7-3 Final Project Part II: Product Marketing Recommendations

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7-3 Final Project Part II: Product Marketing Recommendations

Assignment

Task: Submit to complete this assignment

Continuing with the scenario from your product overview, report your findings and recommendations to the stakeholders of your company.  Your job is to help the company launch a new pet food line. The food line will be for both cats and dogs, and the company is excited because the product is made of all natural ingredients. You will need to make some key strategic recommendations about how to launch and promote this new product line. Create a presentation to share your recommendations with the stakeholders within your company.  The following aids are provided for guidance:

· A complete example presentation called Part II Exemplar – Tip Top Bakery Marketing Recommendations for presentation ideas and guidance

· A presentation template, the Final Project Part II Final Submission PPT template, for your own marketing recommendations

Prepare your marketing recommendations presentation using the Final Project Part II PowerPoint template provided. Ensure that your presentation addresses all of the critical elements in the Final Project Part II Guidelines and Rubric document.

 
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Engineering Ethics Case Study

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Writing Assignment 3: Ethical Case Study – Post-Mortem Report

 

For the second individual writing assignment, we would like you to examine, in detail, an engineering ethics case study. A list of topics is presented below.

The paper should be 1750 words (minimum) in length (about seven pages of text, not counting the bibliography) plus the bibliography, although you are welcome to write more if you wish. Your best beginning sources will probably be the pages of the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and news magazines such as The Economist and Time. In some cases, significant papers have appeared in technical journals or books on the older cases. Please see Mr. Browne if you’re having problems finding material.

 

A postmortem is a common task in engineering. It formalizes the process of learning from past experience. The post-mortem analyzes a project once it has ended and identifies what went well and what went poorly to improve the next project. This writing assignment asks you to write up a post-mortem of a well-known case of engineering failure, including not only the technical details of the failure but the ethical lapses that contributed to the failure.

 

The Writing Task –

 

Your post-mortem write up should explain how ethical lapses contributed to the engineering failure. Describe the actions, as an engineer, that should be taken (should have been taken) to come to grips with the failure, utilizing one of the ethical frameworks you have learned about as a guide in influencing or determining your course of action. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the actions you propose and provide justification using one of the ethical frameworks as a guideline in the analysis process.

 

Audience –

 

Identify an audience for your post-mortem write up – this can be either a government regulatory agency such as the NTSB or the FDA, the company’s board of directors, etc. – and write your post-mortem analysis to that audience, including information and analysis that would be of most interest and of most use to them. The audience you are addressing must be clearly specified in your paper.

 

Researching and Analyzing the Case –

Choose one of the cases of engineering failure most related to your future career or professional interests. First, read about the case and understand the complex issues surrounding the case, including the parties in the case (corporate, government, etc.) and the various components including engineering, management, regulatory, socio-technical and ethical. Second, decide what the major issues surrounding the engineering failure are. Also, consider which of the ethical frameworks you have learned best explains the ethical lapses in this engineering failure case.

 

Your postmortem should follow this structure:

 

1) Abstract : A short summary of the engineering failure, its consequences, why it happened, and what should be done to prevent future problems. Your abstract should also clearly identify your audience . This can be either a government oversight committee, a company’s board of directors, etc. Be sure that you write your postmortem to that specific audience, including information and analysis that would be of most interest and use to them. DO NOT begin to work on the Abstract until you have finished the first submission of the paper (due next week).

2) Background : The body of your postmortem should begin with a narrative about what happened (the engineering failure) and what its consequences were.

3) The Engineering Failure : This section should explain what technical, engineering, management, regulatory, and/or other socio-technical factors led to the engineering failure.

4) Ethical Analysis : The section should analyze the ethical lapses (i.e. stakeholders’ actions, decisions or interests, principles adopted or flouted, risks ignored and reasons for doing so, etc.) that contributed to the engineering failure. The textbook poses some good ethical questions about the case of the Ford Pinto at the bottom of page 69 and top of page 70. Try to brainstorm similar questions that apply to your own topic, and then answer them using at least one of the ethical frameworks you learned about in class to discuss the engineering failure. Page 95 of the textbook presents an example of how this might be done using Kant’s theories applied to the Ford Pinto case. You might use this model to inspire your own ethical analysis (using duty ethics and/or utilitarianism and/or virtue ethics).

5) Recommendations : Drawing on at least one of the ethical frameworks, this section should first propose general ideas and then proceed to very specific recommendations about how to prevent similar failures from occurring in the future. What should have been done? What needs to be done in the future? Don’t make simple arguments (i.e. there needs to be more or better regulations); instead, specify what regulations should be imposed (and by whom), what the parameters of such regulations should be, and how they might be enforced (and by whom). Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the actions you propose and provide justification, again using at least one of the ethical frameworks.

6) Conclusion : Your conclusion should address what we have learned (or should have learned) from the engineering failure you discuss. What progress, if any, has been made to prevent similar failures in the future? What remains to be done?

Common problems with the Ethical Case Study:

 

 

· Application of an Ethical Framework: You must apply a specific ethical framework to your chosen problem. However, before you apply it to your problem, you must give a general explanation of the framework. A good paper will answer the question: Why does this framework apply to the party at fault?

· Ethical Lapses: A listing of the ethical lapses involved in your case study must come after you state your ethical framework. Many students try to get ahead of themselves and start pointing out the ethical lapses early in the paper. You should identify how each ethical lapse violated your chosen ethical framework.

· Solutions – What not to do: Identifying solutions is one of the hardest parts of the essay. What you should not do is simply state what the party “should” or “should not” have done:

Example: The Therac-25 technicians shouldn’t have ignored error messages.

Example: Intel should have recalled the defective processor.

Example: The Teton Dam engineers shouldn’t have built the dam in the first place.

These “solutions” are painfully obvious, but more importantly, they are not helpful. They are simply opinions.

· Solutions – What to do: Propose a concrete, specific solution that will aid adherence to your ethical framework.

Example: Intel should force its employees to attend a seminar highlighting the importance of upholding virtues in the company (Virtue Ethics).

Example: The Hyatt-Regency Kansas City Hotel engineers [or the Teton Dam engineers] should require independent engineers to perform safety inspections at specific stages of design and construction (Duty/Rights Ethics).

Example: The Therac-25 technicians should immediately report error messages and machine malfunctions to AECL authorities, discontinuing treatment until receiving confirmation that the problem has been analyzed and corrected (Duty Ethics).

These examples represent concrete propositions.

 

Remember, since you proved that violating [ethical framework] ultimately led to failure, then your solution should be aimed at facilitating adherence to [ethical framework].

 

Logic:

Problem P will occur when X is violated

Stop violating X → Problem P will not occur.

 

Engineering Ethics Case Study Topics

 

The following is the list of topics for the Ethical Case Studies essays during Fall Quarter, 2019. Many cases involve more than one discipline.

· Takata Airbags – Takata provided airbags for many of the world’s automobile manufacturers. After a chemical change in the airbag, the chemical had a propensity to deteriorate, especially in warm and humid climates. The deteriorated chemical could explode, throwing pieces of the airbag container into the passenger compartment. There have been at least 11 deaths and 180 injuries. Takata knew, and destroyed engineering results documenting the problem.

· GM Ignition Module – For want of a sufficient spring in a GM ignition module, the key assembly would turn “off” when bumped or when the car hit a bump. When turned off, the driver loses not only power steering and power brakes, but the airbag. GM, its engineers, and its lawyers knew about this problem – which has resulted in about 125 deaths – for at least ten years without fixing the problem.

· Volkswagen Air Pollution Controls – Volkswagen, for many years, had software that activated pollution control equipment on its cars only when the cars were undergoing smog tests.

· Guidant Ventak Prizm 2 DR model defibrillator – The device was a defibrillator intended to restore normal heart rhythm. Guidant knew that the model in question leaked (when in the body), and might not deliver the electrical shock needed by the patient. Guidant knew of the problem, but failed to notify doctors, patients, or the Food and Drug Administration.

· British Petroleum Texas City Explosion (2005) – local engineers wanted money for safety upgrades, and London will not give it to them. Big explosion, with people killed.

 
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Management Information Systems Project

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BU131

Project

1

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Project Introduction:

Dirt Bikes U.S.A. is a small company headquartered in Carbondale, Colorado. It manufactures and sells its own brand of

off-road motorcycles. The company, founded in 1993, produces customized dirt bikes for racing and off-road

recreational riding using the best quality components from all over the world. Today, the company faces a new set of

challenges and opportunities. You have been asked, as a consultant, to apply your knowledge of information systems

to help Dirt Bikes U.S.A. solve some of the problems it is encountering.

 

Course Objective Tested:

1. Project the future impact of information systems on businesses and on your career.

2. Use information systems to enhance a business’s reach, competitive advantage, and operational efficiency.

3. Choose appropriate hardware, software, and Information technology (IT) management infrastructure for a

business.

4. Choose appropriate security, backup, virus protection, and control measures for a business’s information

systems.

5. Use enterprise systems, supply chain management (SCM) systems, and customer relationship management

(CRM) systems to achieve operational excellence.

6. Use e-commerce and M-commerce to achieve operational excellence and customer intimacy.

7. Use knowledge management techniques to improve the decision-making process and operational efficiency.

8. Design an appropriate information system to solve business problems.

 

 

 

 

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PROJECT SUBMISSION PLAN

 

Project

Part

Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

1 Dirt Bikes U.S.A.—Case Study

 

Task 1:

Examine the Dirt Bikes U.S.A. case study and review How

to Analyze a Case Study. After reading the case study,

review the following information:

 Company History and Background

 Organization Chart and Employees

 Products and Services

 Sales and Marketing

On the basis of this information, answer the following

questions:

1. Which products should the company restock?

2. Which stores and sales regions would benefit

from promotional campaigns and additional

marketing?

3. When (what time of year) should the company

offer products at full price and when should it

offer discounts?

 

Task 2:

Dirt Bikes’ management wants to be sure that it is

pursuing the right competitive strategy. You have been

asked to perform a competitive analysis of the company

to find the information you need. Prepare a report that

analyzes Dirt Bikes using the value chain and competitive

forces models. Your report should include the following:

1. Which activities at Dirt Bikes create the most

Criteria Points

Assigned Points Earned

Did the students answer the specified case study questions?

35%

Did you provide answers that follow a logical pattern and include an explanation for assumptions and appropriate examples?

45%

Did you include appropriate spreadsheet data to support their answers?

20%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

value?

2. How does Dirt Bikes provide value to its

customers?

3. Who are Dirt Bikes’ major competitors? How do

the prices of their products compare with those

of Dirt Bikes’? What product features do they

emphasize?

4. What are the competitive forces that can affect

the industry?

5. What competitive strategy should Dirt Bikes

pursue?

6. What information systems best support that

strategy?

7. (Optional) Use electronic presentation software

to summarize your findings for the management.

 

Task 3:

Dirt Bikes would like to implement new software for

production planning, quality control, and scheduling. The

software will be used by 25 members of the company’s

manufacturing staff. The management is wondering

whether to purchase the software from a commercial

vendor along with the hardware required or to use a

hosted software solution from a Software as a Service

(SaaS) provider. (The hosted software runs on the service

provider’s computer.) You have been asked to help the

management with this rent-versus-buy decision by

calculating the total cost of each option over a three-year

period. The cost of purchasing the software includes the

initial purchase price of the software (licensing fee of

$100,000 in the first year), and the cost of implementing

 

 

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Project

Part

Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

and customizing the software in the first year ($20,000).

Hardware costs include a server to run the software (a

first-year purchase of $4,000), one information systems

specialist devoting half his or her time to support the

software ($55,000 in full-time annual salary and benefits

with a 3 percent annual salary increase each year after

the first year), and user training in the first year

($10,000).You also need to account for the cost of annual

software upgrades ($5,000). On the other hand, the costs

of renting hosted software include the rental fees ($2,500

annually per user), implementation and customization

costs ($12,000 in the first year), and training ($10,000 in

the first year).

1. Use your spreadsheet software to calculate the

total cost of renting or purchasing this software

over a three-year period. Identify the lowest-

price alternative that meets Dirt Bikes’

requirements.

2. What other factors should Dirt Bikes consider,

besides cost, while determining whether to rent

or buy the hardware and software?

3. (Optional) If possible, use electronic presentation

software to summarize your findings for

management.

4.

Submission Requirements:

 Submit your findings in an MS Word document.

 Submit the updated spreadsheet and database

files.

 Font: Arial; 12-point

 Line Spacing: Double

 

 

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Project

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Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

Assigned: Week 1

Due: Week 3

Grading Weight: 12.5%

2 Dirt Bikes U.S.A.—Redesign Database

 

Task 1:

Dirt Bikes U.S.A. sells primarily through its distributors.

Click here to download the database file. It maintains a

small customer database with the following data:

 Customer name

 Address (street, city, state, ZIP code)

 Telephone number

 Model purchased

 Date of purchase

 Distributor

The distributors collect this data after each sale and then

forward it to Dirt Bikes. Dirt Bikes would like to be able to

market more aggressively to its customers. The marketing

department would like to send customers e-mail notices

of special racing events and of sales on parts. It would

also like to learn more about customers’ interests and

tastes, their ages, years of schooling, other sports in

which they are interested, and whether they attend dirt

bike racing events. In addition, Dirt Bikes would like to

know whether its customers own more than one

motorcycle. If a motorcycle was purchased from Dirt

Bikes, the company would like to know the date of

purchase, model name, and distributor from whom it was

purchased. If the customer owns a non-Dirt Bikes

motorcycle, the company would like to know the

Criteria Points

Assigned Points Earned

Did you prepare a report containing answers to the case study questions?

35%

Did you include appropriate tables, reports, and databases to support their answers?

25%

Did you design a solution as instructed in the Dirt Bikes U.S.A case study?

40%

 

 

 

BU131

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Project

Part

Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

manufacturer and model of the other motorcycle (or

motorcycles) and the distributor from whom the

customer purchased that motorcycle.

On the basis of the above information, perform the

following activities:

1. Redesign Dirt Bikes’ customer database so that it

can store and provide the information needed

for marketing. You will need to develop a design

for the new customer database and then

implement it using database software. Consider

using multiple tables in your new design.

Populate each new table with 10 records.

2. Develop reports that would be of interest to Dirt

Bikes’ marketing and sales department (for

example, lists of repeat Dirt Bikes customers, Dirt

Bikes customers who attend racing events, or the

average ages and years of schooling of Dirt Bikes

customers) and print them.

 

Task 2:

The management is concerned that Dirt Bikes’ computer

systems could be vulnerable to power outages,

vandalism, computer viruses, natural disasters, or

telecommunications disruptions. You have been asked to

perform an analysis of system vulnerabilities and disaster

recovery planning for the company.

Answer the questions below. You may refer to Table 7.2,

“Examples of Computer Crime,” on page 242 of your

textbook for more information.

1. Identify the threats to which Dirt Bikes’ systems

are most vulnerable.

 

 

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Project

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Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

2. Classify the most critical systems at Dirt Bikes.

What would be the impact on the company if

these systems could not operate? How long

could the company survive if these systems were

down? Which systems are the most important to

back up and restore in the event of a disaster?

3. Use the Internet to locate two disaster recovery

services that could be used by a small business,

such as Dirt Bikes. Compare them in terms of the

services they offer. Which of the two services

should Dirt Bikes use? How would these services

help Dirt Bikes recover from a disaster?

 

Task 3:

Dirt Bikes cannot fulfill many of its orders on time

because of delays in sourcing some important motorcycle

components and parts, such as fuel tanks. Complaints are

mounting from distributors who fear losing sales if the

dirt bikes they have ordered are delayed too long. Dirt

Bikes’ management has asked you to help address some

of its supply chain issues. Based on this information,

answer the questions listed below:

1. Use the Internet to locate alternative suppliers

for motorcycle fuel tanks. Identify two or three

suppliers. Find out the time and the cost of

shipping a fuel tank (weighing about five pounds)

by ground (surface delivery) from each supplier

to Dirt Bikes in Carbondale, Colorado. Which of

these suppliers is likely to ship the fuel tanks in

the shortest amount of time and at the lowest

cost?

 

 

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Project

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Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

2. The management wants to know about any

supply chain management software that would

be appropriate for a small business, such as Dirt

Bikes. Use the Internet to locate two providers of

supply chain management software. Briefly

describe the capabilities of the two software

applications and indicate how they could help

Dirt Bikes. Which of these products would be

more appropriate for Dirt Bikes? Why?

3. (Optional) Use electronic presentation software

to summarize your findings for management.

 

Task 4:

Dirt Bikes’ management believes that the company could

benefit from e-commerce. The company sells motorcycles

and parts primarily through authorized dealers. It also

advertises in various magazines catering to dirt bike

enthusiasts and maintains booths at important off-road

motorcycle racing events. You have been asked to explore

how Dirt Bikes could benefit from e-commerce and by

selling online through a website.

1. Prepare a report for management that answers

the following questions:

a. How could Dirt Bikes benefit from e-

commerce? Should it sell its

motorcycles or parts online? Should it

use its website to advertise its products

and services or to offer customer

service?

b. How would a website provide value to

Dirt Bikes? Use the Internet to research

 

 

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Project

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Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

the cost of an e-commerce site for a

small-to medium-sized company. How

much revenue or cost savings would the

website have to produce to make it a

worthwhile investment for Dirt Bikes?

2. Prepare specifications to describe the functions

that should be performed by Dirt Bikes’ website.

Provide links to other websites or systems in

your specifications.

3. (Optional) Design the home page for Dirt Bikes’

website along with an important secondary page

linked to the home page using a word processor

or a Web page development tool of your choice.

4. Identify some important website features that

can be used to create customer relationships.

Analyze the challenge that Dirt Bikes may face in

the course of creating customer intimacy and

loyalty.

 

Task 5:

Dirt Bikes promotes itself as a “learning company.” It

encourages employees to undergo training to help them

advance in their careers. As employees move on, their

positions fall vacant. These positions must be filled

quickly to maintain the company’s pace of production.

Dirt Bikes’ human resources staff would like to find a way

of quickly identifying qualified employees who have the

training to fill vacant positions. Once the company knows

who these employees are, it has a better chance of filling

open positions internally rather than paying to recruit

outsiders. Dirt Bikes would like to track each employee’s

 

 

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Project

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Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

years of education and the title and date of completion of

any training that each employee has attended. Dirt Bikes’

existing employee database is limited to basic human

resources data, such as employee name, identification

number, birth date, address, telephone number, marital

status, job position, and salary. Click here to download

some sample records from this database. Dirt Bikes’

human resources staff maintains employees’ skills and

training data in paper folders.

On the basis of this information, prepare a system

analysis report describing Dirt Bikes’ problem and

suggesting a solution that can be implemented using

database software. The report should include the

following points:

 Description of the problem and its organizational

and business impact

 Proposed solution and solution objectives

 Information requirements to be addressed by

the solution

 People, organization, and technology issues to

be addressed by the solution, including changes

in business processes

On the basis of the requirements you have identified,

design the solution using database software and populate

it with at least 10 records per table. Consider whether you

can use or modify the existing employee database in your

design. Print out the design for each table in your new

application. Use the system to create queries and reports

that would be of interest to the management, such as the

names of employees who have a college education, or

have undergone training in project management or

 

 

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Project

Part

Description/Requirements of Project Part Evaluation Criteria

advanced computer-aided design (CAD) tools. If possible,

use electronic presentation software to summarize your

findings for the management.

 Submit a report including the answers to the

questions posed in this part of the project.

 Include appropriate databases to support your

answers.

 

Submission Requirements:

 Submit your findings in an MS Word document.

 Submit the updated spreadsheet and database

files.

 Font: Arial; 12-point

 Line Spacing: Double

Assigned: Week 3

Due: Week 5

Grading Weight: 12.5%

 

End of Project Description

 
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FAIR AND LOVELY CASE STUDY ( MARKETING) 782

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Question

 

Cultural Norms: Fair & Lovely and Advertising
Fair & Lovely, a branded product of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL – formerly called Hindustan Lever), is touted
as a cosmetic that lightens skin colour. On its website (www.hul.co.in) the company called its product, ‘the miracle
worker’, which is ‘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 lightening cream in India is Fair & Lovely from Hindustan
Unilever, followed by CavinKare’s Fairever brands. HUL’s Fair & Lovely brand was the undisputed monarch of
the market with a 90 per cent share until CavinKare Ltd (CKL) launched Fairever. In just two years, the Fairever
brand gained an impressive 15 per cent market share. HUL’s shareof market for the Fair & Lovely line generates
about $60 million annually. The product sells for about 23 rupees ($0.29) for a 25-gram tube of cream.
The rapid growth of CavinKare’s Fairever (www.cavinkare.com) brand prompted HUL 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 ason’, while his dark-skinned daughter looks
on, helpless and demoralised because she can’t bear the financial responsibility of her family. Fast-forward and
Plain Jane has been transformed into a gorgeous light-skinned woman throughthe use of a ‘fairness cream’, Fair &
Lovely. Now clad in a miniskirt, the woman is a successful flight attendant andcan take her father to dine at a fivestar
hotel. She’s happy and so is her father.
In another ad two attractive young women are sitting in a bedroom; 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 keeping men from flocking to her.
HUL’s series of ads provoked CavinKare Ltd to counter with an ad that takes a dig at HUL’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’.
‘We have noticed attempts by Fair & Lovely to blur our positioning by changing its communication platform from
“wanting to get married” to “achievement”, the principal Fairever theme. Since we don’t have the spending power
to match HUL, a tactical way for us to respond is to reinforce our brand positioning and the commercial will be
aired until the company’s “objective” is achieved,’ a CavinKare official said.
Skin colour is a powerful theme in India as well as much of Asia where a lighter colour 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, poring over books. The undercaste at the
bottom of the ladder are regarded as the darkest people because they customarily worked in the searing sun.
Ancient Hindu scriptures and modern poetry eulogise women endowed with skin made out of white marble.
Skin colour is closely identified with caste and is laden with symbolism. Pursue any of the ‘grooms and brides
wanted’ ads in newspapers or on the web that families use to arrange suitable alliances and you will see that most
potential grooms and their families are looking for ‘fair’ brides; some are progressive 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 colour. Even in the growing numbers of ads that announce ‘caste
no bar’, the adjective ‘fair’ regularly precedes professional qualifications.
Bollywood (India’s Hollywood) glorifies conventions on beauty by always casting a fair-skinned actress in the
role of heroine, surrounded by darker extras. Women want to use whiteners because 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 colour) is an ancient predilection. More than 3500 years ago, Charaka, the famous
sage, wrote about herbs that could help make the skin fair.
Indian dermatologists maintain that fairness products cannot truly work as they only reach the upper layers of the
skin and so do not affect melanin production. Nevertheless, ‘hope springs eternal’ and for some Fair & Lovely is a
‘miracle worker’. ‘The last time I went to my parents’ home, I got complements on my fair skin from everyone,’
one user gushes. But 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 colour.’
The number of Indians of the opinion that 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 natural 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 foolishness!’ she exclaims. 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 colour. Although, unlike the approach used in India, advertisements elsewhere usually show how
to use the product and how it works.
Advertising
HUL launched its television ad campaign to promote Fair & Lovely in December 2001 and withdrew it in
February 2003, amid severe criticism of its portrayal of women. Activists argued that one of the messages the
company sends through its ‘air hostess’ 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 offence is perpetuating a culture of discrimination in asociety where ‘fair’ is
synonymous with ‘beautiful’. AIDWA(All India Democratic Women’s Association) lodged a complaint in March
and April 2002 with HUL about its offensive ads but Hindustan Unilever 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 women 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 Networks Act of 1995 –
provisions in the Act state that no advertisement shall be permitted that ‘derides any race, caste, colour, creed and
nationality’ and that ‘Women must not be portrayed in a manner that emphasizes passive, submissive qualities and
encourages them to play a subordinate secondary role in the family and society.’ The government issued notices of
the complaints to HUL. After a year-long campaign led by the AIDWA, Hindustan Unilever Limited discontinued
two of its television advertisements for Fair & Lovely fairness cold cream in March 2003.
Shortly after pulling its ads off the air, and, coincidentally, on International Women’s Day, HUL launched its
‘Fair & Lovely Foundation’, vowing to ‘encourage economic empowerment of women across India’ by providing
resources in education and business. Millions of women ‘who, though immensely talented and capable, need a
guiding hand to help them take the leap forward’. Presumably into a fairer future.
HUL sponsored career fairs in over 20 cities across the country, offering counselling 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 three-month Home Healthcare Nursing Assistant’s course catering to young women between the
ages 18 and 30. According to HUL, 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 of women across India. The Fair & Lovely Foundation will showcase the achievements of these
women not only to honour them, but also to set an example for other women to follow.
A few facts about HUL taken from
www.hul.in
Hindustan Unilever 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 everyday needs to people everywhere – to anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and
customers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services which raise the quality
of life’. It is this purpose which inspires us to build brands. Over the past 70 years, we have introduced about 100
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 optimised for Indian skin. Indian skin unlike Caucasian skin tends to
‘tan’ rather than ‘burn’ and, hence, requires a different combination of UVA & UVB sunscreens.
The fairness cream is marketed in over 38 countries through HUL Exports and local Unilever companies and
is the largest selling skin lightening cream in the world. The brand today offers a substantive range of products
to consumers including Fair & Lovely Fairness Reviving Lotion, Fair & Lovely Fairness Cold Cream and Fair &
Lovely Fairness Soap.
Some information on CavinKare taken
from www.cavinkare.com
We shall achieve growth by ‘continuously offering unique products and services that would give customers utmost
satisfaction and thereby be a role model.’
Goal
In fifteen years (2012) we will be a hundred times our current turnover.
Values and beliefs of CavinKare
Integrity The company values honesty and truthfulness above everything else in all its interactions. Our thoughts,
words and actions shall be the same. We shall try oututmost to fulfil promises and honour commitments.
Fairness The company shall be fair in all its dealings with people inside and outside. We will follow rules, norms
and procedures not only in letter but in spirit as well; we will show common decency in all our dealings with
people; we will not exploit undue advantages; we will respect the rights of others.
Excellence The company values highly all efforts that lead to high standards in everyday work and results. We
shall attempt to be the best-in-class in anything we choose to work on. We shall encourage any individual or
collective effort in promoting excellence.
Innovation The company values innovative thinking, innovative approaches and innovative solutions in our
regular work life. We will always look for better ways of doing things; we will seek new ideas to solve problems;
we will experiment with new concepts, ideas and solutions.
Openness The company believes that openness to new ideas, thoughts and opinions makes relationships
stronger and productive, we shall listen to others; we shall openly discuss among colleagues all that is
appropriate; we shall welcome ideas from everywhere.
Trust The company believes that trust is an important ingredient for effective functioning within the organisation
and with the outside world. While we shall protect our legitimate business interests, we would also approach
the people, issues and associations with straightforwardness, optimism and positive outlook.
Stretch The company believes that people have infinite potential. We have an extraordinary capability to exert
and extend the limits of the possible. We shall aim for stretch goals, ambitious targets and ever-receding
horizons.
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 portraying a product not too dissimilarto
cosmetics in general?
4. Will HUL’s Fair & Lovely Foundation 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 continues to use ‘fairness’ as a theme of its promotion? Discuss.
6. Propose a promotion/marketing programme that will counter all the arguments and charges against Fair
&Lovely and be an effective programme.
7. Based on CavinKare’s statement of values and beliefs, how would you evaluate its advertising/marketing
programmes?
 
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