Campaign Evaluation: Dove #ShowUS

The campaign I am analyzing is the Dove campaign: Project #ShowUs. The campaign’s target audience is women and non-binary people from about ages 18-35. The campaign evolved from the Dove Real Beauty campaign that originally launched in 2004. Dove is partnering with Girlgaze and Getty Images to create a photo gallery to break the concept and stereotypes of “ideal” beauty standards. 

Their campaign also encourages diversity, does not use photoshop, and incorporates women behind and in front of the camera. They encourage people to share their photos in the gallery and on the Instagram platform using the hashtag #ShowUs. 

This Dove campaign utilizes the ethical component of PR awareness because the campaign’s mission helps the audience tell their personal stories and photos instead of focusing on their brand or their products’ values. There are aspects of ethos in this campaign because Getty Images and Girlgaze are two credible and relatively well-known companies; these partnerships further establish the campaign’s credibility. 

A majority of Dove’s campaign is Shared Media because it includes content from Dove creators and user-generated content. People can contribute their own photos to the gallery or post on the Instagram platform using the hashtag. The overall emphasis was user-generated content, curated content to empower their target audience. The #ShowUs campaign utilizes owned media because the Dove website has a page to promote the campaign and explain what they are trying to achieve. The Dove social media persona is empowering, promoting self-care and positive beauty, and speaking out on various social issues. 

PR Writing Reflection

Throughout COM 327, I learned various styles of PR writing. I gained knowledge of how to blog effectively. I would read the information or article and pick out the most critical details to compile a blog post. I would then search for graphics and media that connect to the topic. Before writing, I would take notes and write down my thoughts on the topic.  

Press releases were challenging for me to write, with the APA format, inverted pyramid structure, and translating information into a story. Through writing the press release, I learned more about the Bradley Communications Department and COM Connect. Seeing press releases all over the news and then getting to write one was an enjoyable but difficult experience. Although difficult, I enjoyed taking an audio recording, transcribing it, and picking out quotes.

I enjoyed writing the feature story, comparing it, and contrasting it style-wise to the press release. Learning about another student in the Communication Department inspired me. I loved learning about the feature story’s various elements like the lead, nut graph, and kicker. The interview process was enjoyable. Drafting all the questions and then getting answers was extremely fulfilling. During this course, I Improved writing open-ended questions and became confident in an interview setting. 

Creating the social media press kit was my favorite writing assignment. Coming up with creative posts, creating graphics, and turning details into captions. I enjoyed working with a team because we got to discuss our posts and collaborate. It was interesting to create Instagram content professionally since I have only used it for my personal use.

Future Professional Applications

I plan to display my blog posts as writing samples in the future, when applying to jobs. I loved blogging, so I might continue doing it as a hobby and writing about my passions and interests. Social media is something I wish to do professionally in the future. My experience through COM 327, posting for the Communications Department, will be added to my resume. I will be adding my writing skills and content-creating experience to my resumé when it is applicable.

Reference Links:

https://www.oberlo.com/blog/social-media-campaign-examples

https://www.dove.com/us/en/stories/campaigns/showus.html

I think the CDC does an effective job of capturing information from the various guides in collecting posters. The documents are informative but contain detailed information on different topics regarding the Coronavirus pandemic.

The posters break down the primary, critical topics like proper hand washing, correct mask usage, and practices on protecting yourself and others around you. Within these posters, the CDC further breaks down the information into different visuals and smaller sections.

These informative posters are formatted in an inverted pyramid structure, and this is a successful composition because people can get the essential information easily and focus on the main points. The information is easier to understand and remember when presented in the inverted pyramid format, and you do not have to spend a lot of time reading minuscule details.

Both these posters achieve balance in the way the elements on the page were laid out. The second poster, discussing protecting yourself and others from Coronavirus, utilizes sequence, especially in the second line with all the different color boxes. This use of sequence with different colors and different peoples really makes the page pop visually. The sequence also comes into play with the mask-wearing poster because the elements at the top of the page have the most prominence.

The mask-wearing poster displays unity effectively because the illustrations are similar in style and the body and display fonts complement each other nicely. The font was consistent and readable in both posters, especially in protecting yourself and others from Coronavirus one.

These posters are both effective and strong. They are informative and easily readable. The only criticism I had was the poster dealing with protecting yourself and others from Coronavirus was busy in terms of all the different colors they used. I found it a bit distracting. The flow was stronger on the hand washing poster in terms of the way it was formatted in the grid style.

The brand persona being presented on the Stories and News page is that Starbucks is professional and inspirational. There is a lot of valuable information about what is going on in the world and its relevance to the Starbucks brand. The audience can tell that the company cares and strives to be knowledgeable about current events. For example, the Starbucks website has stories about Black History Month and Coronavirus. They also have an entire section that focuses on their efforts to help the planet.

Another component of the brand persona portrayed through the Stories and News page is that Starbucks is positive and encouraging. They discuss through sections on their website that they are a “people positive” brand and want to do the best for humanity. Starbucks appears innovative because it discusses new drinks and concepts that the brand is trying.

The content featured on the Starbucks Stories and News page helps build relationships with their target audience because it allows the audience to learn about what Starbucks values outside of their product. It allows the audience to connect with the Starbucks brands and learn important information about the world around them. The audience has the opportunity to learn about new Starbucks products, innovations, and initiatives they support.

Creativity and humor are components of the brand persona represented by the Starbuck Twitter account. For example, on February 2, 2020, Starbucks tweeted, “Maybe if the groundhog had some Cold Brew, he wouldn’t go back to sleep for 6 more weeks of winter.” They also frequently interact with their audience by retweeting people’s tweets and replying to them. Part of their brand persona is to be inspiring; they tweet some uplifting content. Overall, the tone of their content is positive and encouraging, and this is similar to the brand persona portrayed through the Stories and News page. Some of the information from their Twitter account also aligns with the Stories and News page in terms of content.

The Starbuck Twitter feed contains both created and curated content. An example of curated content featured on the Starbuck Twitter account is they retweeted a tweet from Blue Star Families about partnering with them to support military members’ mental health. By doing this Starbucks gets positive exposure as well as Blue Star Families. Another example of their curated tweets is they retweet people positive Starbucks stories. Starbucks ‘ created twitter content is tweets with graphics and pictures promoting their new and featured products. They also tweet their creative promotional content. For example, on August 25, 2020, Starbucks tweeted, “Every time a PSL is sipped, a leaf gets its orange.”

The all new Star Drink is here. Enjoy the fresh flavors of kiwi, starfruit and coconutmilk. 🥝 🥥 Pure summer refreshment. (US + Canada) pic.twitter.com/kknPQEsSCE

— Starbucks (@Starbucks) August 19, 2020

https://twitter.com/GiGiHadid/status/1295737876521652225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1295737876521652225%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FGiGiHadid2Fstatus2F1295737876521652225widget%3DTweet

Paid media is traditional advertisement where the company has complete control over the content, frequency, and reach. Zion does not appear to utilize a significant amount of  traditional paid media. Their website features products they sell and their brand’s ethics, but there is not much blatant, traditional advertising. Their social media advertises their products by showcasing them through pictures posting members of the community enjoying their products and the community’s coffee bar relationship. 

The Zion website utilizes earned media because they have a section on their website with a few third party press releases. A third-party endorsement characterizes earned media, and it is the most credible component of PESO. These articles allow people to learn about the relationship Zion Coffee Bar has with the community and showcases their mission. 

Shared media appears on the Zion website through the use of social media channels linked at the bottom of the page, and this gives their audience a chance to view their products and space in various forms of media. Overall, it provides an audience with easier access to their content and expands the company’s reach. Zion uses owned media because they feature a documentary that the Zion company produced and therefore had a large amount of input in the creative process. This documentary is considered owned media because it expands on Zion’s platform and connects to the community outside of its website. Their website as a whole is also an example of owned media. 

One aspect I notice about their Instagram is that they feature people in their stories and posts. This tactic shows their emphasis on using their coffee to build community. The hashtag #thefacesofzion feature their employees and customers. A lot of their content stresses the importance of enjoying the simple joys in life and positivity. This content is consistent with their website because their advertisements reflect the value of building community through their products rather than the perspective of just trying to persuade consumers to buy their coffee. 

Zion Coffee Connects Customers to the Other Side of the Cup

Ben and Jerry decided to add a new vegan flavor to their line honoring social activist and athlete Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has fought against racial inequality and has spoken publicly about this topic, especially within the athletic world, “he routinely took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality while playing in the NFL (Jackson, 2021).” 

This partnership is in line with Ben and Jerry’s racial justice mission. On their website, they have a section that discusses racial justice. In this component of their website, Ben and Jerry acknowledge that racism is a deeply embedded system. They, as a company, are educating themselves on the issues and want to create change. They also have partnerships with the NAACP and the organization Color of Change. 

The collaboration between Kaepernick and Ben and Jerry’s feels very authentic because his values of racial equality and creating change align with Ben and Jerry’s. This campaign is effective and genuine due to how the ice cream company framed the partnership. Kaepernick’s campaign section on their website utilizes the ethical principle of authenticity. Ben and Jerry’s dedication to fighting for racial equality and having some of these difficult conversations about race is part of what Colin Kaepernick did for the NFL. He got sports fans and people worldwide talking and thinking about their racial biases when he knelt for the National Anthem during an NFL game. 

Ben and Jerry’s campaign also displays a significant amount of awareness. They fully acknowledge their racial biases and state their desire to create change. Ben and Jerry do a successful job of incorporating Kaepernick’s and Know Your Rights Camp’s values of investing in black lives’ liberties while incorporating their new flavor. They focus on their social justice mission rather than their self-promotion. Overall, Ben and Jerry handle the whole campaign respectfully, and the whole thing is hugely informative. 

The partnership is mutually beneficial because people will feel inspired to support Ben and Jerry’s ice cream because they use their collaborations and their platform to fight racial injustice. Consumers will feel drawn to buy Ben and Jerry’s ice cream because their campaign with Kapernick fights for racial equality and brings the topic of race to the table, challenging old ways of thought. The Issues We Care About section enhances the mutually beneficial relationship because the section clarifies the company’s position on these racial issues and acknowledges their bias and what they are doing to make a change.

Jackson, W. (2021, February 04). Goodell ‘thankful’ FOR Kaepernick’s Activism. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/02/04/roger-goodell-thankful-colin-kaepernick-activism