2.4Will HLL‟s Fair & Lovely Foundation be enough to counter charges made by AIDWA?
The establishment of Fair& Lovely foundation was a right step in a right direction but only that as an action to correct the damage to HLL corporate image and the negative impact to the women segment of the Indian society is not enough. However pulling off those unethical advertisements off air; sponsoring career fairs in over 20 cities; offering counseling in over 110career areas and supporting 100 rural scholarships for women on vocational programs helped tore position Hindustan Lever Ltd as a socially responsible corporate organization. Thee stablishment of the foundation and withdrawal of the unethical adverts pushed up Fair &Lovely annual sales growth between 15% to 20% while expanding the market share of skincare product market by 42.7%. I believe to counter the charges of unethical advertisement leveled by AIDWA, Hindustan Lever Ltd needs to sustain the foundation to continue to discharge the corporate social responsibilities that informed its establishment. Behaving in an ethically and socially responsible way should be the hall mark of every business entity ‟s behavior, domestic or international However HLL should innovate new promotional strategy that will align positively with the Indian culture.
2.5 In light of AIDWA charges, how would you suggest Fair & Lovely promotes its
products? Would your response be different if Forever continues to use “fairness” as a
theme of its promotion?
The most important thing is for HLL to re-evaluate the cultural impact of its advertisement theme as regards to the complaint and charges level against it by AIDWA. Basically HLL need to answer three significant questions in respect to the issues raised by AIDWA. These questions include the following:
The answers to these pertinent questions will go a long way to helping the management of HLL to articulate an advertisement campaign that will adapt to the cultural norms of the Indian society and project the Fair & Lovely in a more positive manner that will be more acceptable to all segments of the society. HLL management should go back to the drawing board and map out new promotional strategy that is ethical and acceptable by the Indian society taken into cognizance the cultural imperatives, electives and exclusive and adapt them positively to the Indian culture. The new promotional strategy should not denigrate women but should show positive virtues of womanhood. I believe this strategy will not only be ethical but will drive up Fair & Lovely sales. Continued honoring of women across India that have achieved greatness and set good example for others to follow will help HLL present Fair & Lovely on a right cultural perspective to the Indian society which may be more appealing to women than a make believe advertisement. The bottom-line is that “fairness”
as a theme should be discontinued and
replaced with something that reflects good living, for example “confidence”.
2.6 Propose a promotion/marketing program that will counter all the argument and charges against Fair & Lovely and be an effective program?