Restaurant. The ad was considered not only the worst in the history of the Super Bowl but also socially irresponsible. Issues Involved In the Campaign From the advertisers’ and brand manager’s perspective, the ads by Groupon are unethical and insensitive. The insensitivity and unethical aspect of the ads emerges especially in Timothy Hutton’s ad where the plight of the Tibetan people is highlighted. In this ad, the advertisers recruited and used the people of Tibet in making an ad directed towards the sale of the company’s services. While the use of Tibetan people is not by itself unethical under other circumstances, the ad mentions the plight of these people, uses them in the ad, but focuses on the sale of Groupon’s services at the expense of the plight of the Tibetan people. The insensitive nature of the ad also points to a level of disrespect for the Tibetan culture as well as their basic human needs thus translating to a flouting of the moral principles that define humanity.
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From an advertiser’s perspective, the ad is in bad taste and should not have been aired. From a brand manager’s perspective, the insensitivity created by the ad only seeks to dent the brand value that the company has created over time. With the target audience for the ad being the football fans across different age groups, the issue derived from the ad is that the advertisers promoted absurdity over-seriousness in the plight of other people and their cultures. Other 30 second ads involved celebrities talking about a global issue such as deforestation in Brazil and the extinction of killer whales but always ended with a promotion of the discounts offered by Groupon. For the audience, the ad is not only tasteless but also shows a lack of seriousness in addressing global issues but rather a drive for profitability at the expense of such events. In light of this, the ads are seen as being out of touch with reality and humanity for the glorification of the company’s services at the expense of important events.
The target audience, as well as existing consumers, would not be inclined to purchase products or services from a company that is out of touch with reality. Actions as the Account Executive As the account executive at Crispin Porter and Bogusky, one of the actions I would take before the production of the ad is to take an in-depth review of existing options and choosing one that fits within ethical and sensitive parameters. Such means that as the executive, there has to be a consideration of how the audience is likely to perceive a particular ad not only based on the images but also the content being delivered. Following production of the ad, the next action would be to critically review the ad and seek the input of public relations executives as well as a group of consumers. The measure is directed towards visualization of the possible perception by the audience regarding the particular ad.
The involvement of public relations executives is for purposes of considering whether the particular advertisement is likely to promote or damage the company’s image. From such considerations, one would make the right decision regarding whether the ad should be aired or not. Considering the insensitivity of the ad especially towards the Tibetan culture and people, I would oppose the production of the ad based on the fact that it is likely to bring negative publicity and affect the company’s image as well. Following the ads at the Super Bowl, the responses would not differ from those offered by the Groupon and Crispin Porter companies. The two companies focused on promoting a positive image and centered the public’s attention towards the idea that the ads were meant to be a mock to celebrities rather than the promotion of an insensitive image. Essentially, the responses do not involve accepting that the companies erred in making the ad, rather than the public perceived the advertisement differently. Such a response seeks to cool down the negative attitudes from the public and refraining from further damaging the companies’ reputation. Beyond this, the companies responded by also depicting how they have also taken steps in addressing some of the global issues that are highlighted in the ads. In this regard, my approach to dealing with the backlash following the ads would not have been different.
Ethical Principles
Based on the ethical principles of advertising, there is a need to ensure that the industry follows high levels of ethical standards. The decision not to produce and air the ad is based on this parameter since the ad mocks the ethical guidelines and principles that define the advertising industry. As an example, the ads show insensitivity towards cultures that are at risk as well as other global issues. An advertiser is expected to showcase high moral values in any undertaking, but the Tibetan ad shows utter disrespect for the people of Tibet. Such insensitivity and disrespect mean that the ad cannot also achieve its intended purpose which is to bring people towards purchasing products and services from Groupon.
The stimulus organism theory calls for the need to ensure that there is a connection between the message and the audience where the focus is on the reaction that is beneficial to the company’s products and services. The failure to uphold moral principles made the ad incapable of connecting the message to the audience and hence resulting in the backlash that ensued from the ad. Another ethical principle informing the decisions in the previous section relates to the need to use discretion and care depending on the target audience and the type of advertisement. Based on the type of advertisement, the advertisers should have depicted social consciousness especially with their use of celebrities as well as the focus on pertinent global issues. In the ads by Groupon, the celebrities show social consciousness but fail to exercise care by directing this consciousness towards the promotion of services offered by Groupon.
Rather than create the desired effect of endearing the audience towards the products and services being advertised, the advertisement creates a negative psychological reaction that goes against the psychological reactance theory. Such issues should have been identified in an interaction between the account executive at Crispin Porter and the public relations executives. The insensitivity especially directed towards the Tibetan people and others affected by the various global issues should have been avoided through a consideration of the target audience and the use of discretion. High personal ethics also emerge as a defining principle in making any decision related to advertisement since personal ethics aid in ensuring that any content or message delivered is in line with ethical and moral standards of the industry. Personal ethics also define the approach to be taken in responding to the public since a high level of sensitivity and professionalism is required in dealing with the negative publicity emerging from the ads.
Conclusion
The ads by Groupon during the 2011 Super Bowl did not achieve their intended purpose but rather created a negative reaction from the public. The reaction came from the insensitive and tasteless nature of the ads that sought to associate the company with social consciousness. The advertisers failed to factor in the likely response from the target audience due to the nature of the issues being highlighted. Importantly, there should have been a high degree of care and the consideration of ethical standards during the production of the ads by Groupon.
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