Gillette's 'toxic masculinity' ad haunts P&G as shaving giant takes $8B writedown

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Gillette’s infamous “toxic masculinity” ad may cost Procter & Gamble more than anyone imagined in January.

The year that Gillette launched its “We Believe” campaign and asked “Is this the best a man can get?” has coincided with P&G’s $8 billion non-cash writedown for the shaving giant.

Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller attributed much of the losses on “new competitors” offering “prices below the category average,” Reuters reported.

Observers such as Red State’s Brandon Morse responded by essentially likening the public stance to a lie by omission — the “toxic masculinity” ad punctuated news cycles for weeks and was repeatedly mocked on social media.

“Perhaps P&G isn’t willing to come forward yet with the fact that they made a monumental error in assuming men would take the ‘toxic masculinity’ commercial well, but they should soon,” Mr. Morse wrote Wednesday for the conservative website. “The brand is damaged enough to lose billions, and men aren’t coming back, especially with cheaper alternatives embracing men for who they are and not assuming the worst about them.”
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jul/31/gillettes-toxic-masculinity-ad-haunts-pg-as-shavin/

Here are some more Executives who should be fired for destroying value in a company for nothing but PC.

[Wingnut]

I switched to The Dollar Shave club rather than deal with Proctor and Gamble overpriced razors.   It was a hard choice because Unilever owns them and they are based in London.  I may look into Harry's for my shaving stuff.  I think they are US based even though the razor plant is not.

[Sanguine]

This is delicious.   

[skeeter]

I switched to The Dollar Shave club rather than deal with Proctor and Gamble overpriced razors.   It was a hard choice because Unilever owns them and they are based in London.  I may look into Harry's for my shaving stuff.  I think they are US based even though the razor plant is not.

It's not clear what the hell Gillette was thinking.

Same goes for whomever runs advertising for those patronizing low T supplements. I wouldn't buy from them if I had to start wearing a bra.

[PeteS in CA]

Among the factors of Gillette's loss was their marketing stupidity. Personally, I switched to Harry's for shaving products (their blades are fine) in response to Gillette's @#$%. Pictures in this article reminded me of another Gillette product I need to replace.

[roamer_1]

“Perhaps P&G isn’t willing to come forward yet with the fact that they made a monumental error in assuming men would take the ‘toxic masculinity’ commercial well, but they should soon,” Mr. Morse wrote Wednesday for the conservative website. “The brand is damaged enough to lose billions, and men aren’t coming back, especially with cheaper alternatives embracing men for who they are and not assuming the worst about them.”

Yep. Way, way past 'Oh Hell, No!'
I predicted this would happen right from the start.
Not that I can help with it... I haven't shaved a dang thing in decades. 
But I am with all y'all in spirit.

Can Gillette recover?
Fire their leadership, very public mea culpa... get all kissy-face to get em back?
Probably not. Dudes don't care. All done.
Corkscrew dive right into the ground.

[roamer_1]

This is delicious.

Ain't it though?
 

[rustynail]

Maybe those 90's people were right,  P&G is Satanic?

[Drago]

In the interest of full disclosure the Gillette division of P&G was hemorrhaging money BEFORE the 2-minute "ad" was released...but it looks like the ad didn't help much. Probably their way of "swinging for the fences" for new SJW customers and they whiffed.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Doubling down on idiocy.  I wonder if his shareholders agrees?

Gillette CEO: $8 Billion Loss over Woke Ads ‘Worth Paying’

Gillette CEO and president Gary Coombe is defending the $8 billion write-down Procter & Gamble experienced last quarter related to his brand, saying in a recent interview that it was “worth paying” and that he doesn’t mind alienating some customers.
Coombe told Marketing Week that the loss was “a price worth paying” as the 188-year-old maker of razors, blades and other grooming products contends with dwindling sales.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2019/08/02/gillette-ceo-8-billion-loss-over-woke-ads-worth-paying/

[roamer_1]

Doubling down on idiocy.  I wonder if his shareholders agrees?

Gillette CEO: $8 Billion Loss over Woke Ads ‘Worth Paying’

Gillette CEO and president Gary Coombe is defending the $8 billion write-down Procter & Gamble experienced last quarter related to his brand, saying in a recent interview that it was “worth paying” and that he doesn’t mind alienating some customers.
Coombe told Marketing Week that the loss was “a price worth paying” as the 188-year-old maker of razors, blades and other grooming products contends with dwindling sales.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2019/08/02/gillette-ceo-8-billion-loss-over-woke-ads-worth-paying/

Woof. How to lose a job as CEO in one fell swoop...
Cue firing, hiring he-man CEO, and HUGE mea culpa in 4...3...2...1...
 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Unbelievably, here are the words of the Gillette CEO from another source:

Coombe admitted the backlash from consumers was more "intense" than he had foreseen, but defended the ad as "less provocative" than other iterations the company had considered.

"I don’t enjoy that some people were offended by the film and upset at the brand as a consequence. That’s not nice and goes against every ounce of training I’ve had in this industry over a third of a century," Coombe said. "But I am absolutely of the view now that for the majority of people to fall more deeply in love with today’s brands you have to risk upsetting a small minority and that’s what we’ve done."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/parent-company-ceo-defends-gillette-as-great-business-after-metoo-campaign-ends-in-8-billion-loss

I wonder how they can spin that a $8bn loss occurred if just a 'small minority' were upset?

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Unbelievably, here are the words of the Gillette CEO from another source:

I wonder how they can spin that a $8bn loss occurred if just a 'small minority' were upset?

Because the $8bn writedown isn't necessarily the same thing as losing $8bn due to a single stupid decision.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-proctergamble-results/pg-posts-strong-sales-takes-8-billion-gillette-writedown-idUSKCN1UP1AD

You pay $57billion (with a B) for Gillette, you're going to lose money.  $57billion.  Gillette.  They could have picked up pets.com for like half that.

[rangerrebew]

Gillette In The Hole After Their “Woke” Ads, But What Their CEO Says About It Will Blow Your Mind

(Tea Party PAC) – According to the latest numbers from parent company Procter & Gamble, an $8 billion writedown from Gillette caused a total net loss of a stunning $5.24 billion. If Gillette’s bottom line is any indicator, their customers weren’t too happy with the razor company’s recent ads guilt-tripping them into repenting of “toxic masculinity.”

Looks like pandering to women in the #MeToo movement doesn’t do much in the way of selling men’s razors. Gee, I wonder why?

Of course, the woke liberal media is happy to pin the staggering losses on, wait for it, a “growing love of beards.” Seriously.

https://teapartypac.org/gillette-in-the-hole-after-their-woke-ads-but-what-their-ceo-says-about-it-will-blow-your-mind/?utm_source=ewcp&utm_placement=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=TPnewsletter

[rangerrebew]

I don't think it was so much pandering to women as man shaming and pandering to progressivism. 

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Because the $8bn writedown isn't necessarily the same thing as losing $8bn due to a single stupid decision.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-proctergamble-results/pg-posts-strong-sales-takes-8-billion-gillette-writedown-idUSKCN1UP1AD

You pay $57billion (with a B) for Gillette, you're going to lose money.  $57billion.  Gillette.  They could have picked up pets.com for like half that.

That is not what the CEO of Gillette said.  He said it was due to the ad campaign.

The P&G brass contradicted what the Gillette CEO says in the article.  That alone should get him fired.

P&G's claims contradict statements made this week by Gillette CEO Gary Coombe who told Marketing Week the #MeToo ad campaign had cost the company money but was a "price worth paying."

On Tuesday, P&G announced the company had taken a $5 billion loss for the quarter with Gillette, costing the company $8 billion in a noncash writedown.

[goatprairie]

The soy boy CEO of Gillette illustrates why the U.S. was a better country fifty years ago.
Gillette razor ads used to celebrate masculinity just with their ads......... "how are you fixed for blades?"
Not "would you like a very nice, non-irritating shave?"
Not anymore. Now it's time to knock masculinity and celebrate being "woke."

[sneakypete]

I don't think it was so much pandering to women as man shaming and pandering to progressivism. 

@rangerrebew

Nope. No actual thought required. It was the result of a brain fart by the CEO. Nothing else can explain this. What he is doing now is treading water while trying to negotiate a buy-out of his contract.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

That is not what the CEO of Gillette said.  He said it was due to the ad campaign.

The P&G brass contradicted what the Gillette CEO says in the article.  That alone should get him fired.

P&G's claims contradict statements made this week by Gillette CEO Gary Coombe who told Marketing Week the #MeToo ad campaign had cost the company money but was a "price worth paying."

On Tuesday, P&G announced the company had taken a $5 billion loss for the quarter with Gillette, costing the company $8 billion in a noncash writedown.

No, he didn't.  He said it cost them money. He didn't say it cost them $8 billion.   

[Slide Rule]

Who?

So?

So What?

[Right_in_Virginia]

@rangerrebew

Nope. No actual thought required. It was the result of a brain fart by the CEO. Nothing else can explain this. What he is doing now is treading water while trying to negotiate a buy-out of his contract.

Yup @sneakypete

[IsailedawayfromFR]

No, he didn't.  He said it cost them money. He didn't say it cost them $8 billion.

Yep.  Sloppy reporting has been corrected.

CORRECTION: The Washington Examiner has updated this story to remove the suggestion that Gillette lost $8 billion due to its #MeToo-inspired advertising campaign. We regret that this article did not adhere to the Washington Examiner 's normal standards and procedures.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/gillette-ceo-losing-customers-over-metoo-campaign-is-price-worth-paying

[Smokin Joe]

Gillette In The Hole After Their “Woke” Ads, But What Their CEO Says About It Will Blow Your Mind

(Tea Party PAC) – According to the latest numbers from parent company Procter & Gamble, an $8 billion writedown from Gillette caused a total net loss of a stunning $5.24 billion. If Gillette’s bottom line is any indicator, their customers weren’t too happy with the razor company’s recent ads guilt-tripping them into repenting of “toxic masculinity.”

Looks like pandering to women in the #MeToo movement doesn’t do much in the way of selling men’s razors. Gee, I wonder why?

Of course, the woke liberal media is happy to pin the staggering losses on, wait for it, a “growing love of beards.” Seriously.

https://teapartypac.org/gillette-in-the-hole-after-their-woke-ads-but-what-their-ceo-says-about-it-will-blow-your-mind/?utm_source=ewcp&utm_placement=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=TPnewsletter

Well, growing beards is one way to not use their products because of their stupid ads.

[Smokin Joe]

What? Have a SJW type admit they are wrong? Never happen.

I think I'll keep the Santa Claus look through the winter. Might even be able to pick up a gig come Christmas for a few extra bucks. (I have already been asked for a puppy...)

[Mod5]

Topics merged.