benetton: advertising strategies

© Imperial College Business School

Tutorial: Benetton

Strategic Marketing – SUMMER SCHOOL 2013 1

Promotional Marketing to Consumers


Today’s Session

2

What we are going to cover…

• Three things from last week’s lecture on promotional

advertising?

• What is advertising?

• Benetton Case Study Analysis:

– Evolution of the Benetton Advertising Campaigns

– Any Publicity is Good Publicity?

– Did it work?


Last week’s Lecture

3

Key Marketing Concepts

• Three things from last week’s lecture on promotions?

– Mapping ‘Promotion’ onto the Product Life Cycle

– The Basic Economic Function of Advertising

(Cuaresma & Stoeckl, 2012)

– Push vs. Pull?


The World of Advertising

4

Making You Feel Happy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOQfBdCT-AI





Advertising vs. Marketing

5

What’s the difference?


Case Study Analysis

6

Evolution of the Benetton Ad Campaigns

• Quickly describe the evolution of Benetton’s ad

campaigns from 1955 to present day?

• How did Benetton pioneer a new era of advertising ?


Case Study Analysis

7

How did Benetton pioneer a new era of advertising?


Case Study Analysis

8

Evolution of the Benetton Ad Campaigns

Death Row Campaign (2000)


Case Study Analysis

9

A new era in Advertising?

• Take a look at Benetton’s print adverts, what is a common

theme here?

• Why did Benetton adopt this controversial advertising

strategy?

GROUP DISCUSSION:

• Did it work? Critically comment on the controversies

associate with Benetton’s campaigns. Do you think it was

a wise move to eliminate the product from the

advertisement?


Case Study Analysis

10

Any Publicity is Good Publicity?

• Do you think Benetton’s advertising strategy was aimed

only at creating scandal and controversies? Can this

strategy be justified by the fact it resulted in free publicity

for the company?

GROUP DISCUSSION:

• Consider other companies/brands which have adopted a

similar strategy. How was it effective (or not)?


PR vs Advertising

11

What is the difference?


Current Benetton Campaigns

12

‘Unemployee of the Year’ Advert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKZ3w_Vg4o8

• How has Benetton changed its advertising strategy

following its delisting as a publically traded company

in 2012?

• Who is it targeting? How has it addressed concerns

about lack of consumer focus?

• Has Benetton lost its controversial character or has it

found the right balance, preserving its brand values?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKZ3w_Vg4o8


Interested in Advertising?

13

WPP Fellowship Scheme

• WPP is the largest advertising

network in the world.

• The Marketing Fellowship is a three

year rotation, across different

markets (USA, China, Brazil) and in

different areas (media sales,

creative, digital)

• 1,500 applications, 15 fellows

• Deadline: November 2013