P & G’s Secret Deodorant: Finding Inspiration in Perspiration

Secret deodorant was the first deodorant brand marketed exclusively to women in 1956. For some 50 years, the brand held a prominent market position. However, Secret brand management believed the brand was losing its relevance with its target market. The challenge facing the brand’s management team was to modernize the brand by making it relevant to a new generation of consumers.

The video case describes the thought process and program execution behind the “purpose-driven marketing” initiative for P&G’s Secret deodorant. As such, the case provides a contemporary look at how social media can be used in brand building. Moreover, the case permits a discussion about the link between fundamental consumer behavior and brand management concepts.

This case provides a “behind-the-scenes” look at the award-winning social media campaign for Secret deodorant. Equally important, it encourages you to link such concepts as the hierarchy of needs and brand equity to the marketing of Secret. In this way, you should come to appreciate the underlying theory that guided the development of the Secret campaign even though the terminology does not appear in the written case or video.

Directions

Initial Post

Review the following information about Proctor and Gamble’s efforts to revitalize Secret, a 50 year old brand:

Background on Secret:

• Read the video case in the textbook on pages 315-318. (Kerin, R. A. & Hartley, S. W. (2017). Marketing. (13th ed.). New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Education.)
• Watch the Secret video at http://www.viddler.com/embed/2cca4d39/?f=1&autoplay=0&player=full&disablebranding=0 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Secret Campaigns

• Explore Proctor & Gamble’s Secret campaigns “Let Her Jump” and “Mean Stinks”
• Let Her Jump:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUYrqfs6tAY (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Mean
• Stinks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqLUWSlvohA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

QUESTION:

Based on the information provided above as well as internet research, put yourself in the position of a marketing consultant brought in to Proctor and Gamble to formulate a set of well-developed and supported recommendations to revitalize its 50 year old brand, Secret. You will be presenting your recommendations to the company’s senior leadership team. Your recommendations should be based on a critical evaluation of the effectiveness of its prior marketing strategies. The recommendations should be logically presented, well-supported, and thoroughly vetted.

Your response should integrate external resources (minimum of 3 references), which should be consistent with APA writing style and format. No plagiarism.. please let me know if you have access to the book.