Marketing Communications

584 CHAPTER 16 ETHICAL ISSUES IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

from maternal tetanus. Almost all these deaths occur in

just 44 countries.

Between October and December every year, for each

specially marked ‘1 pack = 1 life-saving vaccine’ pack of

Pampers diaper and wipe product bought, Pampers provides

UNICEF with funding for one life-saving tetanus vaccine. Two

doses of the tetanus vaccine are needed to protect a woman

and any baby born to her during a three-year period. The

baby is protected for the first two months of its life.

The partnership between Pampers and UNICEF rests

upon common objectives and mutually agreed strategies.

The two organisations help babies in need, aim to build

a sustainable long-term relationship, and benefit from each

other’s brand equity and from the broad range of channel

outreach (i.e. media, stores, Internet, direct-to-consumer,

etc.). The partnership focuses on a key idea that can make the

difference in disadvantageous babies’ lives, and it nurtures

both brands’ equity and strengthens the relationship with

consumers and the public. Consumers are open to charity,

especially at Christmas and other giving periods. The project

offers a mechanism that overcomes consumers’ concern of

‘where does all this money generated actually go?’

The relationship with UNICEF started in 2004 in

Latin America with the ‘Mothers of the Heart’ campaign

in Argentina, Venezuela and Mexico. For every pack of

Pampers purchased, Pampers and UNICEF donated in

support of nutrition and education programmes for babies

in need. This programme demonstrated the fit between

Pampers and UNICEF values and a common vision of happy

healthy children.

The idea of working with UNICEF then travelled to

Belgium in 2005 when Pampers teamed up with UNICEF in

the fight against polio. Consumers were an integral part of

the success of this programme. With every purchase of a

Pampers Jumbo pack or Mega pack a polio vaccination was

donated. Over 200 000 children could be vaccinated as a

result of this campaign. The programme also benefited

Pampers, mainly in confirming with Pampers consumers

the Pampers equity of caring for babies around the world

( Photo 16.3 ).

The UK/Ireland 2006 campaign

Campaign

In November–December 2006, the Pampers/UNICEF

tetanus vaccination project started in the UK and Ireland,

with the selling line: ‘Helping protect babies together’. The

campaign was supported by TV, radio, print, direct-to-

consumer and Internet advertising and by in-store activity.

The key visual of the campaign is shown in Photo 16.4.

Thirty-second TV commercials were used during the whole

campaign period to create awareness, drive an emotional

bond with consumers and invite broad-scale participation.

At the end of the campaign a 60-second commercial

was aired to thank the consumers for their participation.

Also, print was used to convey these messages. Further,

in-store communications were used to create an experi-

ence with the initiative at the local level. Posters were

put up at shop entrances, hanging banners were used to

connect with the consumers’ emotionality and make the

vaccination drive credible, and shelf cards were used to

help drive sales. There was massive support from retailers,

resulting in unprecedented in-store support, visibility and

amplification, with extra displays in most stores despite

of difficult Christmas period with its traditional in-store

communications overload. On-pack stickers were used to

communicate the partnership and the mechanics and to

drive the purchase decision. The campaign was further

supported by direct mailings, both from Pampers and from

retailers, to drive the emotional bond via personalised

communications, to drive consumers to the website for

more information, and to enhance credibility. In that way,

1 million contacts with the campaign were included in the

ongoing e-mail campaigns. Banners were used to leverage

the programme by building credibility and by encouraging

longer-term participation via interaction and updates and

by showing results and impact. Finally, public relations

efforts were made to create buzz and awareness and to

leverage on UNICEF PR activities.

Results

The campaign was a big success for UNICEF. A total number

of 7.5 million vaccines were funded, versus the 6 million

estimated from both Pampers sales and the participation of

the trade.

Pampers also benefited from the programme from

both the consumer support and sales. Figure 16.5 shows

that Pampers brand equity was strengthened consider-

ably as a result of the UNICEF campaign: scores on all

Photo 16.3 Pampers and UNICEF join forces to help

protect babies

Source : Pampers.

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