As a public relations/advertising practitioner we are consistently reminded that appealing to the target market is the most essential part of any successful campaign. However recently, beauty company Shea Moisture, has missed the mark on what seems to be their target audience entirely when they attempted to appeal to new audiences. The company, which was started in 1912, promotes products using certified organic Shea Butter, which has mostly been advertised towards African American women. The company attempted to open their brand to more women, by including a variety of Caucasian women in their latest campaign for sales at Target. The campaign was met with backlash from many as they were accused of "white washing"a proud, African-American company that has lasted a decade.
The company took to social media to openly and honestly take responsibility for their lack of sensitivity towards their target audience who has been using the product loyally, even admitting that they simply "f-ed this one up". It was refreshing to see a company admit to their faults simply and effectively communicate with their market directly via the sites that they most often use. How do you think companies can increase their target audience without losing a key demographic in the process?
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