This post is the last of a series that examines the effects of a recent charity campaign by Yoplait on their overall brand. You can read the rest of the series here, and here. And here too.
The Scenario
Let’s say I’m a rep from Yoplait. I’ve read all the stuff I wrote in this series and I realize that although the campaign is going okay, it could be going better. In fact, maybe I’m the Vice President of Marketing at Dannon, and I’m wondering how I could turn this into a slam dunk and get a bonus or a raise.
So I start combing the internet for reactions.
I run into this blog and ask the writer their opinion, to see if I want to pay them to consult with us on branding and marketing.
Here’s the response I would get, if I were that person.
The Plan
First, I have to say that in this series of article, I downplayed how happy I was to hear that Dannon was doing this. I summarized what could have been a 1000 word response into two words “super win”. More companies should display this kind of awareness.
However, I also have to say again that from a branding and marketing perspective, it’s barely average. It’s not exactly negative, it won’t stop me from buying things from Dannon, especially Yoplait.
Honestly you’d have to tell me I was eating pureed pork to get me to stop buying yogurt in general, and there’s only one other brand of yogurt that I like, Activia, and you make that too.
Though sometimes we’ll get the generic from the store because Dannon doesn’t have one of those jumbo sizes my sister gets when trying to save money on our grocery bill, at least not at our supermarket. What’s up with that?
Having said that, I do feel some distance from Dannon and Yoplait, in light of the fact that the effort to prevent breast cancer doens’t have respect for my busy life. I’m scheduling my trips to the bathroom and you’re telling me to go to the post office with my lids.
On the one hand, yes, I would feel an incredible amount of guilt with the thought that more lives could have been saved if I could get up off my butt and go to the post office in the few hours a week of downtime I have.
On the other, you’re going to make a minimum donation even if I don’t eat your yogurt. Which takes me back from a slightly negative perception of you to slightly more positive than neutral. Still, I’d have liked to be included.
