PR & SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

Students Name

Institute Affiliation

Course Number and Name

Professors Name

Date
 1

Table of Contents

Summary.....................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................3
Notions of power.................................................................................................................................4
Discourse and the public sphere......................................................................................................5
Activism.......................................................................................................................................6
Ethics.......................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................9
Bibliography...................................................................................................................11
Appendix....................................................................................................................13

Summary
Companies that engage in public relations aim to promote their points of view in a roundabout

way, namely through the media and other channels, as opposed to directly with the general

public. The American firm Gillette is still in charge of creating and selling a variety of products
 2

relevant to personal hygiene even today. These products include Gillette razors and Gillette

shaving accessories. When it came time to purchase out the business's former owner, Procter &

Gamble successfully acquired possession of the company and put the prior owner out of

business. While he was shaving in his bathroom, the management of Gillette gave him

instructions to create a product that could be thrown away once it had accomplished its goal and

was no longer required. Gillette came up with the notion of single-use blades that can only be

used once to tackle this problem. These blades can only be used once. The guidance and

direction that he received from his manager motivated him to take the project through to its

conclusion and create a product that could be discarded after it had served its purpose once it had

been used.

If you are in the United States, you will discover that Uber Technologies, Inc. offers many

services to make your life easier, and they have a vast selection of services available to choose

from. After arriving in San Francisco for the first time, Garret Camp and Travis Kalanick wasted

no time in getting to work organizing the foundation for what would one day become their

company. Camp and Kalanick came up with the concept that would eventually become Uber

while they were both attending a conference that was already in progress. They could not hail a

cab to take them to their appointment, so they began to consider how they could use their phones

to arrange for alternative transportation to get them there. When they decided to do this, they

were already running behind schedule for the meeting they were attending. Garret started

developing a prototype for an UberCab vehicle almost as soon as Uber launched the ridesharing

service in San Francisco. When Uber only had three cars, he convinced Travis Kalanick, the top

incubator at the firm, to help him create UberCab. Together, they launched the service. They

shared a combined total of six automobiles between them. Uber, a ridesharing service, has
 3

rapidly grown to become the world's most well-known and valuable startup firm since it was

founded in 2009.

Introduction
Beginning at a young age, young men and boys are taught, as part of Gillette's initiative to

combat the practice of catcalling, the importance of keeping an open mind and being adaptable.

However, the firm did not premiere its "the best a man can get" advertisement until 2019, which

is also the year when the tagline "the best a man can get" was made available. Gillette has been

utilizing the phrase "the best a man can get" for the past thirty years. Willis encourages men to

take ownership of their actions and take responsibility for their impact on society in his book

(Paragraph 12, 2021). Because of the widespread Coronavirus, Uber has decided to implement

measures that will hopefully prevent the virus from being transmitted from one person to the

next. In the year 2020, when the epidemic caused by the Coronavirus was at its peak, Wieden

and Kennedy were the ones who first conceived of and planned the experiment. Even if you were

not the one who rode the horse, you do not need to be concerned about it. It has no bearing on

the matter. Uber was unable to acquire any new customers for the disease outbreak. The mobility

of persons working in organizations that are not essential to the public interest will be restricted

due to this judgment, which will be beneficial to employees of enterprises that provide essential

services. To stop the spread of the Coronavirus, officials in charge of public health are urging

public members to remain inside their homes. Individuals are strongly encouraged to remain

inside their homes due to these restrictions.

 4

Notions of power
Because you are a member of the "primary opinion leaders" in your community, you have a

significant impact on both the society and the region in which you live and work. The

participation of influential public figures is essential to ensuring that the claims made in this

argument are accurate and that the campaign is thriving. The marketing campaign that the

Gillette Company is running under the slogan "the finest a man can be" has invited prominent

intellectuals to participate. Gillette has expressed curiosity about the possibility of filming a

commercial with Joseph Schooling, an Olympic gold medalist from Singapore. He contributed to

the campaign by stressing the need to be genuine to oneself while encouraging others to do the

same. As he recalled his father showing him how to shave when he was younger, he experienced

a pleasant tingling sensation all over his body. The guidance that he received from his father

played a crucial role in shaping his life. Because of his father, this individual turned out to be the

kind of man he is now. (Chapter 6, Section 2021 of Marketing) He reasoned that assisting other

people was the most morally defensible approach for individuals to achieve the level of self-

actualization they desired.

Hearing from Singapore's Olympic medallist sparked a drive in many people to work on

themselves and get better as a result of what they heard. The "Thanks for not riding" advertising

campaign that Uber is running is an example of a marketing tactic that uses well-known key

opinion leaders. In Uber's current advertising campaign, an advertisement depicts people who

cannot leave their homes because of an outbreak of the Coronavirus. As a consequence of the

inclusion of real-life cases of individuals who were obliged to remain at home owing to a

pandemic, the movie garnered a massive reaction from the public audience (Eslogan, 2021).
 5

People realized that they were not the only ones fighting to keep their homes directly due to this.

Uber provided transportation to and from affected areas for people who might be able to assist in

the fight against a pandemic by delivering essential supplies such as food and water to affected

areas.

Discourse and the public sphere

Users on social media were offended by the marketing campaign for Gillette's "the best a man

can get" slogan, which promoted toxic masculinity and was criticized for being offensive. In the

advertisements for this campaign, the slogan "the best a man can have" was used. An expert in

public relations asserts that advertising has evolved over the years and has consequently

impacted the younger generations of today, who are more accustomed to contemporary forms of

advertising. Borkowski believes that advertisements such as this one demonstrate how much

advertising has evolved and how it now affects young people in today's society. As he stated,

Gillette understood the importance of doing something more than merely marketing their goods.

Media personality Piers Morgan has also gone to Twitter to vent his anger with the ad (The

Guardian, 2021). It was determined that he had previously bought Gillette items but was shocked

by the company's participation in morality plays. The firm pays philanthropic organizations to

reward everyone who opted out of using Uber during the pandemic lockdown. In an attempt to

limit the spread of the sickness, residents were barred from leaving their dwellings. Thanks to the

simple "Thank you," Uber's "Thank you for not riding" ad was able to convey its responsibilities.

This has produced a great deal of anxiety among many folks. The company's primary emphasis

is on transporting folks from one area to a different (Committed to Helping, n.d).

 6

Activism
In order to create an excellent public relations plan, there are five key elements: An company

must first determine the target audience for its marketing operations to develop a message that

connects with its intended audience. In addition, bear in mind that you must clearly define the

individuals you aim to be your target demographic (Eberl, 2017). Now that you've obtained

access to previously prohibited data, your campaign will be able to reach a broader audience.

Adult men and adolescent boys who identified as macho were the target demographic of

Gillette's "the best a guy can be" campaign. In order to raise attention to the anti-feminist

characteristics of a particular subculture, this campaign employed fights and insults aimed at

women as its primary medium. All of this indicates a lack of healthy and robust masculinity.

In order to fulfil one's objectives, one must first create achievable goals for oneself. Toxic

masculinity was successfully transformed due to the Gillette advertising, and other men who did

not act in the same manner were able to halt its spread. Before the campaign can be considered

done, developing the message conveyed to the target audience is needed. Using this style of

remark in a commercial, Gillette presented the question, "Is this what the best man can be?" as an

example. What more could a guy wish for at this point? Even though the film commonly

presents women as victims of harassment and bullying, it often portrays guys in a good way.

Toxic masculinity may damage men and women equally in the job, but it can also wreak havoc

on relationships in the workplace and with the rest of society. Toxic masculinity will probably

have a harmful influence on individuals and society as a whole. Developing healthy masculinity

may be easier if society changes away from dysfunctional masculinity.

 7

As a teenager and adult, you may keep an eye out for the start of violent behaviour and stop it if

required (American Psychological Association, 2018). Gillette's rivals include Harry's,

800Razors, and Schick. The CEO of Harry's, Andy Katz-Mayfield, is Gillette's primary opponent

in the razor manufacturing sector. Besides 800razor and Harry's, the biggest competitors in this

market are Gillette and Harry's. Consequently, Gillette continues to market the video, despite the

company's past assurances that it is feminist, despite a significant outcry against it. Many Gillette

users have turned to Twitter to claim that they would no longer purchase any of its goods as a

direct reaction to their criticism.

When it came to thanking folks who did not use the service, Uber's public relations department

moved to the target audience: its consumers themselves. Many folks in the United States utilize

Uber as a mode of transportation. The proliferation of the Covid-19 virus made this objective

challenging to fulfil at first. The financial position of the company was awful (Mahalingam,

2021). There was a global urge to remain at home and avoid unnecessary travel while the

pandemic was taking place around the globe. Anti-crime activities were begun to keep the area

secure and urge inhabitants to engage in their local community. Two of these interests are

organizing birthday parties at home without asking visitors and working out at a home gym. This

comment appears at odds with the sort of services that Uber specializes in, even if it was

designed to thank the general population for not patronizing Uber's services. Uber, a significant

participant in the transportation market, has encouraged its consumers not to utilize the service

while the epidemic persists. The company's transportation market share has declined due to

government constraints on mobility. Several companies compete with Uber, including Lyft,
 8

Curb, DidiChuxing, and Grab. Even though they were aware that this marketing approach was

affecting their sales, they continued to apply it despite this information. Because of the

campaign's unique nature, it could get much attention from the media. More than any other

picture, this one-word sentence expresses the heart of what it is to be human. There is no way to

refute the fact that Uber puts the satisfaction of its clients ahead of the company's bottom line.

People in need, such as medical professionals and senior residents, were helped by several local

companies, including Uber, which supplied free transportation and meals (Mahalingam, 2021).

Ethics
A corporation must act per all ethical standards in existence in order to develop a strategy for

public relations that will be successful. In reaction to the advertisement's stereotypical portrayal

of toxic masculinity, Gillette decided to start a new advertising campaign. The campaign's

objective was to establish a connection between the use of Gillette goods and positive moral

attributes and values. This was done to challenge the advertisement's promotion of a poisonous

kind of masculinity in a favourable light. As a direct consequence of the public's outrage about

the film, the public saw the ad for Gillette as immoral due to this occurrence (IPRS, 2021). After

receiving several criticisms across a range of social media platforms, we concluded that it would

be in our best interest to do more research into the video to determine whether or not it could be

used in advertising a product. According to the rule of conduct established by the PRCA, public

relations professionals are not allowed to participate in activities that might damage their

company's reputation among members of the general public (PRCA, 2021). The fact that Gillette

treated this norm of behaviour with such disdain brought the company's brand into disrepute. The

virus was successfully contained, and a temporary halt was placed on the Uber app due to actions
 9

taken by Uber that were following the established norms and standards of morality. As a direct

consequence of this, Uber customers could not utilize its goods and services when they moved to

other areas. When I say that this is a brilliant example of generosity, I mean that in every

meaning of the phrase because it exemplifies what it is to be generous. In the ad, various

activities are presented inside and do not need participants to leave their homes or places of

employment. This occurred as a direct result of the initial point. Because they followed the

PRSA's code of conduct on fairness, an organization was assured that it would successfully attain

the goals it had set out for itself (PRSA Code of Ethics, n.d.). The "Thank You for Not

Traveling" campaign is run by a non-profit organization, even though Uber Transport Firm

adheres to the PRCA behaviour code, which recommends avoiding engaging in activities that

might harm Uber's reputation. The PRCA behaviour code was created to prevent Uber from

engaging in activities that might harm Uber's reputation (PRCA, 2021). The number of clients

who do business with a particular company may drop if the company in question does not adhere

to the regulations.

Conclusion
An excellent example of an advertising campaign that was not only effective but also lucrative is

the "the best man can be" commercial that Gillette released in the year 2008. When it first aired,

the advertisement campaign for the corporation titled "the best a man can get" included a

conversation about toxic masculinity, which was a massive success with the audience. Because

of the contentious nature of the video, it has drawn attention to the problem at hand and brought

to light the need for companies to have a purpose in addition to the goods and services they
 10

provide. The "Thank you for not riding" campaign run by Uber has a significant impact on the

rate of COV19 transmission over the world. Despite having financial issues, the campaign's

message of prioritizing public health and safety before the profits of corporations struck a chord

with many individuals, particularly the elderly, those in need, and those who provide essential

services. When the building was under lockdown, this operation provided a welcome break.
 11

Bibliography
Eberl, K., 2022. 5 Elements of a Strategic PR Campaign. [online] The Motion Agency. Available

at: <https://agencyinmotion.com/5-elements-strategic-pr-campaign/> [Accessed 29 May

2022].

Uber. 2022. Committed to helping. [online] Available at:

<https://www.uber.com/us/en/coronavirus/> [Accessed 29 May 2022].Ganev, D. (2020,

January 10). Gillette Ad Controversy: Social Media Insights. Symmetric. Retrieved May

26, 2022, from https://commetric.com/2019/02/07/gillette-ad-controversy-social-media-

insights/

www. 2022. PRSA Code of Ethics. [online] Available at:

<https://www.prsa.org/about/ethics/prsa-code-of-ethics> [Accessed 29 May 2022].

PRmoment.com. 2022. Is PR a profession? | PRmoment.com. [online] Available at:

<https://www.prmoment.com/pr-insight/is-pr-a-profession> [Accessed 29 May 2022].

OECD. 2022. Tourism Policy Responses to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). [online] Available at:

<https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/tourism-policy-responses-to-the-

coronavirus-covid-19-6466aa20/> [Accessed 29 May 2022].

Martinelli, P., 2022. Chapter 3 – Public Relations Basics. [online] Psu.pb.unizin.org. Available

at: <https://psu.pb.unizin.org/comm370/chapter/chapter-3-the-world-of-public-relations/>

[Accessed 29 May 2022].

Uber Newsroom. 2022. 10 Million Rides to Move Us Toward Recovery | Uber Newsroom.

[online] Available at: <https://www.uber.com/newsroom/10-million-rides/> [Accessed 29

May 2022].
 12

Lowyinstitute.org. 2022. Good government, bad government: The politics of public health.

[online] Available at: <https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/debate/good-

government-bad-government-politics-public-health> [Accessed 29 May 2022].Hatt, J.

(2017, November 21). Ethical & Legal Practices of Public Relations. Small Business -

Chron.Com. Retrieved May 26, 2022, from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-legal-

practices-public-relations-57666.html
 13

Appendix