Olivene Blake

MRKT 354
October 31, 2010

Benetton Case Study Analysis

1. What are the basic objectives of advertising? What are the advertising objectives of
Benetton?
The Basic Objectives of Advertising
The basic objectives of advertising consist of the following:
• To build brand image – Brand image is built through brand equity and brand
recognition, which involves brand awareness.
o Top of mind - Brands that are almost always mentioned are top mind brands
o First choice – First choice is the ideal choice that a consumer chooses when
making purchasing decisions.
• To inform - Informs consumers about the product and additional information regarding
the company that can be useful to consumers.
• To persuade – Persuasion is used to convince consumers that a particular brand is
superior to that of its competitors. Persuasion is best used to introduce new products to
the market.
• To support other marketing efforts – any effort that is used to market other than the
traditional marketing efforts used by the company. For example, a company might use
other marketing efforts to promote the upcoming Christmas holiday.
• To encourage action – encourages consumers to take action right away. Infomercials
are always encouraging consumers to take action to receive a promotional offer
Advertising objectives of Benetton
Benetton’s main objectives involved channelling the differences seen amongst us worldwide
and incorporating those differences into an advertising campaign that we all can relate to. In
order for Benetton to convey this message to the world the company used the following
advertising objectives to meet their goals:
 Creating an un-conventional way of advertisement
Benetton wanted to stand out and be different from its competitors, so the
company used un-conventional ways to advertise by using shock advertisement
which was often bold and aggressive. This advertisement method worked for the
company because it brought the awareness of how serious Benetton was in
regards to some of the issues that we are facing in society.
 Use of art to bring brand awareness
Olivene Blake
MRKT 354
October 31, 2010
Toscani used a variety of controversial images to grab consumer’s attention. For
example, there was an image of a newborn baby with the umbilical cord still
attached, which most would frown upon. This image embodied a new life and
new beginning.
 Benetton’s informing consumers of their corporate social responsibility
Benetton’s goal was to reach out to consumers on a more personal level by
creating an advertising campaign that brought awareness of discrimination,
proverty, child labor, death, domestic violence, etc. The ad campaign wanted
people to be aware of all the issues that are going on in the world, also to let
consumers know that company is aware of these problems.
 Encourage action with use of shock advertisement
The shock advertisement that Benetton used definitely grabbed consumer’s
attention to the social issues at hand. There was an ad campaign with four similar
human hearts with the words black, white and yellow printed directly on the four
hearts; the hearts symbolizes the four different ethnic groups. Even though we are
from different ethnic groups, we are all the same on the inside.
 Benetton’s change to conventional advertising
For the future, Benetton decided to try a new method of advertising that did not
involve such harsh and intense advertisement; however, the company would keep
the objective the same of highlighting the social problems that exist in the world
through their ad campaigns.
2. Discuss the pros and cons of the shock advertising campaign that Benetton used for
many years.

Advantages of Shock Advertising

 Shock advertisement is used to grab the attention of the audience with a serious message.
 Remain in the memory long term and not easily forgotten.
 Uses extreme content to influence its audience in a positive way.
 Lastly, shock advertisement tends to stand out more, than an advertisement that is more
traditional.
Disadvantages of Shock Advertising
 Consumers may interpret the message being conveyed in a shock advertisement as
offensive and insulting. These advertisements can be very direct and to the point; they
are more like a reality check for the audience that details serious and honest information.
3. Oliviero Toscani has defended Benetton’s use of shock advertising by noting that it
constitutes nothing less than a debate between advertising and art. He argues that
potentially offensive images are acceptable in the world of art and journalism while in
other realms such as advertising they are not. Do you agree with Toscani’s position?
Olivene Blake
MRKT 354
October 31, 2010
I definitely agree with Toscani’s position on shock advertising being a debate between
advertising and art. I support Toscani’s notion that art can be used as a form of advertising
and does not have to always be about the product itself. He also points out that other forms
of media use potentially offensive images that are acceptable to society, but when it comes to
company advertisements these images are unacceptable. Advertisement is a form of art, and
people should be able to express art freely. Art depicts many emotions that people can relate
to. Shock advertising worked for Benetton because it creates a serious awareness and get
customers to continue to buy the product, as well as draw new customers in which is what
advertisement embodies. Even though Toscani’s images were bold, intense and sometimes
downright harsh, the message that these images depict were understood by consumers.
Toscani’s use of art as a means of advertisement worked for Benetton, and many of their
customers got accustomed to the image that was defined by the company which was social
responsibility. The same way people use music as art, Toscani found a way to use the
environment as a form of art for advertising. Tosacani captured the art of the connection
between man and the environment which creates a social awareness that society can relate to.

4. Can you think of any other companies that use shock advertising? For what type of
companies might this type of advertising be effective?
I can definitely think of two companies that use shock advertisement, the Truth. Com
website that uses intense advertisement to deliver the message that cigarette smoking is
dangerous to your health. I know many people have seen these commercials and how
shocking the content can appear because they show you the dire consequences of cigarette
smoking. The other company that came to mind that uses shock advertising is Above the
Influence advertisements by National Youth Anti-Drug Media Company to persuade
teenagers to say “no” to drugs and alcohol. The National Anti-Drug Media Company shows
you the consequences of using drugs and end results of drug use; these advertisements are
not pretty. These advertisements are meant to give teenagers a reality check.
These types of advertisements have to be harsh in order to persuade teens not to do drugs
or alcohol. Shock advertising can be effective for companies that aim to persuade a certain
group of people to do something. Companies that want to promote the use of alcohol while
driving and the effects of drinking while driving would benefit greatly from shock
advertising

5. Do you agree with Benetton’s decision to drop the use of shock ads and return to the
use of more conventional ads?

Change is usually very difficult to adapt to, especially if you are used to doing things a
certain way for a lengthy period of time. Benetton is known for its shock advertisements that
are direct and to the point. These advertisements are geared towards social responsibilities
that the company has for its customers. I have never heard about Benetton and just from
reading the article I experienced a wealth of emotions and connections to the information
Olivene Blake
MRKT 354
October 31, 2010
contained in the article. Benetton represents truth and honesty, even if the information
contained within the advertisement may be a bit harsh.
I believe if Benetton drops the use of shock ads and return to the use of more
conventional ads that this would ruin what the company stands for. The relationship that
Benetton has built with their long term customers may be affected because customers may
now start to rethink the values and standards that Benetton stood by have now been broken.
Benetton should have seriously taken into consideration how their customers may feel about
change before diving into making changes.