Question

As the World Health Organization notes, “The research supporting the relation between all forms of aggression and alcohol use is enormous [and] unequivocal.” In their 2018 report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) declared home to be the most dangerous place for women, with the majority of female homicide victims globally being killed by intimate partners or family. Globally, in 2017, 87,000 women were intentionally killed, more than half (58%) were killed by intimate partners or family members, while on the African continent more than two-thirds (69%) of women intentionally killed in 2017 were killed by an intimate partner or family member. South

Africa’s domestic violence rates are notoriously high. Many women and children are exposed to emotional, physical and financial violence and abuse regularly. In South Africa, it is estimated that one in two women experience violence perpetrated by an intimate partner and three women are intentionally killed by their intimate partners each day.

Now, as the world attempts to slow the spread of Covid-19, authorities have introduced the concept of “social distancing” which calls upon people to maintain a degree of physical distance. The optimal form of social distancing requires people to be at home. What happens when home is not safe?

A beer brand might seem an unlikely ally in the campaign to end violence against women. But the clear connection between alcohol and abusive behavior made Carling Black Label, the largest beer brand in South Africa, realize it had to take up the challenge. The brand has long targeted men, and its messaging has been all about defining masculinity. In the 1980s its television ads featured cowboys who deserved a cold Carling Black Label as a reward for a long day’s work. In the 1990s, when South Africa abolished apartheid, Carling’s ads depicted a nation of builders: Ordinary men were now the heroes—strong, honest, and hardworking. In the 2000s the brand connected the beer with entrepreneurs and the rising generation of “self-made” men, the new role models. That is where things stood when AB InBev bought Carling’s owner, SABMiller, in 2016. Andrea Quaye, then AB InBev’s new vice president of marketing for Africa, understood how valuable the brand was, but she also knew it could not continue with business as usual. As the acquisition was going through, local researchers were raising alarms about the country’s drinking problem. South Africans are among the heaviest drinkers on the continent, and men are by far the major consumers. This excess has many consequences, but the most troubling issues in South Africa are rates of murder and violence targeting women that far exceed the global average.

Rather than trying to distance itself from the problem, Carling decided to confront it and use its clout to drive social change. In 2017, Carling launched a TV and social media campaign against gender-based violence under the hashtag #NoExcuse. Carling took responsibility—and risk. It sponsored a men’s march that drew 8,000 people, released five million #NoExcuse cans of beer, and called on South African men to take a pledge to combat violence against women. Building on this, Carling worked with Ogilvy, the global media communications firm, and indaHash, an influencer marketing firm, to take its message to the Soweto Derby, a biannual soccer match that transfixes much of the country. The two soccer teams, the Orlando Pirates and the Kaizer Chiefs, joined in the no excuse campaign as well. The players wore #NoExcuse armbands during the series of games and posed with a banner at the end. Analysts reported that the Soccer Song for Change “Asambe Nono (the South African soccer anthem, but with new lyrics)” campaign reached 45 million people. Andrea Quaye, Vice President Marketing, SAB and AB InBev Africa, said while launching the campaign: “Our decision to be an inaugural supporter of the #NoExcuse movement was driven by Carling Black Label’s status as a beacon of masculinity. As the largest beer brand in the country, it is our responsibility to ensure alcohol is consumed responsibly and to use the power of our brand to challenge South African men and our consumers to take action.

Black Label wanted to keep South African women safe and maintain the brand’s leadership position, but at the same time, it had to stay true to its heritage as an emblem of masculinity.

The question was: How to do it?

4.1. Critically evaluate the efforts of Carling Black Label and its focus of reducing violence at the same time keeping masculinity positioning intact. Critically discuss the challenges faced in implementation, evaluation and control of such marketing efforts.

However, another opinion, “Carling’s initiative is nothing but a marketing ploy” do you agree with the statement or not. Justify your position.

Scenario inputs from Daily Maverick & HBR, 2020

Answer 1

Since Carling Black Level has always been seen as an emblem of masculinity, it must come up with such campaigns that depict masculinity in respecting women, taking care of them and loving them. The whole concept of the Beer brand is to remain male-centric along with helping the women to combat the violence they are facing. Hence the commercials, social events, campaigns must be designed such where men are associated with women and are not shown above them. Made them feel equal, and respectable towards each other. This will help to retain its image in the eyes of public especially the female class and the society will also get a short message as to how to treat the other better half. The message should clearly reach people that Masculinity is not in beating but in loving.And if it changes life of even 10 people it will be successful both commercially and socially and without looing its brand value.

Carling Black Level came up with ideas to showcase domestic violence along with not losing the essence of its brand that is masculinity. There is an end number of ways of doing it and few were being implemented by them. Like campaigns, pledge,Games anthem all were focused on a single issue. Here also the Beer brand gave men a chance and come forward and take steps towards non-voilence. They are prioritizing men and giving the message directly hence sticking to their core value and spreading the message. Such marketing efforts could lead to image distortion hence must be implemented carefully and not targeting the consumers directly. The marketing campaign was spreading the messages clearly but was not playing the blame game. If anything went in wrong way it could lose its market. Carling Black Label’s role here is to be a lighthouse for positive masculinity that motivates and rewards men for being champions in their communities.

"Carling’s initiative is nothing but a marketing ploy" nothing of such intention could be concluded from the case. It can be clearly seen how the alcohol brand has affected the lives of thousands of Africans. Every organization has a duty towards society what we called Corporate Social Responsibility. Society has given a lot to the Carling Black Label, now its there turn to return at least something back to the society. Introducing such kind of advertisements could have hampered its brand value of "Masculinity" but without giving much importance to the single factor they come up with advertisements, campaigns,#NoExcuse movement. All these were focused on domestic violence and the brand is just the medium to spread the message. Since from the very beginning, the commercials of Carling Black Label have been formulated around the society hence the same trend was being followed here too. Hence we cant say it was a marketing ploy.