Alienating some consumers with #metoo campaign was a price worth paying

Gillette’s CEO and president, Gary Coombe, says that angering some consumers with its #metoo campaign was a “price worth paying” if it meant the brand could increase its relevance among younger consumers and turn around its falling market share.

In January, the shaving brand launched a campaign in response to the Me Too movement that urged men to hold each other to a higher standard and to step up when they see fellow men acting inappropriately. The video received intense criticism on social media, with some even calling for a boycott of the brand

Gillette made the decision to launch the campaign in a bid to target the millennial market. Coombe said the 188-year-old brand, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, was “gently slipping away for [this] generation” as disruptors such as Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club grabbed attention.

But Coombe admitted Gillette’s strategy hadn’t helped. He explained: “The worst thing during through that period was, we also lost connection with the millennial generation. Gillette quickly became the brand of the millennial generation’s dads.”

To read the full article please sign-in or subscribe below.