Cottonil’s Communication Strategy Agency:
German University In Cairo
Client: Cottonil Authors/ Team: Salma Khodairy Nabila Selim Yara Mostafa Riham Sherif Sherine EL-Moataz Mahitab Diaa Mariam EL-Shorbagy
Abstract This unique case demonstrates a role in which advertising played an important role in helping an iconic brand from its own mistake. How could one campaign change the way people perceive such a brand? The case outlines the strategic rationale that led to how consumers understand the brand, and how the interact with the brand. Led to a highly effective advertising campaign that lifted the brand. This is especially so, considering that most people expected that because of the complications that the communications faced. The advertising strategy clearly communicated; that it is defiantly not about the sexuality but the quality of the Egyptian cotton. This successful approach hit the mark with consumers and results in the recovery of lost sales as well as changing the negative perception of people for the brand.
Topic rational : Developing the communication strategy of Cottonil, redirecting their focus from sex appeal to the quality of the Egyptian cotton that would match the brand slogan.
Topic statement To develop a communication strategy to change the perception of the brand Cottonil from a sex oriented brand to a quality oriented one, in order to create a connotation to the brand slogan.
Index Chapter one
Chapter three
Introduction
Critical Analysis & Theoritical Foundation
I. History of Cottonil II. Why Cottonil?
Chapter two
Communication analysis I. II. III. IV. V. VI.
Social Media Street Ads. Website TV ads Magazines Booth analysis
I. II. III.
Critical analysis Theoratical foundation Conceptual model
Chapter Four Critical Review I. II.
El-Embrator Dice
Chapter Five I. II. III.
Brand identity analysis and building Executional plan Creative breif
Chapter one Introduction I. History of Cottonil II. Why Cottonil?
I. History of Cottonil Cottonil was established in 1999 , “The history of the company inherited through the generations in the textile industry and cotton clothing� Said Mr. Basil Samakia CEO of Cottonil. (Samakia, March 2014), and it spread with high speed in the local market. Due to the usage of one hundred percent Egyptian cotton that possesses both high quality and new technology.In addition to the designs that fit all local tastes and always attempts to re-position Egyptian cotton worldwide.
II. Why Cottonil? Cottonil, a leading brand in the Egyptian cotton industry that manufactures undergarments for men, women and children. Cottonil has a problem with its language that has left us confused and surprised. We aim to enhance Cottonil’s image and its communication language in a cultural context. Cottonil is not only widely known for its high quality fabric, but also for its controversial advertising campaigns and communication strategies. With its first advertising campaign in 2011, its popularity increased amongst the various TV ads aired in Ramadan because it tackled a topic that is not usually discussed on Egyptian television which is; men undergarments. A lot of people applauded its boldness and creativity that year. However, later in 2012 and 2013, when it had presented fully dressed women but only half dressed men, a reaction of disgust and shame overcame the intended humorous content of the ads because it conveyed cheap sexual references that presents a demeaning image to women in the media that has affected the target audience negatively.
Situational Analysis Current National Situation: The idea of undergarments TV ads did not exist in Egypt until the launch of Cottnil’s ads, they targeted the male segment sending subliminal sexual messages. That worsened the already deteriorating women’s image in our society and encouraged the idea of how society perceives women as a sexual object. Women who were in the ads wore tight or short clothes showing off their bodies, which created some kind of sexual stimulation to an oppressed generation, who lives in a society where talking about and understanding sex is a taboo. In return it was translated in the form of sexual harassments, which is already quite dominant in the streets of Egypt and since we live in a society that has only looked or perceived women from men’s lenses. Moreover, Egypt is a Muslim country it’s odd to have certain types of ads given the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood ruled us for almost a year, therefore it affected the ads negatively and was widely criticized by a certain segment. Some people found it offensive, the way they advertised for their product, and since they targeted everyone in the market, they lost a segment of people given the different reasons; some were ashamed of wearing Cottonil’s undergarments after their ads. Some liked the material but didn’t like the way it was presented so they were skeptical about the product, especially the upper class. Additionally, women found it insulting because it presented women in a demeaning and disrespectful way.
On the other hand, they have gained a few people’s interest due to their affordable prices and their mediocre taste. However, through the regular exposure of Cottonil’s campaigns, we are becoming culturally immune, some are not anymore bothered, but we still criticize them but without a good comeback. Furthermore, it is already affecting the new rising generation; young adults, teens…etc. Cottonil also has a few local competitors, including Al-Embrator, Dice and Jil, they haven’t reached out to the same number of audiences, however they have their consumers and branches all over Egypt. Company Analysis: Cottonil has a lot of strong advantages as they have affordable prices that suit most of the classes; their products are made with high quality, which is Egyptian cotton. That is known worldwide with its goodness. Also they attained customer awareness, as they were the first company to make undergarments ads, so they captured a lot of people’s attention. On the other hand, Cottonil did not choose the right track to advertise for their products as they chose subliminal sexism communication ways to attract people’s attention. Moreover, in their last campaign they ruined the image of children’s cartoon character Cinderella with their provocative messages. Furthermore, they have copyrights problems in their ads as they used the soundtracks of old Arabic and English movies. Another weak point that Cottonil has is; that they did not tackle a specific target group. So they can alter this weak point by hitting different target groups with different promotional campaigns that focus more on the quality of their products rather than the outer image and the subliminal messages. This kind of ads can threat Cottonil heavily as people might stop buying their products because they are ashamed from their ads and switch to another brand. As a result, their sales will be reduced and brand loyalty to Cottonil will be lost.
Chapter two Communication analysis Primary research & Analysis I. II. III. IV. V. VI.
Social Media Street Ads. Website TV ads Magazines Booth analysis
I. Social Media
Communication analysis : Moreover, in order to understand Cottoinil’s communication with its audience, we chose to take a look in their social media outlets. The most popular one of them being their Facebook page, where we chose a selection of the ads which we found representing their communication best. In all of their ads they had two different messages; direct and an indirect one. His power to please her: Figure 1: In this picture, when trying to show case their playful side using the slogan “fooling around is not only for kids”, they show two different messages one direct and the other indirect. The direct one indicates that they are simply two figures being comfortable and having fun while the other indicates sexuality seen in the physical position the models are showcasing . Figure 2: While in this ad they used a different slogan which creates a correlation to performing sexual intercourse. However, it is again easy to say that two messages are being sent, one to a more blunt audience delivering the idea of only apologizing by bringing flowers, while to a more sexually aware audience it delivered the obvious message they intended. Figure 3 and 4: The two figures link the idea of a relationship between a male and a female. Figure 3 showcasing a younger audience who is consumed with the trend of being fit and healthy . Making the fit person wearing Cottonil undergarments the more sexually attractive one, which the reason why the female figure is approaching him lovingly. While figure 4 showing the older generation using the slogan “ Of course Cottonil, what else?”, delivering the message that the only reason they spent their lives together happily is because of Cottonil and therefore a happy sexual life.
Fig. 1
Fig. 3
Fig. 2
Fig. 4
I. Social Media Not only subliminal, however also direct: In the two figures the vulgarity of cottonils sexual orientations are crystal clear. Objectifying women and showcasing them as sexual objects is obvious. Figure 5: The ad uses the quotation of “It is really cottonil that she is wearing.” As the figure of the man is looking upon the undergarments of the woman. They also portrayed the woman figure as an entertainment dancer, which is demeaning to women as they portrayed the female user of Cottonil as a cheap portrait. It also has two meanings; one is that the man is talking about the socks, while the other is talking about her undergarment. Figure 6: In following the associations of the light on the lamp resembling a good idea, the text mentions that “The most important thing is a good idea” . In the figure the lamp is wearing a female undergarment which shows that “ objectifying women” is the only good idea or is the only idea they are portraying. The mainstream male figure: In these ads the males only represent the new trendy, fit and sexually attractive stereotypical figures. Using different approaches. Figure 7: They used a famous superhero figure, with a slogan that implies that they can be trusted and that it stretches with whoever is wearing it. But at the same time it has hidden using an indirect connotation in the text. Figure 8: A print of a lion was placed only over the model’s sexual organ, emphasizing the idea of being the strongest. Figure 9: In the following ad, they used a slogan delivering the idea of being safe, using an entertainment male dancer to inflict their idea in an indirect way.
Fig. 5
Fig. 7
Fig. 6
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
I. Social Media Ruining the image of cartoon character for children: Figure 10: Showing a cartoon character in their ads, taking something that is considered trendy, childish, and to many an innocent figure (minion) and altering it into a vulgar image being naked and using Cottonil. Relating undergarments to our friendship/relationship: Figure 11: They placed two undergarments for each gender, to help them in visualizing their slogan: “Stay close to your beloved people in the summer”. delivering two messages one is staying close as normal friends, and the other related to sexual relationships between a man and woman specially in the summer season where everyone is free or “available”. Relating Cottonil to marriage: Figure 12: In this ad a question was headed to men: whom would you marry? a) European b) Arabic c) African d) Asian . They pictured women as if they are products being sold. It creates stereotypes for women, and using her physical features to help selling her as a product.
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
I. Social Media Figure 13: In an attempt for an interactive approach in some of their social media posts they asked their audiences to “Name their boxers�, it got a lot of comments, however some comments still indicate a negative vibe describing the post as offensive and inappropriate. Additionally, the post has a subtle message indirectly asking the audience to name their sexual organs. Furthermore, the post initiated a long series of unpleasant comments and sense of overall vulgarity. Moreover, the use of a real model is in itself of a sexual orientation as they persuade detailed visualizations of his sexual organ . Which in this case showcases that they don’t only objectify women however men as well. Also, making it acceptable to be familiar with the opposite sexs sexual organs and nude body in general which is something that is not the norm or acceptable in the Egyptian society.
Fig. 13
I. Social Media Figure 14: In other posts that have also taken an interactive approach, women lingerie were displayed in a comical method, that have also generated a series of comments that some found to be offensive by some. Additionally, This is a misleading image of Cottonil’s product, since this is not the kind of women products they offer, instead they offer simple cotton undergarments that are supposed to be practical and comfortable.
Figure 15: In this image they showcase a cartoon character which is considered a sexually attractive woman saying that she only dates males who wear cottonil . Again the woman is newarly nude creating a direct correlation to sexual intercourse. The comments also showcase the negative feedback from the society especially ones that has a religious orientation.
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
II. Street Ads. Cottonil showcases their advertisements on different platforms, for example billboards and their company vans as shown in the figures. The ad contradicts with their TV ads which mainly gives off a sexual influence but the billboards mainly focus on their products which is inconsistent, and that shows their lack of a clear message. The billboards and the company vans don’t have any creative concepts or ideas, and they should make better ads that are more appealing for the consumers.
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
III. Website Just like any other company Cottonil has their own website, where you can have a look at their products, contact information if needed and more. However unfortunately, their website showcases the complete opposite of what Cottonil sells, on each window instead of showing the real product they put pictures of cotton. Also, it shows the contradiction between their website, and their ads.
Fig. 19
IV. TV ads 2011: “Your Friends� Cottonil was the first company to introduce undergarments ads on the TV. Their ads are usually easily remembered by people due to the presence of their memorable and attractive music, also because sex appeal has become more of a trend in Egypt. Cottonil uses these aspects in its ads and commercials, which makes it easy for people to remember it and become used to it as part of their daily lives for example make jokes about it or even mention it as a cliche in a conversation. Also, in this commercial the concept was to show how undergarments are related to our friendships. By mentioning specific situations with your friends, especially males where true friends characteristics are seen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVNjrvCvp50
TV ads 2012: “Seyasa (Politics)”: In this Ad that was released in 2012, different people were asked to say a line which is “I am Cottonil”, meaning I am a Cottonil as a person. Trying to prove that Cottonil plays a major role in their lives. People in this ad were from different classes, which means Cottonil is targeting all of these classes. Each and every part of the ad they are describing the role of Cottonil in their life but in an indirect way. The most catchy phrase was said by the man working in a gas station.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPxZ8pv9l0I
TV ads 2013: “Satr w Ghatta” : In this commercial they point out that cottonil is what “covers” men (Satr w ghatta), they made women appear with perfect looks while standing and giving them their Cottonil undergarments so they get into the fitting room and try them on. The question is why do women have to be there in the commercial dancing while giving men their undergarments to try it on?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQB7bTSS4AI
TV ads 2014: “Hany Ramzi” : In this commercial they used a significant cartoon character,Cinderella, as she is supposed to be a princess and beautiful. They are ruining the picture of females for children that they are supposed to be princesses to find the right person, even Cinderella the princess can not get hold of him because he’s wearing Cottonil. Another negative aspect in this commercial was the sound track. They chose a catchy rhythm, but they had a problem with the copyrights of the music. Also rhyming words for the lyrics were put together so that it would stick in peoples minds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGWYAbhapMQ
TV ads 2014 (2nd ad): “3einy ya leily� : A more appropriate commercial was released in Ramadan 2013. But it is still considered slightly improper. It is a story of a young man waking up wearing his Cottonil and that how all his day he uses cottonil products. But still, the concept it self is unethical. It was done in a way that delivers the same old message; that all girls are attracted to this man because he is wearing cottonil. As you can see in the commercial that all his work collegeus and friends at the cafe are females.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5I4xmJOQbk
V. Magazine Some of the leading Egyptian magazines like Scoop Empire and prime magazine also criticized Cottonil’s ads. Talking about sexism and subliminal messages they described in 2012 ad as if you are in jail and good looking girls standing at the cages wearing white, pushing you inside the fitting rooms with the packets of Cottonil’s undergarments and singing with the demonic enchants, candies flowing over your heads. They also mentioned that commercial was confusing as why it was not just rap and why they included the feminine melodies. (El-Nagy Karim, 2012) (Soliman Deena, 2013).
Soliman, Deena. “Ramadan TV Ads You Can’t Stop Talking About.” Prime Magazine 1 Jan. 2013. Print. El-Nagy, Karim. “Cottonil & the Underwear Saga.” Scoop Empire 31 July 2012. Print.
VI. Booth analysis While analyzing the booth, it was noticeable that it was divided into two parts; Vega that was pink as it’s for women and Cottonil that was blue as it’s for men. They showcased all their products targeting men, women and kids, such as; undergarments, pajamas, socks all on manikins. Which is an improvement from their Ads where they showcase their products on real models that help in visualizing male sexual organs. Moreover, The sales men were wearing blue shirts, while the sales women were wearing pink and blue clothes that they actually dress to their manikins in the shop window. As well as, it was noticeable that the people or the buyers that were gathering around the booth were from a certain class “lower-middle”.
Evidence of the Problem The Problem: Cottonil is perceived negatively as a result of being sexually oriented and presented.
Chapter three Critical Analysis & Theoritical Foundation I. II. III.
Critical analysis Theoratical foundation Conceptual model
I.Critical Analysis Now in order to know how a message with similar potential can be delivered successfully and efficiently, we have reviewed Calvin Klein’s campaigns because they have created a benchmark on how a communication strategy should be when dealing with men’s undergarment, proof is their successful yearly revenue. According to Calvin Klein’s 2010 brand audit: “Calvin Collection and Calvin Klein Jeans contribute most to the company’s $52.2 million revenue” (Brannon, Chirichella, Schaffer, and Wittmer, 2010). In addition we also researched similar theories, which carry the same basic view of mass media. Calvin Klein’s campaigns follow ideation theory. Ideation theory states that if a person with better knowledge about a subject or a product in one’s field of expertise then convincing an audience becomes highly possible. In Calvin Klein’s 2014 campaign a new 360° Seamless underwear was introduced, starring Matthew Terry, an underwear model known for his ripped physique because of a certain workout routine that has now made him famous, and co-winner of the annual VMA/Ford Model search. Calvin Klein chose a model, who also happens to be an athlete, to present their new product showing how an athlete, someone who is always in action and motion, can be perfectly comfortable in the new 360 Seamless underwear, hence ideation theory. In 2014 Calvin Klein have also created a social media campaign called “Show #mycalvins”, where consumers were asked to take bold pictures of themselves in their Calvin Klein undergarments, and their motivation was getting featured in Calvin Klein’s website. This made some of the audience feel like the sexy Calvin Klein models, and therefore they were eager to buy the new collection to take their selfies.
This campaign has raised the brand awareness to increase the number of Facebook fans to over 90 million in only two weeks. CK gained an additional 13k followers on Instagram and 38k fans on Facebook, and of course an upraise in their profit. However, CK have also had their share of negative criticism. Back in 2009 a 50-foot tall billboard was on the streets of New York City (Fig.20) shocking a number of audience, as some had perceived it to encourage group sex. The American Family Association had sent over 15,000 email complaints to CK.
Fig. 20
Critical Analysis This might be a potential approach for Cottonil as well. Picking the right model or expert to showcase their products. Giorgio Armani has also taken a similar path when they introduced David Beckham, a global icon for soccer, back in 2007 for their new collection, and witnessed a 50% ( According to WWD and Skynews ) leap in their sales after announcing that Beckham would be Armani’s new face and body for their products. Again, showcasing ideation theory. According to the findings it is safe to say that Cottonil has a controversial way of advertising their products and communicating to the public, sex appeal is a major key message in their communication. Which is a shocking topic when it comes to our society. The Egyptian society does not support knowledge or even conversations about topics such as sex and sexuality. Since they are considered taboos and to Cottonil’s disadvantage it is apparent in that there is a large segment of the community that disagrees with their ways and as seen previously in their social media analysis a great number of their material was considered offensive when seen on their social media page. Their trial to change the norm and what is acceptable seems to actually work as their sales increased rapidally. Which is according to Cultivation theory, showcases how people can be manipulated to believe in a mis-perception of what is true in our world. Cultivation theory in this case is an eye opening one as it helps us understand that the frequent, concentrated exposure to different definitions of what “reality” in the mass media leads to perception of that “reality” as the norm that should be accepted. The result is social adaptation of the “reality” shown in the mass media, which can influence behavior eventually. However, it is not one that Cottonil can adopt for the simple fact that it needs constant TV exposure over an elongated period of time.
II.Theoritical Foundation According to the findings it is safe to say that Cottonil has a controversial way of advertising their products and communicating to the public, sex appeal is a major key message in their communication. Which is a shocking topic when it comes to our society. The Egyptian society does not support knowledge or even conversations about topics such as sex and sexuality. Since they are considered taboos and to Cottonil’s disadvantage it is apparent in (Fig) that there is a large segment of the community that disagrees with their ways and as seen also in (Fig) a great number of their material was considered offensive when seen on their social media page. Their trial to change the norm and what is acceptable seems to actually work as their sales increased rapidally. Which is according to Cultivation theory, showcases how people can be manipulated to believe in a misperception of what is true in our world. Cultivation theory in this case is an eye opening one as it helps us understand that the frequent, concentrated exposure to different definitions of what “reality” in the mass media leads to perception of that “reality” as the norm that should be accepted. The result is social adaptation of the “reality” shown in the mass media, which can influence behavior eventually. However, it is not one that Cottonil can adopt for the simple fact that it needs constant TV exposure over an elongated period of time. The center of all behavioral change theories is the idea of persuasion that deals with messages aimed at subtly changing the attitudes of receivers. Persuasive messages mainly utilize a simple expectancy- value mechanism by designing messages to influence beliefs regarding the independent probability of the different outcomes occurring. Primarily outcomes such as attitudinal and behavioral effects are depending upon each individual’s evaluation. An important point to recognize that when it comes to persuasion as an act, the incentive attractions often build upon existing values of the target audience, so the messages tend to reinforce
Theoritical Foundation the tendencies or change beliefs about the possibility of experiencing valued consequences. Meaning that without the already existing tendency to be more westernized in the Egyptian society, using persuasion to increase sexual related topics wouldn’t have been realistic or even achievable. In the persuasive communication theory the audiences may possess four different psychological factors including an audience who is interested in getting information. Selective exposure, ones who are interested in a message that supports their own mindset. Selective perception ones who are interested in selecting the information they find appropriate for them and chose to perceiver them on their own way. Finally selective memorizations relating to remembering the piece of information so if the opinion given is similar to their own the probability of remembering it increases, moreover the longer the message length the more effective the persuasion on the receiver will be. Meaning that even if the receiver is not a carrier of the same opinion when exposed to a certain opinion over a long period of time, he will eventually be persuaded to believe in it as well. In Cottonils’ case these audience profiles are adopted as they expose their audience constantly to subliminal messages that alter their perceptions and affect their opinions in an indirect way, as they showcase the information in a humorous manner while really they are persuading that sexuality and objectification of women concepts should be acceptable. The main advantage of a persuasive approach is that it offers a cost effective approach, on the other hand it proposes limitations largely following the fact that it is very difficult to alter individuals perceptions and believes. As mentioned in the book “Power and Persuasion” the most frequently used persuasive techniques are to sustain a long-term transformation of society, mentioning how it is near impossible to fundamentally transform an already built culture completely.
Persuasion includes many theories the most used ones in Cottonil include subliminal messages theory, social influence theory and the Yale attitude change approach. Firstly, the usage of subliminal messages is a key in Cottonils communication, subliminal messages are short messages that are not consciously noticed yet will have a significant effect on the subconscious. The effectiveness of the message is in direct correlation with the motivation the receiver already possesses. Cottonil choses to use humor in order to mask the sexually oriented messages sent to increase their sales and fit the newly popular trend of westernization. Which relates also to social influence, which is the alteration of behavior that one-person triggers in another wither intentionally or unintentionally, as a result of how the receiver perceives the influencer and himself, other people and the society as well. Focusing on one key factor of social influence which is Conformity, that states that one will always alter his behavior in order to be more like other and fit it, playing on the sense of belonging. Conformity is a concept that is enormous it is not only on the superficial level it can even run deep to alter beliefs and values because they are the norm and are accepted by everyone. It is in our nature as humans to want to fit it in, Cottonil uses this idea by portraying what they want to be the norm, which is the message of accepting sexuality as part of the society and the knowledge about it. So the ones who are skeptical or disagreeing become the minority especially at an influential age, bearing in mind that their target group is male young adults. Finally, the Yale attitude change approach, which states that the speaker of the message needs to be both credible and attractive to the audience. As for the message itself, it should not appear to be designed to persuade in order not to translate in a negative way, allowing the receiver to understand the persuasive nature and therefor either not react at all or react in the opposite direction.
The approach also stated that the audience needs to be distracted during the persuasion, and that the best age to target is ranging from eighteen to twenty five as moderate self-esteem helps in the persuasive process. Which is exactly what Cottonil does they target a young target group which is easily influenced and by using distraction such as women or music to mask the persuasion factor they use to increase their sales. The basis backbone of the theory would also be of a persuasive nature because the fact is there must be a need to increase sales and also persuade the audience to perceive the brand in a different way. The most suitable to be used would be the conversion theory where a change in the behaviors towards the brand would be altered so that the neutral would become users and would perceive it in a positive way while the negative would also become positive and regard it in encouraging manner. Also, another theory that could be used is the sleeper effect where the audience could be convinced into altering their attitudes towards the advocacy of the message, which would increase significantly towards it.
III.Conceptual Model COMBI Model 1. Overall Goal: COMBI was the most conceptual model that fitted our point of tackling Cottonil from a communication perspective. Because COMBI model is applied while developing a communication strategy instead of creating a new one. 2. Expected behavioral results: Enhancing the image and language in a cultural context is our main goal; and in order to do that, we wanted to; eliminate cheap sexual subliminal messages, diminish vulgarity, as well as, emphasizing on the quality of the product itself, as it is pure cotton, which is actually one of the well-known products in Egypt. By doing that, we believe that there will be an increase or an escalation in the sales of the company as the perspective of the people who got ashamed of wearing Cottonil products after seeing the commercials would alter.
Market Segmentation The target group mainly concentrates on men, despite the fact that it has other branches for women and kids. Not only did they not show interest in advertising for women’s undergarments, but also women were only shown to advertise for men’s undergarments. Cottonil focuses on the low-middle class as their prices are reasonable and affordable for the Egyptian market.
Further Analysis Competitors Cottonil has a lot of strong advantages as they have affordable prices that suit most of the general public; their products are made of high quality, which is the Egyptian cotton, that is known world wide with its goodness. Also they won customer awareness, as they are the first company to make underwear advertisements so they grabbed a lot of people’s attention. On the other hand, cottonil did not choose the right track to advertise for their products as they chose subliminal sexism communication ways to attract people’s attention and in their last campaign they ruined the image of children’s cartoon character Cinderella with their provocative messages. They also have copyrights problems in their advertisements as they used the soundtracks of old Arabic and English movies. Another weak point that cottonil has is that they do not tackle a specific target group so they can turn this weak point into strength point by hitting different target groups with different promotional campaigns that focus more on the quality of their products rather than the outer image and the subliminal messages that they are showing. This way of advertisements can threat cottonil heavily as people might stop buying cottonil ashamed from its advertisements and turn to buy another brands by this way sales will be reduced and brand loyalty to cottonil will be lost.
Cosumer Needs, wants & desires The consumers expects and also needs high quality products that are affordable and comfortable, they also need their undergarments to be functional, as well as reachable and accessible. Moreover, they want personalized products that fit their taste and make them feel the attractiveness and the good looking level.
Cost Also it has a wider price range that fits the consumers, for example their boxer’s price start from 21 LE to 39 LE. They also have full packages that have undergarment and undershirt for both men and kids that range from 43 LE to 73 LE. They also have socks that start from 13 LE to 18.5 LE. In return the consumers expects and also needs high quality products that are affordable and comfortable, they also need their undergarments not to be tacky yet functional, as well as reachable and accessible. Unfortunately, Cottonil’s communication strategy does not fulfill the wants of the consumers instead contradicts with them.
Positioning Brand recall Cottonil does have brand recall because their ads stick into people’s minds because of their catchy music, and because sex appeal has become something “in” and trendy in Egypt. Cottonil uses these aspects in its ads and commercials which makes it easy for people to remember it and get to it. Brand awareness: A study by Youssef El Tohamy, supervised by Dr. Mohamed Abdallah was done on January the 16th 2013 testing the effect of “Cottonil” Campaign on Customers’ awareness and perception. 150 people were asked weather they are aware of Cottonil or not. First they were asked before the campaign was done. The results showed that before the campaign 35.3% were fully aware, 54.7% were mildly aware and 10% were unaware. After the campaign 77.3% were fully aware, 19.3 were mildly aware and 3.3% weren’t aware. This show that the majority of people are aware of Cottonil. Then they were asked to state their perception of the campaign. Before the campaign 21.3% perceived it positively, 62.7% neutral and 16% negatively. After the campaign 40% perceived it positively, 45.3% neutrally and 14.7% negatively. The number of people perceiving it positively increased because the campaign supports the trend of “eba7a” that is all over Egypt these days in terms of communication, language and humor. It has become normal to disrespect women, talk about sex or joke about private things like underwear or bra. Of course this then supports people’s interest in this kind of communication. It actually made 54% of the people who did the survey perceive the campaign as a sense of humor, 35.3% neutrally and only 25.7% offensively.
Then they were asked to state their perception of the campaign. Before the campaign 21.3% perceived it positively, 62.7% neutral and 16% negatively. After the campaign 40% perceived it positively, 45.3% neutrally and 14.7% negatively. The number of people perceiving it positively increased because the campaign supports the trend of “eba7a� that is all over Egypt these days in terms of communication, language and humor. It has become normal to disrespect women, talk about sex or joke about private things like underwear or bra. Of course this then supports people’s interest in this kind of communication. It actually made 54% of the people who did the survey perceive the campaign as a sense of humor, 35.3% neutrally and only 25.7% offensively. Occupation student
Employee
professional
Income
Age 16-26
businessman
26-36
other 2% 6%
2.7%
36-48
Above
less than 1000
Above 3000
4.7% 18.7%
10.3%
4.7%
1000-3000
22%
50.7%
65.7%
30.7%
80%
Competitors On the National level Cottonil has a number of competitors including two major ones being El-Embrator and Dice which will be fully analyzed and researched in the upcoming critical review.
Communcation situatIon Cottonil uses a number of communication channels, especially focusing on TV ads bearing in mind that they were the pioneers in launching undergarments TV campaigns , also many print media including flayers, brochures and banner. The combi model consists of a number of other elements that will be discussed further during the course of this paper.
Sales Analysis “Cottonil” is a standout amongst the most well known clothing organizations in Egypt that chased the possibility of the “buy Egyptian” battle to market its items. Cottonil’s TV and radio commercials utilized a soundtrack of an Egyptian national tune and its trademark was “the cotton speaks Egyptian” and sales went up significantly after a day from the commercials. Cottonil uses immediate and backhanded circulation to offer their items; their deals outlets are scattered everywhere throughout the nation. “Cottonil’s sales volume before the revolution, per shop, use to be L.E. 4000-5000 per day; our sales volume went up radically to be L.E. 20,000, per shop, per day after the revolution!!” said the Sales & factory Manager of Cottonil, Mr. Mohammad Al Nemr when interviewed on 15 April 2011. This is a 400% increase in sales volume! That is simply because Egyptians received the new social values that emphasize on supporting the Egyptian economy. As a result, 90 million pounds was the outcome of “Buy Egyptian” campaign which lasted for only a week. (Ahmed Adel Mostafa, 2012)
Secondry Research Pilot study Males: We wanted to measure the audience recall of the brand and what they think of Cottonil as a whole. So we asked a selection of 35 young adult males 4 questions that consisted of 1). What is the first word that pops in your mind when I say Cottonil? 2). What do you think of their ads? 3). Which one do you remember the most? 4). Are you a user? If not, what other brand do you use and why? The answers that were collected were not far from what was expected, when they were approached and began with the very first question the majority laughed and thought they were asked for fun and not as a real project and when it was explained they hesitated to answer as they were a bit embarrassed because girls were conducting the survey.
The first word that popped in most of their heads was either “Boxers” or “( فانلــةundershirt)”, actually the ones who said this was because they were uncomfortable to say boxer in front of us girls. When they were asked the second question the answers varied from “ “وحشــة,” “زي الزفــت,””غبيــة, its “catchy”, one said “sexy”, others linked them to the commercial and of course in addition to some offensive swear words. The most remembered TV ad was the one aired last Ramadan, which was the Hany Ramzy ad and when they were asked why, they said because of the reoccurrence and that the music was catchy. They also remembered the one before last year, which had the girl models that were switching changing rooms with the guys; and one mentioned that there was no need for such a scene in the commercial and that the girl models with the pink wigs were annoying. The final question, the popular answer was “No” because they were ashamed of wearing the brand and they went for other options like Dice, Embrator and MB3 these are Egyptian brands but the percentage was minor and as for the international brands they had a higher percentage; Calvin Klein, Marks & Spencer, Centrepoint, Next, Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, MAX, BHS, H&M, and C&A. Their reasons for choosing these brands is because they find it more comfortable and the designs are much better than those of Cottonil, but on the other hand there was a percentage that were pro the brand and are continuous buyers.
Male Chart
Male Chart
Male Chart
Pilot study Females Like a survey for men was conducted, another one was conducted for women, to prove that females have an opinion about the demeaning hidden messages Cottonil sends. They were also asked the same questions as mentioned above, and the answers weren’t different from the male answers but with a different meaning. Most females added swear words before they answered and said that their ads were dirty, low and selling sex. They mentioned that the messages are completely sexual and insulting, and others received it as annoying but without stating a reason and only one said it was creative and funny. It was also mentioned that it could have been portrayed in another form other than the one previewed. Two of the people who were asked said that the last TV ad (3eni ya leili – write in arabic) was much better than the ones before. The most remembered TV ad was also the Hany Ramzy ad as mentioned above, they added an explanation to why they dislike it; some said “too lame”, “cheap”, “they display only menswear, even though they have women-wear: “”بيئــة, “sexual”, “silly” and ““ وحــش قــوى.
Pilot study 2
Key Insight The key insight: The target group which Cottonil targets ones between 18 and 40 years old perceive Cottonil in a negative manner as their communication with the public is greatly linked to sexual orientation which the target groups finds provocative. Action: Re-launch Cottonil’s new campaign with a design that communicates the strong quality of cotton instead of the sexuality factors translated through subliminal messages.
Evidence of Problem After interviewing males and females in order to understand their thoughts and perception of Cottonil. Finding out that 24 out of 35 males do not wear Cottonil undergarments, while 29 out of those 25 males gave negative feedback on their ads. Likewise 20 out of 21 females gave negative feedback on their ads. Both males and females said that it was cheap and too offensive. “ Their ads are humiliating and disgusting ” The reasons behind it were the sexual subliminal messages in their ads, which were the main problem that faced Cottonil causing negative perception towards the brand and ultimate disgust due to the fact that these sexual references are not acceptable when it comes to the Egyptian society and upbringing. Potential Responses: The team considered all communication channels and media ranging from TV ads, online ads, and magazine ads. But given the difficult obstacles that the communication needed to overcome which included: • People facing difficulties on changing their minds about Cottonil. • The channels that which the message is sent may not reach the full target gro u p. Only one real option emerged; which was to make people aware about the brand, a new campaign will be published through TV ads, online ads and posters. Concentrating on the quality of the cotton to increase the positive perception through relating to the values and culture of the Egyptian society.
Target Audience and Consumer Insights: The effectiveness of the campaign was dependent upon our answers to three key questions: 1. Who are we talking to? 2. Why did consumers perceive it badly? 3. What type of language do we use? 1)
Who are we talking to?
Even though Cottonil was focusing on male adults ranging from 20 to 40 years old, we knew that (%) was driven by a younger demographic (18+). However, the challenge was, how to reach the target group without using sexual subliminal messages, not only for males but also females and kids as well. This was not a departure from their long-term strategy, but rather a tactical move to protect the brand. There are tree types of people: people with negative perception, people with neutral perception, and people with positive perception. The plan was using humor to reach those targets, people with neutral and positive perception would find it funny, and they would continue buying Cottonil. While people with negative perception will get the point that it is not about the sexuality, but the quality of the Egyptian cotton itself. Furthermore, that it is an Egyptian based product and that enhancing the production is a good thing to help the society. Not only that, but targeting people with different lifestyles was part of the plan. Such as, people who spend their day in the gym, or at work. As well as, while sleeping or even walking.
2)
Why did the consumers perceive it badly?
To answer this question we made a qualitative research to gain a deeper understanding of how consumers were responding to the ads. Our first key discovery was that their ads were well known; however they had their own negative comments such as: “وحشــة,” “زي الزفــت,””غبيــة, its “catchy”. From this we concluded that the main issue consumers had been with their ads. Consumers needed a brand that does not only showcase sexuality.
3)
What type of language do we use?
The language already used is inappropriate and dynamic We explored the language that consumers use in their daily lives and it was opposing to the evocative language being used in their ads. The new campaign being launched is going to focus on the humorous aspects instead of the sexuality and use everyday language that the receivers will be able to use in their daily lives and use in a jokingly manner in their daily conversations.
Diffusion of Innovation While the theoretical framework that our strategy will adopt in order to fulfill its maximum potentials and be able to achieve its main aims, is the Diffusion of Innovation which seeks to explain how and at what rate will the new or different idea we proposed will spread through the country’s reality. It proposes a process to follow in which the innovative idea is communicated through different channels over time among sectors of the social system. Diffusion of innovation includes five different adoption factors, which are: 1) Relative advantage - the advantage the new idea or innovation proposes. 2) Compatibility - with existing values and practices of the surrounding and the individuals in it. 3) Simplicity - Ease of use and ease of adaptation. 4) Triability – which is how can the innovation be experimented and the effect which it will have on the adaptation of the idea. 5) Observability- Which is the extent to which the innovation is visible to the masses, meaning its rate of visibility and reachability it has according to its communications and finally understanding the positive and negative reactions it will posses.
The reason behind the importance of using the DOI in Cottonils case is its ability to showcase insights of the social change or behavioral change which should be applied to Cottonils case when aiming to alter the populations attitude towards re brand and their general perceptions of it. Change in this case seen as a way of redesigning or “reinvention� of both the product and the behaviors in order to allow them to be more compatible not only to each other however to their surrounding as well. In the following sectors of the strategy the theoretical framework has been understood and its factors have been matched to the aims and the process in which to achieve them. Through thorough analysis of Cottonils communication strategies and existing advertising strategies it was obvious that their messages lack when it comes to two main attributes which are the relative advantage and the compatibility to the countrys’ reality.
Relative advantage: Firstly, the pillar of the relative advantage is dependent on the idea and how it is perceived better by users measured in terms that matter to them as individuals, such as economic advantage, social prestige or satisfaction. The higher the positive perceptions of the relative advantage the higher the rate of adoption. Cottonils initial relative advantage was concentrated on the sexual orientations it adopted in order to capture the audiences’ attention. While the new altered one will focus on the product itself and the quality its posses. Which will be measured by the economic revenues changes and the new social perception of the brand and how individuals see it from different social standards. As the new focus will be in the brand itself and the core function of the product showcasing its superiority. Compatibility: More over, when it comes to compatibility, which showcases the consistency of the idea with the values of its surrounding plus the experiences and backgrounds of its individuals. The ones who are the ideas potential adopters, when its acceptance is based on the social norms existing, the previously known ideas and the innovative extent of the idea itself.
Which is applied on Cottonils case when it comes to the adaptation of a new image language and the ability to focus on the product itself rather than the sexual organ and the sexual aspect of the model photographed. Which is why a proposed new website idea is proposed with a clear difference in the image language which focuses on showcasing the product only, by also adding details about the availability of the products, sizes, colors, and model according to its collection. To make it more appropriate to the Egyptian culture and values, as we earlier discussed sexuality and sexual references are to many Egyptians a taboo, which shouldn’t be discussed. The question projected was “how are Cottonils ads successful even though they include sexual references?” the answer was simple using dual messages to portray sexuality behind a façade of humor. Humor being a main aspect in the Egyptian culture, something we all grow up to appreciate and enjoy. Which is the reason that the new campaign will be built on humor as a main aspect as a result of it being a selling point to Egyptians just as strong as sexual subliminal messages.
Trialability: Prior to the release of the campaign the idea needs to be experimented to decrease the risk factors of the reaction to it and be able to expect its acceptance rate. Which is the exact meaning of trialability, the idea needs to undertake an experimentation phase to understand its success probability and adoption rate prospect as well. Which is something that Cottonil already possesses according to earlier campaign trials and data that proved successful even thought they were not based on any sexual associations. Post campaign release and in order to be able to measure the rate of implementation and success of the campaign, we need to measure the sales percentage increase and the profits made after the launch of the new proposed advertising campaign to observe the rate of change and hopefully development. Also, we need to collect customers’ reviews to know how customers perceive Cottonil as a brand post having the quality as the focus, to measure how effective the campaign is and if the new message is being comprehended thoroughly. These reviews will be collected through surveys, interviews or focus groups. Another proposed idea would be spreading questionnaires in the stores to consumers in order to gather as much feedback as possible. Moreover,focusing on social media channels and target groups reviews will pile on the social prestige aspect of becoming a Cottonil consumer.
Observability: The observability is as mentioned before the opportunity to see the results of the idea and its rate of visibility and reachability to the masses. The more observable the idea is the more likely the adoption of it is, as it lowers uncertainty levels about the idea and increases peer discussion and influence. Which is why a new campaign that is honest and “true� would capture attention and by humor and the use of everyday Egyptian slang the audience will be able to relate to the campaign and therefor start quoting it or referring to it in their daily lives. Thus allowing it to become a matter of word of mouth for it to grow in reachability. In order to measure the success rate of any relative advantage a division of the expected benefits and the costs of adoption should be done, to be able to compare its success to earlier campaigns focusing on sexuality. Focusing on the relative advantage and the compatibility relates directly to the accessibility of the idea and is used to position the idea to become more acceptable by the receivers and as a result more successful.
Chapter Four Critical Review I. II.
El-Embrator Dice
I. El-Embrator In order to understand the national competetion we analyzed different compettitors of Cottonil. Firstly , Al-Embrator whos strategy is very simple and to the point, they concentrate on the quality of their product and that shows clearly in their ads. Their ads, in comparison to Cottonil, don’t give a sexual implication. They don’t have TV ads, and are satisfied with the number of consumers on their social media page. They also have women’s wear, but their primary target group is men. And they don’t showcase any of the women’s products in their catalogues. Additionally they have a website but its been under construction for a while now. Their product price are not on display anywhere online.
II. Dice Dice Sports and Casual wear factory has been in the market for more than 30 years exporting ready made garment and underwear to international brands such as Calvin Klein, Nautical, Target, Macy’s, Matalan, Gap, Benetton, Bon Pris, OTTO, Chaps, Wall Mart around the world from Italy, Germany, France, Japan, China to USA. In 2011 Dice decided to venture into local market and produce local quality centric under garments brand in Egypt and now known as Dice Underwear and it’s 100% cotton. Dice Underwear is using a marketing strategy that merges both shock and advertising that is most commonly known as Shockvertising, which is a type of advertising that offends its audience by violating norms for social values and personal ideals. Due to a bold advertising they received both criticism and compliments about their campaign, which was in 2012. Their target audience is from age 15-30 Males, and the brand’s purpose is talking to them in their language. Dice is a 300,000,000 EGP capital worth, with 7000000 shares. Their sales have risen from year 2013 to 2014, even though they didn’t make additional campaign after the one in 2012.
Chapter Five I.Brand identity analysis and building II.Executional plan III. Creative breif
I.Executional Plan GOAL
HOW TO REACH THESE GOALS?
1. Enhance the perception of the target group who think Cottonil’s advertisements have a sense of humor. They must be aware that these are all sexual messages and that are not compatable to our culture and that they are demeaning to women. Cottonil focuses on sex appeal as a way to sell their products. Our goal is to change this focal point from sex appeal to the good quality of the Egyptian cotton. 2. Change the perception of the target group from neutral to positive. It’s a chance to save the negative or posetive effect on them from their advertisements and messages. Testing Hypothesis 2: Consumer perception of Cottonil is affected by Cottonil message Table 8.3.3 Comparison between friends and underwear perception
Variables As a sense of humor Neutral Offensive way Total
Frequency
Valid percentage
81 38 31
54% 35.3% 25.7%
150
100%
OBJECTIVES
1) Focus on brand and language: Referring to the previously mentioned research paper about Cottonil’s sale in 2011/2012, it is safe to say that when the message of Cottonil ads is directed to focus on the quality of Egyptian cotton and the practicality and comfort of the product, Cottonil sells more and gets more positive vibes from their consumers. This is because they also emphasize on Egyptian industry, which has played a great role in their sales since the target group is already passionate about helping the Egyptian economy, and that too is another edge in Cottonil’s strategy. Proof is the massive increase of sales, which had a raise of 400% in the total revenue of both their direct and indirect distribution channels. Therefore, a potential strategy would be to focus completely on the quality rather than sex appeal and sexuality. (Theoretical model + image)
2) Fix the inconsistency of their ads. Cottonil doesn’t have a consistent message in its ads. In the social media they focus on the cotton, in the TV adds they focus on sex appeal and men winning women by wearing a cottonil boxer. In other TV ads they focus on having friends or political aspects like being loyal to your nation and wearing the Egyptian cotton. Each ad approach focuses differently, which is confusing and vague for the target group to understand the brands identity and aim. This will in future lead to a deformation of the brand image.
2) Taw7eed the brand’s target message: After mentioning the inconsistency of their ads and imagery, another recommendation for Cottonil’s various advertising channels is that they should all be stating the same key message, whether it’s about Egyptian cotton or to help the Egyptian economy. This one message should be the same one they deliver in their TV ads, billboards, flyers, and face- book page. The message is the irreplaceable quality of Cottonil’s undergarments because of the Egyptian cotton. (image) 1.2) Specify target group: Inconsistency of Cottonil’s target group also had an impact on their audience’s confusion about the type of products they offer. Accordingly, Cottonil should only showcase their products even if it were an illustration or any form of vector art. Additionally, their cata- logue should always be updated and available online.
3) Choose the suitable language to the culture There are certain products that are categorized as private products. The privacy crite-ria varies from culture to culture. Egypt is a conservative country that has limits in its culture and by that advertising for example for products like undergarments or condoms are not culturally accepted. However Cottonil chose to follow the trend of sex appeal in ads in order to capture people’s attention. Instead of focusing on the material, shape or colors of the boxers they focus on these products offering people to have sexier women and a better sex life. This shows in their TV ads which is inappropriate to the culture and unmatching to the life style of the Egyptian women. However it’s not just unethical to the culture but demeaning to women. Cottonil should focus on advertising tools that match the culture and in the same time sends a message that stabilizes their image currently and in future.
3) Define Image Language: In Cottonil’s different advertising media, they were inconsistent in their image language that might have been misleading for the audience and their perception of the brand. A recommended direction would be imagery including people in their undergarments sit- ting relaxed at home or doing an athletic activity, to show how comfortable the product is. Another imagery language would be using pictures of the raw material itself, which is cotton or cotton fields. This would imply the idea of Egyptian production, encouraging the consumer to take part in helping the Egyptian economy, which was an edge in their 2011/2012 successful campaigns. (Image)
II. Creative brief Background: Cottonil, a leading brand in the Egyptian cotton industry that manufactures undergarments for men, women, and children. Communication objectives: Our goals is to enhance the negative perception of Cottonil received by the target audience, change the perception of the neutral audience as it is a very good opportunity to turn it to the positive side and also unifying the consistency of the brands message. Through: •Focusing on brand identity and visual language. •Unify the brand’s target message. •Specify the target group. •Define a suitable visual language that fits with the Egyptian society. Testimonials: Business itself:
Target group: “”خارج حدود االدب “Sexual representations are embarrassing and shameful, which makes me question the company itself”
Target group and prime prospect: We are going to target young male adults from the age of 16 to 25 years old. Specifically focused on those aging from the 19 to 22 years old because they are the ones with highest probability to be influenced, as most of them are neutral about the brand according to the results of the survey that has been done. Key learnings: Problem: •Objectifying women •Focusing on sexuality instead of the products’ quality in their message which may lead to downfall in sales Solution: •Improving customers perception of the brand by focusing on the quality •Producing ethical advertisements, which are compatible to the Egyptian society.
Strategy: Insight: Improve the already existing communication strategy by focusing on the raw material being cotton and the quality it possesses plus the varity of existing products. Benefit: Positive perception of people. Increase in sales and market share. Reason to believe: In 2012’ s campaign they were focusing on the quality of the products and the fact that they are Egyptian based, actually increased the sales rapidally. Thus, showcasing that there is no need for the use of sexuality in order to capture the audiences attention. Brand character: Good quality, Comfortable, Trustworthy, Reliable Mandatory executional elements: Clean TV ads and clear billboard ads, and w user friendly website that can be easily accessed. The ads would be matching the concept of the brand (the quality of the cotton) Optional executional elements: Booths would be an optional element if we don’t have enough budget money. Flyers would also be an optional element.
Reccomendation
III. Creative breif Logo As searching for the logo of Cottonil, two different logos were found. Logo#1: This is the old version of the logo for Cottonil. They used the blue in the background, and white text on the top of the blue. The Arabic font didn’t match the stroke and curves of the English logo. Logo#2: Another logo was designed later on. The “Vega” logo was added under Cottonil to indicate that Cottonil is made by Cottonil, and with the same quality of cotton. The color pink is used the background for the “Vega” to specify that it is for girls. This logo was found on the website on the main page. In this logo the English text was used. In the new logo, same colors were used (very close to the blue shade), but a different font was used. Although this logo is new but it still needs a lot of reformation.
Both fonts don’t have a matching stroke.
Logo #1 (old logo)
A new font was used for the English text, but still smiliar. Because the tast was to enhance and not totally change the logo.
Logo #2 (new logo)
The blue in the background is the color of Cottonil’s identity. The style in the arabic font doesn’t match the English. The Arabic has curved edges whereas the English has sharp edges.
The hot pink was used for the Vega, in order to have a direct message: that this is a brand for females. Both brands were put together to clarify that they are “sub-subrands”, but still they are made with the same cotton.
Logo While designing the new logo, the color blue had to be similar because the users are already used to that the logo of Cottonil is blue. Same thing goes to the Vega color (pink), the color pink had to be left the same as well. The font used for the Arabic text is: GE SS Unique Bold, based on the shapes of the Arabic font, the English font was designed. Using the same curves and lines/strokes.
القطن بيتكلم مصرى The English font was made out of the strokes of the Arabic font. Also the same style, the same curves. The slogan was written with the same font used in the logo.
القطن بيتكلم مصرى Same concept was applied for the “Vega” logo.
Website Cottonil’s current website successfully communicates the message that is “ The quality of Egyptian cotton ”, however when it comes to the website architecture, it’s not very user friendly. Products display page does not fully indicate that the images are clickable, nor are they updated to the latest collections and are very limited to only a small number of products per category. Not to mention the outdated and old fashion design of the interface itself. It looks like it was launched in 2007 and hasn’t been updated since then. Additionally, the product display page does not show whether items are still in stock, sizes availability, nor the prices of each item. They offer online purchases either.
New Website The reason behind website redesign: In a proposed new design, an online catalogue is made more apparent, and details about the product is available; size, availability, color, and model according to its year. Furthermore, an online purchase system has been added. As for the kind of imagery used in the new design, it does not display models, but instead just the product. A search option is also added to make the website more user friendly, and make it easier for the user to reach what he/she is looking for, and therefore a filter system is also added to the search engine
Improvement of strategy: The Message
OLD COMMUNICATION STRATEGY MESSAGE
SEXUALITY
Cottonil’s previous attempt in their communication strategy is to create a need for people to feel “sexy” and “attractive”, which is very similar to Calvin Klein and Georgio Armani’s communication strategy, however a lot of their audience found it offensive and does not suit our culture. And this is where the modified communication strategy comes in.
NEW COMMUNICATION STRATEGY MESSAGE
QUALITY
After several research, sampling and questionnaires, we have concluded that Cottonil’s consumers are more passionate about buying Egyptian industry more than sex appeal. Therefore, that is the recommended approach we would follow in the modified communication strategy, and that quality oriented message would be consistent in all Cottonil’s channels; Television commercials, billboards, website, and flyers.
Creative Solution
The Creative Solution: The creative solution was based on the insight that Egyptians have sense of humor. The strategy assumed that the success of the campaign would be earned by being more humorous rather than sexual. This look was a common thread throughout the campaign and was continued on into both prints and online ads.
Expected Behavior After the campaign people will perceive the product in a more positive way and in an appropriate way. The focus in the campaign will be focusing on the quality of the product, which is pure 100% cotton. By visualizing people from different target ages/gender wearing Cottonil and how comfortable it is to wear their products. Comparing two different people, a Cottonil user and another that doesn’t use Cottonil. So after changing the idea of representing/ using “sexuality” to sell, the focus will be focusing on “Comfort”.
Advertising Objectives Despite the obvious objective of recovering lost consumers the communications also had a few challenges that they would need to overcome. Therefore more specific objectives were set; The campaign needed to; • Communicate its good quality rather than sexuality. • Ensure that communications fit with out society. • Convert trial consumers into repeat purchase. • Persuade people facing difficulties in changing their minds about Cottonil.
Campaign desription The campaign included a series of funny scenarios, explaining the good quality of Cottonil that leads to comfort. The purpose of the message is competing/ eliminating with the “earlier” sexual references that appeared in their ads. Therefore the new message must be as affective, efficient, and powerful as the first one. It would be as affective as the first campaign AD but in a humorous way that is compatible with our culture. Several ideas came to mind, and it ended up on this final idea. Moreover, the main theme of this campaign will be a split screen displaying the lives of two people, a user and a non-user of Cottonil. Displaying the diffuclties of the person that doesn’t use Cottonil and also visualizing the comfort and the good quality Cottonil offers.
Campaign implentation New Slogan The advertising strategy was built upon an important pillar. Improvement: The communications needed to improve Cottonils image and language, using a new advertising strategy tackling the humorous aspect instead of the sexual aspect. The advertising idea that flowed from the strategic platform was: The idea clearly communicated: That Cottonil is about good quality not sexuality. The slogan of Cottonil is used in the new strategy “ ”القطــن بيتكلــم مــرىbut a new word was added to it which is “”بجــد. The reason behind this word being added to the slogan is because we are trying to convince our audience that Cottonil is being advertised with a new a way, away from the “sexuality” concept that is presented in all of their previous ads. We are trying to deliver the message that this time our focus is “really” about the quality of the cotton and how comfortable it is. This indicates that it’s all about the fine cotton that we use in our products. The cotton that we use for our products is purely Egyptian, as the slogan says the Cotton speaks Egyptian. So we decided to stick to the same slogan yet add one word that would implement the message we are trying to deliver to our audience (which is Cotton quality and Sexuality). People are already aware of the slogan that is why we can’t fully change the slogan, so adding to it a word that would add a fully description of our key message.
“القطن بيتكلم مصرى ...بجد”
Budget Study In order to make a successful campaign reaching our target group and more, we have to be ready financially with the budget money. The ads will be summed up in the following ways: TV ads, Billboards, online campaign, newspaper. These are the best ways to be able to reach our target audience and the people that still don’t know about Cottonil. TV Ads: Out of all advertising media, television advertising is measured to have the most influence. Why is TV advertising so efficient and influential compared to other methods? The reason TV advertising is so effective is the size of the audience it grasps and reaches. Nearly every Egyptian home has a television in it. Television has become an integrated part of our lifestyle, from granddads to grandkids. Almost every Egyptian watches at least two hours of television in a day. Of course, not everyone viewing your Ads will buy your product. Still, the odds increase with a larger audience. TV advertising reaches a large audience and it also allows you to target certain customers, how is this done? By placing your ads on certain shows or during chosen time slots. For example, a product meant for teenagers might be placed on an after school program. But a product targeting older men and woman might be on TV display during a talk show time or after hours. Advertising this way on TV makes ads more effective because that way they are reaching your standard customer. Budget: 60,000 LE per minute In Ramadan where the percentage of viewers is definitely higher than in the other 11 months of the year, the prices are also higher. There is a package worth 3,000,000 LE for airing 30 sec ad for 125 times. Another package costing 5,000,000 LE for airing 250 times.
Billboards: Billboard advertising is a procedure of advertising that is mainly effective. When you consider that billboards remain a noticeable part of the landscape almost everywhere you go, and that advertisers continue to participate in them as part of their advertising campaigns that actually suggests that there is more to it than meeting the eye. Even though a typical consumer may not realize it, professionals within the advertising field consider billboard marketing one of the most effective and valued advertising methods. A common mistake is that the messages on outdoor billboards are too simple to be persuasive. Research shows that the average person views a billboard for about 4 seconds. The purpose of outdoor billboards is to build or strengthen brand appreciation and strengthens the advertiser’s image, not to overly inform. Budget: Billboards: starting from 50,000 LE to 250,000 LE per month according to its place and its size.
Newspaper ads: Newspaper advertising has been used more than any other form of advertising we see today and is still the first kind of advertising that businesses think about doing. Newspaper advertisements can do a lot more than just promote one item or one sale. They’re a affective in a good way to reach a huge number of people, especially those aged 35+ who tend to read the paper more often than younger demographic groups who tend to know their news from television radio or the internet. And you can target your ads to the appropriate markets by demanding that your ads is placed in the sector that most closely relate to your target audience for example if its sports related, business or lifestyle. Budget: (daily edition): 3 columns x 35 cm for 1130 LE. (Friday edition): 4 columns x 25 cm for 7200 LE. (Full page): from 150,000 LE to 200,000 LE.
Website: Internet advertising has been the fastest growing advertising channel in recent years. So websites are the best ways
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