Monday, October 22, 2018

3 lessons from Kleenex UK’s move to rebrand its ‘Mansize’ tissues

A line of Kleenex tissues in the United Kingdom will soon have a new name.

The company recently announced that it was changing its “Mansize” tissues to “Extra Large” after many consumers complained the moniker was sexist.

The Telegraph reported:

A spokesman for Kimberly-Clark said: "Kleenex Mansize tissues have been on shelves for the past 60 years. Over that time, the brand has always been characterised by a much larger tissue size, which is both soft and strong.

"It was launched at a time when large cotton handkerchiefs were still very popular and Kleenex offered a unique disposable alternative. Despite that our consumer service is registering consistent increase of complaints on gender concern related to Mansize subbrand.

"Kimberly-Clark in no way suggests that being both soft and strong is an exclusively masculine trait, nor do we believe that the Mansize branding suggests or endorses gender inequality. Our Mansize tissues remain one of our most popular products, with 3.4 million people buying these tissues every year.

The social media team for Kleenex U.S. applauded the move with a tweet:

[RELATED: Enter your work—or nominate a colleague—for our 2018 ACE Awards.]

Here are three lessons communicators can take away from the rebranding move:

1. Organizations are increasingly facing backlash for gender messaging missteps.

Kleenex joins a growing list of brand managers who have responded to criticism over messaging or comments regarding consumers’ gender.

The New York Times reported:

Among the more memorable casualties was stationery maker BiC, which ran into disparaging comments when trying to market pink and purple pens "for her." Amazon was flooded by reviews poking fun at the strategy and the notion that it was "designed to fit comfortably in a woman's hand."

PepsiCo issued a mea culpa after its chief executive said the company was preparing to launch snack products “designed and packaged” with women in mind. The phrase “Lady Doritos” quickly trended online as social media usersridiculed the comments. Clarks removed a line of school shoes after consumers railed againstthe names: “Dolly Babe” for girls and “Leader” for boys.

Recently, British grocery chain Waitrose announced it would change the name of its Gentleman’s Smoked Chicken Caesar Roll after it came under fire for using a sexist label.

ABC News reported:

The roll, which is part of celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal's range, contains anchovy mayonnaise, similar to a classic product called Gentleman's Relish created in the 19th century. Amy Lame, who was appointed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan as the capital's first Night Czar in 2016, posted an image of the product on Twitter with a smirking emoticon.

"I never knew sandwiches were gender specific," she said. "I'm female but thankfully Waitrose let me purchase this anyway."

As more consumers raise their expectations of PR and marketing messaging, along with organizations taking a stand when it comes to societal and political issues, brand managers will have to become more vigilant of potential issues with their copy and content.

2. You won’t make everyone happy.

Kleenex UK replied to a critic of its Mansized tissues with the following tweet:

A week later, the company’s social media team tweeted:

Many Twitter users replied to the update by criticizing Kleenex for changing the product’s name.

The Guardian also took aim at Kleenex’s decision with a snarky article. It read, in part:

I’m a keen collector of examples of political correctness gone mad. Does this count? Not really. It’s more an instance of global marketing gone opportunistic. But the age of the man-specific product may be coming to an end.

There are others? Oh yes. You can buy “man-style” versions of soup, soap, candles, sun cream and lip balm.

But real men have chapped lips. Good point. This was never about gender exclusion; it was about encouraging men to buy products that might otherwise be perceived as too feminine.

So, it’s sexist, but in a different way than people might think. That’s probably why Kleenex for Men came about in the first place – to get men to try tissues.

You won’t please all consumers with your communications and branding decisions, especially in today’s climate of polarized opinions and the speed with which outrage can grow on social media platforms.

Instead of trying to make everyone happy, make decisions that align with your organization’s vision, mission and culture. Stay true to your brand voice, and consider all types of feedback. Even if you don’t change a message or name, you can glean valuable insights.

3. It pays to be sensitive to hot-button issues—but don’t go overboard.

CNN reported:

Sam Smethers, chief executive of UK-based women's organization The Fawcett Society, said the rebrand "is not to be sneezed at."

"Removing sexist branding such as this is just sensible 21st century marketing. But we still have a long way to go before using lazy stereotypes to sell products is a thing of the past," she added.

Communications pro and Muck Rack contributor Meredith Eaton wrote:

You’d have thought these brands would’ve learned something from the 2012 Bic campaign called “Bic for her,” or other failed attempts. But, as this Washington Post article notes, “companies haven’t moved away from the idea that it’s smart to pander to women by changing the look and feel of a product, rather than improving its essential function.”

The author goes on to say that, to fix this, businesses need to hire more women at every level. “If we want companies to make products women really want, women should be well-represented in creative and product decision-making — not only financial or management choices.”

Organizations that don’t readily come to mind for empowerment, such as beer brands, can also take part in this move toward acceptance-based messaging:

Jonny Forsyth, associate director for Mintel Food & Drink, wrote inthe agency’s blog:

The theme of empowerment can also be incorporated into marketing campaigns to position brands as advocates of women’s rights and gender equality. Across markets, advertisements like Coors Light’s “Climb On” feature a more aspirational approach to representations of women, positioning them as strong and active, and avoiding many of the clichés of the past. Most women want to see strong-minded and successful women in advertising campaigns and beer brands that can connect these representations with their products are likely to be rewarded.

However, trying too hard to avoid controversy—or using controversy to sell more of your products and services—can cause an even bigger problem.

iNews reported:

So determined are some brands to distance themselves from any message that could be viewed as even the slightest bit unenlightened, some are in danger of trying a little bit too hard to demonstrate just how woke they are. 

… There’s a reason marketing stunts like this often fall flat, says Kelly O’Hanlon, a senior lecturer in PR at Birmingham City University.

“Brands will tap into something that’s happening in society and try to turn it into a vehicle to promote themselves,” she says.

“Sometimes it shows they are responsible, concerned, aware of public opinion and the zeitgeist. At other times it seems very crude. The commercial reasons they’re doing it aren’t too hard to uncover.”

What lessons would you add from Kleenex’s rebrand, PR Daily readers?

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