Benetton's "World Without Borders" - Buying Social Change

Benetton’s “World Without Borders” - by Henry A. Giroux

From the book 'The Subversive Imagination - Artists, Society and Social Responsibility' Edited by Carol Becker

‘Benetton’s move away from an appeal to utility to one of social responsibility provides an object lesson in how promotional culture increasingly uses pedagogical practices to shift its emphasis from selling a product to selling an image of corporate responsibility. Given the increase in sales, profits, and the widespread publicity Benetton has received, the campaign appears to have worked wonders.’ (page 189/190)

• Benetton's promotional methods are selling something to stand for, not directly selling their goods. 
• Is this an appropriation of real world issues to indirectly make money from increasing their sales?
• Are they using this process to gain the trust of their customers or are they genuinely working to better the world?

‘Benetton is not about selling sweaters but social responsibility, and it is a company that represents less a product than a lifestyle and world-view.’ (page 191)

• The selling of their products comes secondary the sharing of their view of the world. 
• At a first glance this seems like a highly moral thing to do, however is it as clean cut as this? Is it still so moral when they are making a profit from it?

[Peter Fressola quote] “We’re doing corporate communication. We’re sponsoring these images in order to change people’s minds and create compassion around social issues. We think of it as art with a social message.” (page 191)

• Fressola is Benetton's director of communications. 
• It seems like their methods of communication within and beyond the business are based around sharing current world issues. 
• Does doing 'good' make people sceptical of what you are doing. Can good intentions backfire business wise?

‘Among the various means available to achieve the brand recognition that every company must have, we at Benetton believe our strategy for communication to be more effective for the company  and more useful society than would be yet another series of ads showing pretty girls wearing pretty clothes.’ (page 192)

• This statement suggests that their advertising strategy is to make them stand out from more generic clothing brand advertising campaigns, which it does. 
• I find this quote more realistic as it makes the intentions of their advertising strategy sound like they are trying to see clothes but at the same time they want to do something good for society. I find it harder to believe that the advertising was totally selfless because at the end of the day, their business is selling clothes and ultimately, their advertising needs to help them do that. 

‘Of course, the “joke” here is that anything is for sale and social commitment is just another gimmick for selling goods.’ (page 199)

• This is the quote I have been looking for! The idea of social responsibility being a gimmick in the world of sales is what I have been getting at. I think this is a really important quote to keep hold of, I feel like I am starting to narrow down onto what I actually want to write/argue about. 

Pedagogical: the function or work of a teacher; teaching. the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.

Corporate communication: is a management function or department, like marketing, finance, or operations, dedicated to the dissemination of information to key constituencies, the execution of corporate strategy and the development of messages for a variety of purposes for inside and outside the organisation.