COMMENT: Agencies must help clients understand impact on consumer
<p>A bright, sunny autumn morning at 8.40am. The plane turns towards
</p><p>the city, glinting through the early morning haze. Now at only 5,000
</p><p>feet, and falling fast, we are 30 seconds flying time away from the
</p><p>tallest tower in North America. But this is October, not September, and
</p><p>Chicago, not New York. An everyday moment on a business trip assumes
</p><p>enormous significance for me, after the images of the last few
</p><p>weeks.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>The impact of September's events has caused those who make a living by
</p><p>communicating with the public to review what it is they are saying. It's
</p><p>easy to see why a Jackie Chan movie due to be set on the top of the
</p><p>World Trade Centre would have to be re-written. But even everyday
</p><p>events, and subtle messages, can affect us in unintended ways now. As a
</p><p>result, a number of advertisers have switched messages to avoid causing
</p><p>distress.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>TV ads that proclaimed "Finally" when announcing a relaunched detergent
</p><p>are seen to be missing the mood. Brands that tell people how to feel
</p><p>seem insignificant against the devastation. Even "Just do it" could be
</p><p>take on new meaning.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>The same is true of media buying. Some of the best spots to buy were
</p><p>during the news shows. That, too, has changed. Juxtaposing everyday
</p><p>household items with graphic imagery is not good for business. The
</p><p>capacity for TV networks to dwell on those deeply shocking moments will
</p><p>affect the US audience for years to come. Commercial gain is temporarily
</p><p>seen as unedifying.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>But how has it affected those not in America?
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>Certainly the TV images penetrated Asia with the same ferocity. In most
</p><p>of Asia, the news broke mid-evening - perhaps sparing us from some of
</p><p>the trauma that comes with watching the same scenes, over and over all
</p><p>day. And then there's also the concept of national grief and how it
</p><p>might be affected by a Confucian view of the world. Certainly it didn't
</p><p>take long for some commentators to observe that the immediate, personal
</p><p>and financial effects were being talked about more in Hong Kong.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>Yet, as with most generalisations about the region, the image of an
</p><p>unmoved Asia is not correct. Each country and each culture will react in
</p><p>their own ways. In Hong Kong, a cable TV company was censured for using
</p><p>the image of the Twin Towers on fire only days after the event. Cathay
</p><p>Pacific has cancelled the forthcoming ATP Tennis event, seeing it as
</p><p>'inappropriate'.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>But the downturn in air travel of the last three weeks was ended
</p><p>abruptly with the usual Mid-Autumn festival crush at the region's
</p><p>airports.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p><p>With our insatiable curiosity about the human condition, advertising
</p><p>people have a responsibility as well as an opportunity. Being
</p><p>responsible, we owe it to our clients to get to grips with how this
</p><p>global event has impacted upon, and moulded, local consumers. The
</p><p>opportunity is to fashion communications that are more in tune than ever
</p><p>with how people see their lives in the weeks and months after September
</p><p>11.
</p><p><BR><BR>
</p>
by
|
10/12/2001
A bright, sunny autumn morning at 8.40am. The plane turns towards
the city, glinting through the early morning haze. Now at only 5,000
feet, and falling fast, we are 30 seconds flying time away from the
tallest tower in North America. But this is October, not September, and
Chicago, not New York. An everyday moment on a business trip assumes
enormous significance for me, after the images of the last few
weeks.
The impact of September's events has caused those who make a living by
communicating with the public to review what it is they are saying. It's
easy to see why a Jackie Chan movie due to be set on the top of the
World Trade Centre would have to be re-written. But even everyday
events, and subtle messages, can affect us in unintended ways now. As a
result, a number of advertisers have switched messages to avoid causing
distress.
TV ads that proclaimed "Finally" when announcing a relaunched detergent
are seen to be missing the mood. Brands that tell people how to feel
seem insignificant against the devastation. Even "Just do it" could be
take on new meaning.
The same is true of media buying. Some of the best spots to buy were
during the news shows. That, too, has changed. Juxtaposing everyday
household items with graphic imagery is not good for business. The
capacity for TV networks to dwell on those deeply shocking moments will
affect the US audience for years to come. Commercial gain is temporarily
seen as unedifying.
But how has it affected those not in America?
Certainly the TV images penetrated Asia with the same ferocity. In most
of Asia, the news broke mid-evening - perhaps sparing us from some of
the trauma that comes with watching the same scenes, over and over all
day. And then there's also the concept of national grief and how it
might be affected by a Confucian view of the world. Certainly it didn't
take long for some commentators to observe that the immediate, personal
and financial effects were being talked about more in Hong Kong.
Yet, as with most generalisations about the region, the image of an
unmoved Asia is not correct. Each country and each culture will react in
their own ways. In Hong Kong, a cable TV company was censured for using
the image of the Twin Towers on fire only days after the event. Cathay
Pacific has cancelled the forthcoming ATP Tennis event, seeing it as
'inappropriate'.
But the downturn in air travel of the last three weeks was ended
abruptly with the usual Mid-Autumn festival crush at the region's
airports.
With our insatiable curiosity about the human condition, advertising
people have a responsibility as well as an opportunity. Being
responsible, we owe it to our clients to get to grips with how this
global event has impacted upon, and moulded, local consumers. The
opportunity is to fashion communications that are more in tune than ever
with how people see their lives in the weeks and months after September
11.
