Bollywood actor likened to an Indian Tom Cruise, decided to en-dorse Fair & Handsome. Euromonitor International forecasts that in the next five years, spending on men’s grooming products will rise 24 percent to 14.5 billion rupees, or US$320 million. A recent product review in www.mouthshut.com, praises Fair & Lovely fairness cream: “[Fair & Lovely] contains fairness vitamins which penetrate deep down our skin to give us radiant fairness.” “I don’t know if it can change the skin color from dark to fair, but my personal experience is that it works very well if you have a naturally fair color and want to preserve it without much headache.” “I think Riya Sen has the best skin right now in Bollywood. It appears to be really soft and tender. So, to have soft and fair skin like her I recommend Fair & Lovely Fairness Lotion or Cream.” Yet “skin color isn’t proof of greatness. Those with wheatish or dark skin are by no way inferior to those who have fair skin.” Here are a few facts from Hindustan Lever Ltd.’s homepage: Lever Limited is India’s largest Packaged Mass Consumption Goods Company. We are leaders in Home and Personal Care Products and Food and Beverages including such products as Ponds and Pepsodent. We seek to meet the everyday needs of people everywhere—to anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and customers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and ser-vices which raise the quality of life. It is this purpose that inspires us to build brands. Over the past 70 years, we have introduced about 110 brands. Fair & Lovely has been specially designed and proven to deliver one to three shades of change in most people. Also its sunscreen system is specially optimized for Indian skin. Indian skin, unlike Caucasian skin, tends to “tan” rather than “burn” and, hence, requires a different combination of UVA and UVB sunscreens. You may want to visit HLL’s homepage (www.hhl.com) for additional information about the company. QUESTIONS 1. Is it ethical to sell a product that is, at best, only mildly effective? Discuss.2. Is it ethical to exploit cultural norms and values to promote a product? Discuss. 3. Is the advertising of Fair & Lovely demeaning to women, or is it promoting the fairness cream in a way not too dissimilar from how most cosmetics are promoted? 4. Will HLL’s Fair & Lovely Foundation be enough to counter charges made by AIDWA? Discuss. 5. In light of AIDWA’s charges, how would you suggest Fair & Lovely promote its product? Discuss. Would your response be different if Fairever continued to use “fairness” as a theme of its promotion? Discuss. 6. Propose a promotion/marketing program that will counter all the arguments and charges against Fair & Lovely and bean effective program. 7. Now that a male market for fairness cream exists, is the strength of AIDWA’s argument weakened? 8. Comment on using “Shakti Ammas” to introduce “fairness cream for the masses” in light of AIDWA’s charges. 2 case_2_2_Cultural_Norms_Fair_and_Lovely_and_Advertising.pdf - Foxit ReaderBasicViewEditFindFormsCommentsDrawingPrevious ViewNext ViewMarqueeLoupeMagnifierActual SizeFit PageFit WidthFit VisibleZoom OutRotate RightRotate LeftRead thisZoom InZoompageCommenting on the cultural bias toward fair skin, one criticstates, "There are attractive people who go through life feelinginferior to their fairer sisters. And all because of charming grand-mothers and aunts who do not hesitate to make unflattering com-parisons. Kalee Kalooti is an oft-heard comment about womenwho happen to have darker skin. They get humiliated and mortifiedover the colortrol. Are societal values responsible? Or advertising campaigns?three-month Home Healthcare Nursing Assistant course cater-ing to young women between the ages of 18 and 30 years. Ac-cording to HLL, the Fair & Lovely Academy for Home CareNursing Assistants offers a unique training opportunity foryoung women who possess no entry-level skills and thereforeare not employable in the new economy job market. The Fair &Lovely Foundation plans to serve as a catalyst for the economicempowerment for women across India. The Fair & Lovely Foun-dation will showcase the achievements of these women not onlyto honor them but also to set an example for other women tofollow.AIDWAS campaign against ads that convey the message, "ifshe is not fair in color, she won't get married or won't get pro-moted," also has resulted in some adjustment to fairness creamads. In revised versions of the fairness cream ads, the "get fair toattract a groom" theme is being reworked with "enhance your self-confidence" so that a potential groom himself begs for attention. Itis an attempt at typifying the modern Indian woman, who has morethan just marriage on her mind. Advertising focus is nowmessage that lighter skin enables women to obtain jobs conven-tionally held by men. She is career-oriented, has high aspirations,and, at the same time, wants to look good. AIDWA concedes thatthe current crop of television ads for fairness creams are "not asdemeaning" as ones in the past. However, it remains against theproduct; as the president of AIDWA stated, "It is downright racisttheir skin, a fact over which they have no con-Advertising moguls claim they only reflect prevailing attitudes inIndia. This is possibly true but what about ethics in advertising? Isit correct to make advertisements that openly denigrate a majorityof Indian people-the dark-skinned populace? The advertising isblatant in their strategy. Mock anyone who is not the right colorand shoot down their self-image."A dermatologist comments, "Fairness obtained with the help ofcreams is short-lived. The main reason being, most of these creamscontain a certain amount of bleaching agent, which whitens facialhair, and not the skin, which leads people to believe that the creamworked." Furthermore, "In India the popularity of a product de-pends totally on the success of its advertising."HLL launched its television ad campaign to promote Fair &Lovely but withdrew it after four months amid severe criticism forits portrayal of women. Activists argued that one of the messagesthe company sends through its "air hostess" ads demonstrating thepreference for a son who would be able to take on the financialresponsibility for his parents is especially harmful in a countrysuch as India where gender discrimination is rampant. Anotheroffense is perpetuating a culture of discrimination in a societywhere "fair" is synonymous with "beautiful." AIDWA (All IndiaWomen's Democratic Association) lodged a complaint at the timewith HLL about their offensive ads, but Hindustan Lever failed torespond.The women's association then appealed to the National HumanRights Commission alleging that the ad demeaned women.AIDWA objected to three things: (1) the ads were racist, (2) theywere promoting son preference, and (3) they were insulting toworking women. "The way they portrayed the young womanwho, after using Fair & Lovely, became attractive and thereforelands a job suggested that the main qualification for a woman toget a job is the way she looks." The Human Rights Commissionpassed AIDWA's complaints on to the Ministry of Informationand Broadcasting, which said the campaign violated the Cableand Television Network Act of 1995-provisions in the act statethat no advertisement shall be permitted which "derides any race,caste, color, creed and nationality" and that "Women must notbe portrayed in a manner that emphasized passive, submissivequalities and encourages them to playtheto denigrate dark skin."Although AIWDAS campaign against fairness creams seems tohave had a modest impact on changing the advertising message, it hasnot slowed the demand for fairness creams. Sales of Fair & Lovely,for example, have been growing 15 to 20 percent year over year, andthe $318 million market for skin care has grown by 42.7 percent inthe last three years. Says Euromonitor International, a research firm:"Half of the skin care market in India is fairness creams and 60 to 65percent of Indian women use these products daily."Recently, several Indian companies were extending theirmarketing of fairness creams beyond urban and rural markets.CavinKare's launch of Fairever, a fairness cream in a small sachetpack priced at Rs 5, aimed at rural markets where some 320 mil-lion Indians reside. Most marketers have found rural marketsimpossible to penetrate profitably due to low income levels andinadequate distribution systems, among other problems. However,HLL is approaching the market through Project Shakti, a rural ini-tiative that targets small villages with populations of 2,000 peopleor less. It empowers underprivileged rural women by providingincome-generating opportunities to sell small, lower priced pack-ets of its brands in villages. Special packaging for the rural marketsubordinate secondarywas designed to provide single-use sachet packets at 50 paise fora sachet of shampoo to Rs 5 for a fairness cream (for ausage). The aim is to have 100,000 "Shakti Ammas," as theyare called, spread across 500,000 villages in India by year end.CavinKare is growing at 25 percent in rural areas compared with15 percent in urban centers.In addition to expanding market effort into rural markets, anthe family and society."governmentticeseek"of the complaints to HLL. After a year-long campaign led by theAIDWA, Hindustan Lever Limited discontinued two of its televi-sion advertisements for Fair & Lovely fairness cold cream.Shortly after pulling its ads off the air, HLL launched its Fair &Lovely Foundation, vowing to "encourage economic empower-ment of women across India" by providing resources in educationand business to millions of women "who, though immensely tal-unexpected market arose when a research study revealed Indianmen were applying girlie fairness potions in droves-but on thesly. It was estimated that 40 percent of boyfriends/husbands ofgirlfriends/wives were applying white magic solutions that camein little tubes. Indian companies spotted a business opportunity,ented and capable, need a guiding hand to help them take the leapforward," presumably into a fairer future.HLL sponsored career fairs in over 20 cities across the coun-try offering counseling in as many as 110 careers. It supported100 rural scholarships for women students passing their 10thgrade, a professional course for aspiring beauticians, and aand Fair & Handsome, Menz Active, Fair One Man, and a malebleach called Saka were introduced to the male market. The sectorexpanded dramatically when Shah Rukh Khan, a highly acclaimed9 EN 2 case_2_2_Cultural_Norms_Fair_and_Lovely_and_Advertising.pdf - Foxit ReaderBasicViewEditFindFormsCommentsDrawingRead thisMarqueeZoomActual SizePrevious ViewNext ViewLoupeMagnifierFit PageFit WidthFit VisibleZoom OutZoom InRotate RightRotate LeftpageCASE 2-2 Cultural Norms, Fair & Lovely, andAdvertisingFair & Lovely, a branded product of Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HLL),is touted as a cosmetic that lightens skin color. On its Web site(www.hll.com), the company calls its product "the miracleworker," "proven to deliver one to three shades of change." Whiletanning is the rage in Western countries, skin lightening treatmentsare popular in Asia.According to industry sources, the top-selling skin lighten-ing cream in India is Fair & Lovely from Hindustan Lever Ltd.(HLL), followed by CavinKare's Fairever brand. HLL$ Fair &Lovely brand dominated the market with a 90 percent share untilCavinKare Ltd. (CKL) launched Fairever. In just two years, theFairever brand gained an impressive 15 percent market share.HLLS share of market for the Fair & Lovely line generates aboutin newspapers or on the Web that are used by families to arrangesuitable alliances, and you will see that most potential grooms andtheir families are looking for "fair" brides; some even are pro-gressive enough to invite responses from women belonging to adifferent caste. These ads, hundreds of which appear in India'sdaily newspapers, reflect attempts to solicit individuals with theappropriate religion, caste, regional ancestry, professional andeducational qualifications, and, frequently, skin color. Even in thegrowing numbers of ads that announce "caste no bar," the adjective"fair" regularly precedes professional qualifications. In everydayS60 million annually. The product sells for about 23 rupees (S0.29)for a 25-gram tube of cream.The rapid growth of CavinKare's Fairever (www.cavinkare.com) brand prompted HLL to increase its advertising effort and tolaunch a series of ads depicting a “fairer girl gets the boy theme."One advertisement featured a financially strapped father lamentinghis fate, saying, “If only I had a son," while his dark-skinned daugh-ter looks on, helpless and demoralized because she can't bear the fi-conversation, the ultimate compliment on someone's looks is tosay someone is gora (fair). "I have no problem with people want-ing to be lighter," said a Delhi beauty parlor owner, Saroj Nath. "Itdoesn't make you racist, any more than trying to make yourselflook younger makes you ageist."Bollywood (India's Hollywood) glorifies conventions on beautyby always casting a fair-skinned actress in the role of heroine, sur-rounded by the darkest extras. Women want to use whiteners be-cause it is "aspirational, like losing weight."Even the gods supposedly lament their dark complexion-Krishna sings plaintively, "Radha kyoon gori, main kyoon kala?(Why is Radha so fair when I'm dark?)." A skin deficient inmelanin (the pigment that determines the skin's brown color)is an ancient predilection. More than 3,500 years ago, Charaka,the famous sage, wrote about herbs that could help make theskin fair.nancial responsibility of her family. Fast-forward and plain Jane hasbeen transformed into a gorgeous light-skinned woman through theuse of a "fairness cream," Fair & Lovely. Now clad in a miniskirt,the woman is a successful flight attendant and can take her father todine at a five-star hotel. She's happy and so is her father.In another ad, two attractive young women are sitting in a bed-room; one has a boyfriend and, consequently, is happy. The darker-skinned woman, lacking a boyfriend, is not happy. Her friend'sadvice-Use a bar of soap to wash away the dark skin that's keep-ing men from flocking to her.HLL's series of ads provoked CavinKare Ltd. to counter with anad that takes a dig at HLL's Fair & Lovely ad. CavinKare's ad hasa father-daughter duo as the protagonists, with the father shownencouraging the daughter to be an achiever irrespective of hercomplexion. CavinKare maintained that the objective of its newcommercial is not to take a dig at Fair & Lovely but to "reinforceFairever's positioning."Skin color is a powerful theme in India, and much of Asia,where a lighter color represents a higher status. While Americansand Europeans flock to tanning salons, many across Asia seekways to have "fair" complexions. Culturally, fair skin is associatedwith positive values that relate to class and beauty. One Indian ladycommented that when she was growing up, her mother forbadeher to go outdoors. She was not trying to keep her daughter out oftrouble but was trying to keep her skin from getting dark.Brahmins, the priestly caste at the top of the social hierarchy,are considered fair because they traditionally stayed inside, por-ing over books. The undercaste at the bottom of the ladder areIndian dermatologists maintain that fairness products cannottruly work as they reach only the upper layers of the skin and sodo not affect melanin production. Nevertheless, for some, Fair &Lovely is a “miracle worker." A user gushes that "The last timeI went to my parents' home, I got compliments on my fair skinfrom everyone." For others, there is only disappointment. One26-year-old working woman has been a regular user for the pasteight years but to no avail. "I should have turned into SnowWhite by now but my skin is still the same wheatish color." Asan owner of a public relations firm commented, “My maid hasbeen using Fair and Lovely for years and I still can't see her inthe dark ... But she goes on using it. Hope springs eternal, Isuppose."The number of Indians who think lighter skin is more beautifulmay be shrinking. Sumit Isralni, a 22-year-old hair designer in hisfather's salon, thinks things have changed in the last two years,at least in India's most cosmopolitan cities, Delhi, Mumbai, andBangalore. Women now "prefer their own complexion, their natu-ral way" Isralni says; he prefers a more "Indian beauty" himself: "Iwon't judge my wife on how fair her complexion is." Sunita Gupta,a beautician in the same salon, is more critical. “It's just foolish-ness!" she exclaimed. The premise of the ads that women couldnot become airline attendants if they are dark-skinned was wrong,she said. “Nowadays people like black beauty." It is a truism thatwomen, especially in the tropics, desire to be a shade fairer, nomatter what their skin color. Yet, unlike the approach used in India,advertisements elsewhere usually show how to use the product andregarded as the darkest people because they customarily workedin the searing sun. Ancient Hindu scriptures and modern poetryeulogize women endowed with skin made of white marble.Skin color is closely identified with caste and is laden withsymbolism. Pursue any of the "grooms" and "brides wanted" adshow it works.

Business Ethics are the guiding principles that drive the values and beliefs of the organization.…

Bollywood actor likened to an Indian Tom Cruise, decided to en-dorse Fair & Handsome. Euromonitor International forecasts that in the next five years, spending on men’s grooming products will rise 24 percent to 14.5 billion rupees, or US$320 million. A recent product review in www.mouthshut.com, praises Fair & Lovely fairness cream: “[Fair & Lovely] contains fairness vitamins which penetrate deep down our skin to give us radiant fairness.” “I don’t know if it can change the skin color from dark to fair, but my personal experience is that it works very well if you have a naturally fair color and want to preserve it without much headache.” “I think Riya Sen has the best skin right now in Bollywood. It appears to be really soft and tender. So, to have soft and fair skin like her I recommend Fair & Lovely Fairness Lotion or Cream.” Yet “skin color isn’t proof of greatness. Those with wheatish or dark skin are by no way inferior to those who have fair skin.” Here are a few facts from Hindustan Lever Ltd.’s homepage: Lever Limited is India’s largest Packaged Mass Consumption Goods Company. We are leaders in Home and Personal Care Products and Food and Beverages including such products as Ponds and Pepsodent. We seek to meet the everyday needs of people everywhere—to anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and customers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and ser-vices which raise the quality of life. It is this purpose that inspires us to build brands. Over the past 70 years, we have introduced about 110 brands. Fair & Lovely has been specially designed and proven to deliver one to three shades of change in most people. Also its sunscreen system is specially optimized for Indian skin. Indian skin, unlike Caucasian skin, tends to “tan” rather than “burn” and, hence, requires a different combination of UVA and UVB sunscreens. You may want to visit HLL’s homepage (www.hhl.com) for additional information about the company. QUESTIONS 1. Is it ethical to sell a product that is, at best, only mildly effective? Discuss. 2. Is it ethical to exploit cultural norms and values to promote a product? Discuss. 3. Is the advertising of Fair & Lovely demeaning to women, or is it promoting the fairness cream in a way not too dissimilar from how most cosmetics are promoted? 4. Will HLL’s Fair & Lovely Foundation be enough to counter charges made by AIDWA? Discuss. 5. In light of AIDWA’s charges, how would you suggest Fair & Lovely promote its product? Discuss. Would your response be different if Fairever continued to use “fairness” as a theme of its promotion? Discuss. 6. Propose a promotion/marketing program that will counter all the arguments and charges against Fair & Lovely and bean effective program. 7. Now that a male market for fairness cream exists, is the strength of AIDWA’s argument weakened? 8. Comment on using “Shakti Ammas” to introduce “fairness cream for the masses” in light of AIDWA’s charges.

Bollywood actor likened to an Indian Tom Cruise, decided to en-dorse Fair & Handsome. Euromonitor International forecasts that in the next five years, spending on men’s grooming products will rise 24 percent to 14.5 billion rupees, or US$320 million. A recent product review in www.mouthshut.com, praises Fair & Lovely fairness cream: “[Fair & Lovely] contains fairness vitamins which penetrate deep down our skin to give us radiant fairness.” “I don’t know if it can change the skin color from dark to fair, but my personal experience is that it works very well if you have a naturally fair color and want to preserve it without much headache.” “I think Riya Sen has the best skin right now in Bollywood. It appears to be really soft and tender. So, to have soft and fair skin like her I recommend Fair & Lovely Fairness Lotion or Cream.” Yet “skin color isn’t proof of greatness. Those with wheatish or dark skin are by no way inferior to those who have fair skin.” Here are a few facts from Hindustan Lever Ltd.’s homepage: Lever Limited is India’s largest Packaged Mass Consumption Goods Company. We are leaders in Home and Personal Care Products and Food and Beverages including such products as Ponds and Pepsodent. We seek to meet the everyday needs of people everywhere—to anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and customers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and ser-vices which raise the quality of life. It is this purpose that inspires us to build brands. Over the past 70 years, we have introduced about 110 brands. Fair & Lovely has been specially designed and proven to deliver one to three shades of change in most people. Also its sunscreen system is specially optimized for Indian skin. Indian skin, unlike Caucasian skin, tends to “tan” rather than “burn” and, hence, requires a different combination of UVA and UVB sunscreens. You may want to visit HLL’s homepage (www.hhl.com) for additional information about the company. QUESTIONS 1. Is it ethical to sell a product that is, at best, only mildly effective? Discuss. 2. Is it ethical to exploit cultural norms and values to promote a product? Discuss. 3. Is the advertising of Fair & Lovely demeaning to women, or is it promoting the fairness cream in a way not too dissimilar from how most cosmetics are promoted? 4. Will HLL’s Fair & Lovely Foundation be enough to counter charges made by AIDWA? Discuss. 5. In light of AIDWA’s charges, how would you suggest Fair & Lovely promote its product? Discuss. Would your response be different if Fairever continued to use “fairness” as a theme of its promotion? Discuss. 6. Propose a promotion/marketing program that will counter all the arguments and charges against Fair & Lovely and bean effective program. 7. Now that a male market for fairness cream exists, is the strength of AIDWA’s argument weakened? 8. Comment on using “Shakti Ammas” to introduce “fairness cream for the masses” in light of AIDWA’s charges.

Practical Management Science

6th Edition

ISBN:9781337406659

Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Chapter2: Introduction To Spreadsheet Modeling

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 20P: Julie James is opening a lemonade stand. She believes the fixed cost per week of running the stand...

See similar textbooks

Related questions

Question

2. Is it ethical to exploit cultural norms and values to promote a
product? Discuss.
3. Is the advertising of Fair & Lovely demeaning to women, or
is it promoting the fairness cream in a way not too dissimilar
from how most cosmetics are promoted?
4. Will HLL’s Fair & Lovely Foundation be enough to counter charges made by AIDWA? Discuss.
5. In light of AIDWA’s charges, how would you suggest Fair &
Lovely promote its product? Discuss. Would your response be different if Fairever continued to use “fairness” as a theme of its promotion? Discuss.
6. Propose a promotion/marketing program that will counter all
the arguments and charges against Fair & Lovely and bean
effective program.
7. Now that a male market for fairness cream exists, is the
strength of AIDWA’s argument weakened?
8. Comment on using “Shakti Ammas” to introduce “fairness
cream for the masses” in light of AIDWA’s charges.

2 case_2_2_Cultural_Norms_Fair_and_Lovely_and_Advertising.pdf - Foxit Reader
Basic
View
Edit
Find
Forms
Comments
Drawing
Previous View
Next View
Marquee
Loupe
Magnifier
Actual Size
Fit Page
Fit Width
Fit Visible
Zoom Out
Rotate Right
Rotate Left
Read this
Zoom In
Zoom
page
Commenting on the cultural bias toward fair skin, one critic
states, "There are attractive people who go through life feeling
inferior to their fairer sisters. And all because of charming grand-
mothers and aunts who do not hesitate to make unflattering com-
parisons. Kalee Kalooti is an oft-heard comment about women
who happen to have darker skin. They get humiliated and mortified
over the color
trol. Are societal values responsible? Or advertising campaigns?
three-month Home Healthcare Nursing Assistant course cater-
ing to young women between the ages of 18 and 30 years. Ac-
cording to HLL, the Fair & Lovely Academy for Home Care
Nursing Assistants offers a unique training opportunity for
young women who possess no entry-level skills and therefore
are not employable in the new economy job market. The Fair &
Lovely Foundation plans to serve as a catalyst for the economic
empowerment for women across India. The Fair & Lovely Foun-
dation will showcase the achievements of these women not only
to honor them but also to set an example for other women to
follow.
AIDWAS campaign against ads that convey the message, "if
she is not fair in color, she won't get married or won't get pro-
moted," also has resulted in some adjustment to fairness cream
ads. In revised versions of the fairness cream ads, the "get fair to
attract a groom" theme is being reworked with "enhance your self-
confidence" so that a potential groom himself begs for attention. It
is an attempt at typifying the modern Indian woman, who has more
than just marriage on her mind. Advertising focus is now
message that lighter skin enables women to obtain jobs conven-
tionally held by men. She is career-oriented, has high aspirations,
and, at the same time, wants to look good. AIDWA concedes that
the current crop of television ads for fairness creams are "not as
demeaning" as ones in the past. However, it remains against the
product; as the president of AIDWA stated, "It is downright racist
their skin, a fact over which they have no con-
Advertising moguls claim they only reflect prevailing attitudes in
India. This is possibly true but what about ethics in advertising? Is
it correct to make advertisements that openly denigrate a majority
of Indian people-the dark-skinned populace? The advertising is
blatant in their strategy. Mock anyone who is not the right color
and shoot down their self-image."
A dermatologist comments, "Fairness obtained with the help of
creams is short-lived. The main reason being, most of these creams
contain a certain amount of bleaching agent, which whitens facial
hair, and not the skin, which leads people to believe that the cream
worked." Furthermore, "In India the popularity of a product de-
pends totally on the success of its advertising."
HLL launched its television ad campaign to promote Fair &
Lovely but withdrew it after four months amid severe criticism for
its portrayal of women. Activists argued that one of the messages
the company sends through its "air hostess" ads demonstrating the
preference for a son who would be able to take on the financial
responsibility for his parents is especially harmful in a country
such as India where gender discrimination is rampant. Another
offense is perpetuating a culture of discrimination in a society
where "fair" is synonymous with "beautiful." AIDWA (All India
Women's Democratic Association) lodged a complaint at the time
with HLL about their offensive ads, but Hindustan Lever failed to
respond.
The women's association then appealed to the National Human
Rights Commission alleging that the ad demeaned women.
AIDWA objected to three things: (1) the ads were racist, (2) they
were promoting son preference, and (3) they were insulting to
working women. "The way they portrayed the young woman
who, after using Fair & Lovely, became attractive and therefore
lands a job suggested that the main qualification for a woman to
get a job is the way she looks." The Human Rights Commission
passed AIDWA's complaints on to the Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting, which said the campaign violated the Cable
and Television Network Act of 1995-provisions in the act state
that no advertisement shall be permitted which "derides any race,
caste, color, creed and nationality" and that "Women must not
be portrayed in a manner that emphasized passive, submissive
qualities and encourages them to play
the
to denigrate dark skin."
Although AIWDAS campaign against fairness creams seems to
have had a modest impact on changing the advertising message, it has
not slowed the demand for fairness creams. Sales of Fair & Lovely,
for example, have been growing 15 to 20 percent year over year, and
the $318 million market for skin care has grown by 42.7 percent in
the last three years. Says Euromonitor International, a research firm:
"Half of the skin care market in India is fairness creams and 60 to 65
percent of Indian women use these products daily."
Recently, several Indian companies were extending their
marketing of fairness creams beyond urban and rural markets.
CavinKare's launch of Fairever, a fairness cream in a small sachet
pack priced at Rs 5, aimed at rural markets where some 320 mil-
lion Indians reside. Most marketers have found rural markets
impossible to penetrate profitably due to low income levels and
inadequate distribution systems, among other problems. However,
HLL is approaching the market through Project Shakti, a rural ini-
tiative that targets small villages with populations of 2,000 people
or less. It empowers underprivileged rural women by providing
income-generating opportunities to sell small, lower priced pack-
ets of its brands in villages. Special packaging for the rural market
subordinate secondary
was designed to provide single-use sachet packets at 50 paise for
a sachet of shampoo to Rs 5 for a fairness cream (for a
usage). The aim is to have 100,000 "Shakti Ammas," as they
are called, spread across 500,000 villages in India by year end.
CavinKare is growing at 25 percent in rural areas compared with
15 percent in urban centers.
In addition to expanding market effort into rural markets, an
the family and society."
government
tices
eek"
of the complaints to HLL. After a year-long campaign led by the
AIDWA, Hindustan Lever Limited discontinued two of its televi-
sion advertisements for Fair & Lovely fairness cold cream.
Shortly after pulling its ads off the air, HLL launched its Fair &
Lovely Foundation, vowing to "encourage economic empower-
ment of women across India" by providing resources in education
and business to millions of women "who, though immensely tal-
unexpected market arose when a research study revealed Indian
men were applying girlie fairness potions in droves-but on the
sly. It was estimated that 40 percent of boyfriends/husbands of
girlfriends/wives were applying white magic solutions that came
in little tubes. Indian companies spotted a business opportunity,
ented and capable, need a guiding hand to help them take the leap
forward," presumably into a fairer future.
HLL sponsored career fairs in over 20 cities across the coun-
try offering counseling in as many as 110 careers. It supported
100 rural scholarships for women students passing their 10th
grade, a professional course for aspiring beauticians, and a
and Fair & Handsome, Menz Active, Fair One Man, and a male
bleach called Saka were introduced to the male market. The sector
expanded dramatically when Shah Rukh Khan, a highly acclaimed
9 EN

Transcribed Image Text:2 case_2_2_Cultural_Norms_Fair_and_Lovely_and_Advertising.pdf - Foxit Reader Basic View Edit Find Forms Comments Drawing Read this Marquee Zoom Actual Size Previous View Next View Loupe Magnifier Fit Page Fit Width Fit Visible Zoom Out Zoom In Rotate Right Rotate Left page CASE 2-2 Cultural Norms, Fair & Lovely, and Advertising Fair & Lovely, a branded product of Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HLL), is touted as a cosmetic that lightens skin color. On its Web site (www.hll.com), the company calls its product "the miracle worker," "proven to deliver one to three shades of change." While tanning is the rage in Western countries, skin lightening treatments are popular in Asia. According to industry sources, the top-selling skin lighten- ing cream in India is Fair & Lovely from Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HLL), followed by CavinKare's Fairever brand. HLL$ Fair & Lovely brand dominated the market with a 90 percent share until CavinKare Ltd. (CKL) launched Fairever. In just two years, the Fairever brand gained an impressive 15 percent market share. HLLS share of market for the Fair & Lovely line generates about in newspapers or on the Web that are used by families to arrange suitable alliances, and you will see that most potential grooms and their families are looking for "fair" brides; some even are pro- gressive enough to invite responses from women belonging to a different caste. These ads, hundreds of which appear in India's daily newspapers, reflect attempts to solicit individuals with the appropriate religion, caste, regional ancestry, professional and educational qualifications, and, frequently, skin color. Even in the growing numbers of ads that announce "caste no bar," the adjective "fair" regularly precedes professional qualifications. In everyday S60 million annually. The product sells for about 23 rupees (S0.29) for a 25-gram tube of cream. The rapid growth of CavinKare's Fairever (www.cavinkare .com) brand prompted HLL to increase its advertising effort and to launch a series of ads depicting a “fairer girl gets the boy theme." One advertisement featured a financially strapped father lamenting his fate, saying, “If only I had a son," while his dark-skinned daugh- ter looks on, helpless and demoralized because she can't bear the fi- conversation, the ultimate compliment on someone's looks is to say someone is gora (fair). "I have no problem with people want- ing to be lighter," said a Delhi beauty parlor owner, Saroj Nath. "It doesn't make you racist, any more than trying to make yourself look younger makes you ageist." Bollywood (India's Hollywood) glorifies conventions on beauty by always casting a fair-skinned actress in the role of heroine, sur- rounded by the darkest extras. Women want to use whiteners be- cause it is "aspirational, like losing weight." Even the gods supposedly lament their dark complexion- Krishna sings plaintively, "Radha kyoon gori, main kyoon kala? (Why is Radha so fair when I'm dark?)." A skin deficient in melanin (the pigment that determines the skin's brown color) is an ancient predilection. More than 3,500 years ago, Charaka, the famous sage, wrote about herbs that could help make the skin fair. nancial responsibility of her family. Fast-forward and plain Jane has been transformed into a gorgeous light-skinned woman through the use of a "fairness cream," Fair & Lovely. Now clad in a miniskirt, the woman is a successful flight attendant and can take her father to dine at a five-star hotel. She's happy and so is her father. In another ad, two attractive young women are sitting in a bed- room; one has a boyfriend and, consequently, is happy. The darker- skinned woman, lacking a boyfriend, is not happy. Her friend's advice-Use a bar of soap to wash away the dark skin that's keep- ing men from flocking to her. HLL's series of ads provoked CavinKare Ltd. to counter with an ad that takes a dig at HLL's Fair & Lovely ad. CavinKare's ad has a father-daughter duo as the protagonists, with the father shown encouraging the daughter to be an achiever irrespective of her complexion. CavinKare maintained that the objective of its new commercial is not to take a dig at Fair & Lovely but to "reinforce Fairever's positioning." Skin color is a powerful theme in India, and much of Asia, where a lighter color represents a higher status. While Americans and Europeans flock to tanning salons, many across Asia seek ways to have "fair" complexions. Culturally, fair skin is associated with positive values that relate to class and beauty. One Indian lady commented that when she was growing up, her mother forbade her to go outdoors. She was not trying to keep her daughter out of trouble but was trying to keep her skin from getting dark. Brahmins, the priestly caste at the top of the social hierarchy, are considered fair because they traditionally stayed inside, por- ing over books. The undercaste at the bottom of the ladder are Indian dermatologists maintain that fairness products cannot truly work as they reach only the upper layers of the skin and so do not affect melanin production. Nevertheless, for some, Fair & Lovely is a “miracle worker." A user gushes that "The last time I went to my parents' home, I got compliments on my fair skin from everyone." For others, there is only disappointment. One 26-year-old working woman has been a regular user for the past eight years but to no avail. "I should have turned into Snow White by now but my skin is still the same wheatish color." As an owner of a public relations firm commented, “My maid has been using Fair and Lovely for years and I still can't see her in the dark ... But she goes on using it. Hope springs eternal, I suppose." The number of Indians who think lighter skin is more beautiful may be shrinking. Sumit Isralni, a 22-year-old hair designer in his father's salon, thinks things have changed in the last two years, at least in India's most cosmopolitan cities, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Women now "prefer their own complexion, their natu- ral way" Isralni says; he prefers a more "Indian beauty" himself: "I won't judge my wife on how fair her complexion is." Sunita Gupta, a beautician in the same salon, is more critical. “It's just foolish- ness!" she exclaimed. The premise of the ads that women could not become airline attendants if they are dark-skinned was wrong, she said. “Nowadays people like black beauty." It is a truism that women, especially in the tropics, desire to be a shade fairer, no matter what their skin color. Yet, unlike the approach used in India, advertisements elsewhere usually show how to use the product and regarded as the darkest people because they customarily worked in the searing sun. Ancient Hindu scriptures and modern poetry eulogize women endowed with skin made of white marble. Skin color is closely identified with caste and is laden with symbolism. Pursue any of the "grooms" and "brides wanted" ads how it works.

Expert Solution

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

SEE SOLUTION Check out a sample Q&A here

Knowledge Booster

Learn more about

Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, operations-management and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.