Tag Communications

What is appropriate – and who is the final say in what is in good taste?  In Civil Law, there is a standard of ‘reasonable man,’ but in the wonderful, blurry world of advertising, there is no one ‘reasonable man.’   The reasonable man becomes the aggregate customer – what kind of person he or she is, what their values are, their age, interest, education – what traits contribute to their personality.

I may find certain campaigns questionable, and that’s not a problem to the advertiser when I’m not the intended consumer.  I think AXE commercials veer into misogyny, but I’m not the teenage guy they are intended for.  Enough of the young men they target find the commercials entertaining proof that AXE mirrors their own set of values – if AXE was a person, he’d be the guy they’d want to be friends with.

Within my family, there are certain topics that we just do not joke about – and I’m always surprised when I hear that other families do.  My family has its own personality: it’s loud, protective, kind, loving, silly and sarcastic.   A brand’s personality needs to align with that of its family of stakeholders, and deviating from that will alienate and betray previously loyal customers (as wells as employees, vendors, neighbors, etc.).

I’d like to think I’m a pretty stand-up woman - it’s important to me to do the right thing, to admit when I’m wrong, to make restitution for any harm done.  If I’m in a bad mood and am short with my mom on the phone, within an hour or two I call her back and apologize.  And I try to do better next time.

Most of my buying decisions are not given much thought; I do not consider the integrity of every brand I purchase – but once their true colors show (in advertising, in the news, in the actions of the major players), I compare their actions to how I behave, or would like to behave.  If their actions show how unimportant their customers are, or their employees, or the environment (Hello BP!), it becomes a new, unconscious thought to not use their products.

It’s like Pavlov’s dogs – but my conscience is what’s ringing the bell, keeping me from supporting companies that don’t fit my spectrum of values.

If your favorite brand were a person, what would they be like?  Would they be a man or a woman?  Why?  Do they have kids, and are they good parents?  Are they funny – and what kind of humor?  How are they like you - and how are they not?  When an advertisers’ message rubs you the wrong way, stop and think about why.  It’ll give you insight into yourself, what traits are important to you for a company to have, and how your personality relates to your purchasing decisions.