{"id":61384,"date":"2022-05-15T20:24:58","date_gmt":"2022-05-15T20:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/fair-and-lovely-case-study-marketing-782\/"},"modified":"2022-05-15T20:24:58","modified_gmt":"2022-05-15T20:24:58","slug":"fair-and-lovely-case-study-marketing-782","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/fair-and-lovely-case-study-marketing-782\/","title":{"rendered":"Fair and lovely case study ( marketing) 782"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cultural Norms: Fair & Lovely and Advertising
\nFair & Lovely, a branded product of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL \u2013 formerly called Hindustan Lever), is touted
\nas a cosmetic that lightens skin colour. On its website (www.hul.co.in) the company called its product, \u2018the miracle
\nworker\u2019, which is \u2018proven to deliver one to three shades of change\u2019.While tanning is the rage in Western countries,
\nskin lightening treatments are popular in Asia.
\nAccording to industry sources, the top-selling skin lightening cream in India is Fair & Lovely from Hindustan
\nUnilever, followed by CavinKare\u2019s Fairever brands. HUL\u2019s Fair & Lovely brand was the undisputed monarch of
\nthe market with a 90 per cent share until CavinKare Ltd (CKL) launched Fairever. In just two years, the Fairever
\nbrand gained an impressive 15 per cent market share. HUL\u2019s shareof market for the Fair & Lovely line generates
\nabout $60 million annually. The product sells for about 23 rupees ($0.29) for a 25-gram tube of cream.
\nThe rapid growth of CavinKare\u2019s Fairever (www.cavinkare.com) brand prompted HUL to increase its advertising
\neffort and to launch a series of ads depicting a \u2018fairer girl gets the boy\u2019 theme. One advertisement featured a
\nfinancially strapped father lamenting his fate, saying, \u2018If only I had ason\u2019, while his dark-skinned daughter looks
\non, helpless and demoralised because she can\u2019t bear the financial responsibility of her family. Fast-forward and
\nPlain Jane has been transformed into a gorgeous light-skinned woman throughthe use of a \u2018fairness cream\u2019, Fair &
\nLovely. Now clad in a miniskirt, the woman is a successful flight attendant andcan take her father to dine at a fivestar
\nhotel. She\u2019s happy and so is her father.
\nIn another ad two attractive young women are sitting in a bedroom; one has a boyfriend and, consequently, is
\nhappy. The darker-skinned woman, lacking a boyfriend, is not happy. Her friend\u2019s advice? Use a bar of soap to
\nwash away the dark skin that\u2019s keeping men from flocking to her.
\nHUL\u2019s series of ads provoked CavinKare Ltd to counter with an ad that takes a dig at HUL\u2019s Fair & Lovely ad.
\nCavinKare\u2019s ad has a father-daughter duo as the protagonists, with the father shown encouraging the daughter to
\nbe an achiever irrespective of her complexion. CavinKare maintained that the objective of its new commercial is
\nnot to take a dig at Fair & Lovely but to \u2018reinforce Fairever\u2019s
\npositioning\u2019.
\n\u2018We have noticed attempts by Fair & Lovely to blur our positioning by changing its communication platform from
\n\u201cwanting to get married\u201d to \u201cachievement\u201d, the principal Fairever theme. Since we don\u2019t have the spending power
\nto match HUL, a tactical way for us to respond is to reinforce our brand positioning and the commercial will be
\naired until the company\u2019s \u201cobjective\u201d is achieved,\u2019 a CavinKare official said.
\nSkin colour is a powerful theme in India as well as much of Asia where a lighter colour represents a higher status.
\nWhile Americans and Europeans flock to tanning salons, many across Asia seek ways to have \u2018fair\u2019 complexions.
\nCulturally, fair skin is associated with positive values that relate to class and beauty. One Indian lady commented
\nthat when she was growing up, her mother forbade her to go outdoors. She was not trying to keep her daughter out
\nof trouble but was trying to keep her skin from getting dark. Brahmins, the priestly caste at the top of the social
\nhierarchy, are considered fair because they traditionally stayed inside, poring over books. The undercaste at the
\nbottom of the ladder are regarded as the darkest people because they customarily worked in the searing sun.
\nAncient Hindu scriptures and modern poetry eulogise women endowed with skin made out of white marble.
\nSkin colour is closely identified with caste and is laden with symbolism. Pursue any of the \u2018grooms and brides
\nwanted\u2019 ads in newspapers or on the web that families use to arrange suitable alliances and you will see that most
\npotential grooms and their families are looking for \u2018fair\u2019 brides; some are progressive enough to invite responses
\nfrom women belonging to a different caste. These ads, hundreds of which appear in India\u2019s daily newspapers,
\nreflect attempts to solicit individuals with the appropriate religion, caste, regional ancestry, professional and
\neducational qualifications, and, frequently, skin colour. Even in the growing numbers of ads that announce \u2018caste
\nno bar\u2019, the adjective \u2018fair\u2019 regularly precedes professional qualifications.
\nBollywood (India\u2019s Hollywood) glorifies conventions on beauty by always casting a fair-skinned actress in the
\nrole of heroine, surrounded by darker extras. Women want to use whiteners because it is \u2018aspirational\u2019, like losing
\nweight. Even the gods supposedly lament their dark complexion \u2013 Krishna sings plaintively, \u2018Radha kyoon gori,
\nmain kyoon kala?\u2019 (Why is Radha so fair when I\u2019m dark?) \u2013 a skin deficient in melanin (the pigment that
\ndetermines the skin\u2019s brown colour) is an ancient predilection. More than 3500 years ago, Charaka, the famous
\nsage, wrote about herbs that could help make the skin fair.
\nIndian dermatologists maintain that fairness products cannot truly work as they only reach the upper layers of the
\nskin and so do not affect melanin production. Nevertheless, \u2018hope springs eternal\u2019 and for some Fair & Lovely is a
\n\u2018miracle worker\u2019. \u2018The last time I went to my parents\u2019 home, I got complements on my fair skin from everyone,\u2019
\none user gushes. But for others, there is only disappointment. One 26-year-old working woman has been a regular
\nuser for the past eight years but to no avail. \u2018I should have turned into Snow White by now but my skin is still the
\nsame wheatish colour.\u2019
\nThe number of Indians of the opinion that lighter skin is more beautiful may be shrinking. Sumit Isralni, a 22-year
\nold hair designer in his father\u2019s salon, thinks things have changed in the last two years, at least in India\u2019s most
\ncosmopolitan cities, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Women now \u2018prefer their own complexion, their natural way,\u2019
\nIsralni says; he prefers a more \u2018Indian beauty\u2019 himself. \u2018I won\u2019t judge my wife on how fair her complexion is.\u2019
\n\u2018Sunita Gupta, a beautician in the same salon, is more critical. \u2018It\u2019s just foolishness!\u2019 she exclaims. The premise of
\nthe ads that women could not become airline attendants if they are dark-skinned was wrong, she said. \u2018Nowadays
\npeople like black beauty.\u2019 It is a truism that women, especially in the tropics, desire to be a shade fairer no matter
\nwhat their skin colour. Although, unlike the approach used in India, advertisements elsewhere usually show how
\nto use the product and how it works.
\nAdvertising
\nHUL launched its television ad campaign to promote Fair & Lovely in December 2001 and withdrew it in
\nFebruary 2003, amid severe criticism of its portrayal of women. Activists argued that one of the messages the
\ncompany sends through its \u2018air hostess\u2019 demonstrating the preference for a son who would be able to take on the
\nfinancial responsibility for his parents \u2013 is especially harmful in a country such as India where gender
\ndiscrimination is rampant. Another offence is perpetuating a culture of discrimination in asociety where \u2018fair\u2019 is
\nsynonymous with \u2018beautiful\u2019. AIDWA(All India Democratic Women\u2019s Association) lodged a complaint in March
\nand April 2002 with HUL about its offensive ads but Hindustan Unilever failed to respond.
\nThe women\u2019s association then appealed to the National Human Rights Commission alleging that the ad demeaned
\nwomen. AIDWA objected to three things: (1) the ads were racist, (2) they were promoting son preference, and (3)
\nthey were insulting to working women. \u2018The way they portrayed the young women who, after using Fair &
\nLovely, became attractive and therefore lands a job suggested that the main qualification for a woman to get a job
\nis the way she looks.\u2019 The Human Rights Commission passed AIDWA\u2019s complaints on to the Ministry of
\nInformation and Broadcasting, which said the campaign violated the Cable and Television Networks Act of 1995 \u2013
\nprovisions in the Act state that no advertisement shall be permitted that \u2018derides any race, caste, colour, creed and
\nnationality\u2019 and that \u2018Women must not be portrayed in a manner that emphasizes passive, submissive qualities and
\nencourages them to play a subordinate secondary role in the family and society.\u2019 The government issued notices of
\nthe complaints to HUL. After a year-long campaign led by the AIDWA, Hindustan Unilever Limited discontinued
\ntwo of its television advertisements for Fair & Lovely fairness cold cream in March 2003.
\nShortly after pulling its ads off the air, and, coincidentally, on International Women\u2019s Day, HUL launched its
\n\u2018Fair & Lovely Foundation\u2019, vowing to \u2018encourage economic empowerment of women across India\u2019 by providing
\nresources in education and business. Millions of women \u2018who, though immensely talented and capable, need a
\nguiding hand to help them take the leap forward\u2019. Presumably into a fairer future.
\nHUL sponsored career fairs in over 20 cities across the country, offering counselling in as many as 110 careers. It
\nsupported 100 rural scholarships for women students passing their 10th grade, a professional course for aspiring
\nbeauticians, and a three-month Home Healthcare Nursing Assistant\u2019s course catering to young women between the
\nages 18 and 30. According to HUL, the Fair & Lovely Academy for Home Care Nursing Assistants offers a unique
\ntraining opportunity for young women who possess no entry-level skills and, therefore, are not employable in the
\nnew economy job market. The Fair & Lovely Foundation plans to serve as a catalyst for the economic
\nempowerment of women across India. The Fair & Lovely Foundation will showcase the achievements of these
\nwomen not only to honour them, but also to set an example for other women to follow.
\nA few facts about HUL taken from
\nwww.hul.in
\nHindustan Unilever Limited is India\u2019s largest Packaged Mass Consumption Goods company. We are leaders in
\nHome and Personal Care Products and Food and Beverages including such products as Ponds and Pepsodent.
\nWe seek to \u2018meet everyday needs to people everywhere \u2013 to anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and
\ncustomers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services which raise the quality
\nof life\u2019. It is this purpose which inspires us to build brands. Over the past 70 years, we have introduced about 100
\nbrands.
\nFair & Lovely has been specially designed and proven to deliver one to three shades of change in most people.
\nAlso its sunscreen system is specially optimised for Indian skin. Indian skin unlike Caucasian skin tends to
\n\u2018tan\u2019 rather than \u2018burn\u2019 and, hence, requires a different combination of UVA & UVB sunscreens.
\nThe fairness cream is marketed in over 38 countries through HUL Exports and local Unilever companies and
\nis the largest selling skin lightening cream in the world. The brand today offers a substantive range of products
\nto consumers including Fair & Lovely Fairness Reviving Lotion, Fair & Lovely Fairness Cold Cream and Fair &
\nLovely Fairness Soap.
\nSome information on CavinKare taken
\nfrom www.cavinkare.com
\nWe shall achieve growth by \u2018continuously offering unique products and services that would give customers utmost
\nsatisfaction and thereby be a role model.\u2019
\nGoal
\nIn fifteen years (2012) we will be a hundred times our current turnover.
\nValues and beliefs of CavinKare
\nIntegrity The company values honesty and truthfulness above everything else in all its interactions. Our thoughts,
\nwords and actions shall be the same. We shall try oututmost to fulfil promises and honour commitments.
\nFairness The company shall be fair in all its dealings with people inside and outside. We will follow rules, norms
\nand procedures not only in letter but in spirit as well; we will show common decency in all our dealings with
\npeople; we will not exploit undue advantages; we will respect the rights of others.
\nExcellence The company values highly all efforts that lead to high standards in everyday work and results. We
\nshall attempt to be the best-in-class in anything we choose to work on. We shall encourage any individual or
\ncollective effort in promoting excellence.
\nInnovation The company values innovative thinking, innovative approaches and innovative solutions in our
\nregular work life. We will always look for better ways of doing things; we will seek new ideas to solve problems;
\nwe will experiment with new concepts, ideas and solutions.
\nOpenness The company believes that openness to new ideas, thoughts and opinions makes relationships
\nstronger and productive, we shall listen to others; we shall openly discuss among colleagues all that is
\nappropriate; we shall welcome ideas from everywhere.
\nTrust The company believes that trust is an important ingredient for effective functioning within the organisation
\nand with the outside world. While we shall protect our legitimate business interests, we would also approach
\nthe people, issues and associations with straightforwardness, optimism and positive outlook.
\nStretch The company believes that people have infinite potential. We have an extraordinary capability to exert
\nand extend the limits of the possible. We shall aim for stretch goals, ambitious targets and ever-receding
\nhorizons.
\nQuestions
\n1. Is it ethical to sell a product that is, at best, only mildly effective? Discuss.
\n2. Is it ethical to exploit cultural norms and values to promote a product? Discuss.
\n3. Is the advertising of Fair & Lovely demeaning to women or is it portraying a product not too dissimilarto
\ncosmetics in general?
\n4. Will HUL\u2019s Fair & Lovely Foundation counter charges made by AIDWA? Discuss.
\n5. In light of AIDWA\u2019s charges, how would you suggest Fair & Lovely promote its product? Discuss. Would
\nyour response be different if Fairever continues to use \u2018fairness\u2019 as a theme of its promotion? Discuss.
\n6. Propose a promotion\/marketing programme that will counter all the arguments and charges against Fair
\n&Lovely and be an effective programme.
\n7. Based on CavinKare\u2019s statement of values and beliefs, how would you evaluate its advertising\/marketing
\nprogrammes?<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 Cultural Norms: Fair & Lovely and Advertising
 Fair & Lovely, a branded product of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL \u2013 formerly called Hindustan Lever), is touted
 as a cosmetic that lightens skin colour. On its website (www.hul.co.in) the company called its product, \u2018the miracle
 worker\u2019, which is \u2018proven to deliver one to three shades of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61384\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assignmenttutors.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}