Arnold on ethical marketing

CHRIS ARNOLD

I’m all for pop stars turning up the temperature on governments and raising money but I do feel that they are more interested in raising their personal profile than the plight of the planet.

Just when I thought all was lost – China and India building more power stations, America ignoring the Kyoto treaty, the Stern Review sitting on my desk – I am reassured that pop will save the planet.

Despite Bob Geldoff slamming Al Gore’s Live Earth event as “just an enormous pop concert without any real goal”, lots of image conscious musicians like Madonna and socially aware bands such as Coldplay and Keane, still signed up.

In fact, a lot of the press coverage, especially in the UK, was openly critical of artists and their commitment to the event. The amount of carbon created from running the concert and produced by pop stars flying in (each with full entourage in tow) also received disparaging comments.

Interesting research carried out before and after the event by ethical consumer experts the Fraser Consultancy (http://www.fraserconsultancy.com) is very revealing. Initially, about half the British public (53%) thought that climate change was the real concern of the pop stars attending. After the event, this fell to just 39%. It appears that the UK is the most cynical of nations, with Australia being the most supportive (72% before, 60% after) and the US falling in between (58% before, 50% after).

Nowadays, it seems as though every pop star needs a cause and of course, the column inches to go with it. Though this isn't an entirely new concept. Since the 60s, pop stars have used songs to challenge social injustice but it was Geldoff who recognised that ‘pop could make a point’, as a force that can be used for good.

Live Aid (1985) still remains one of the most successful fundraising events in history, raising over £150m. Its message reached over 1.5bn viewers and challenged governments to change the world. (Sadly much of the funds for Ethiopia were siphoned off by Mengistu Haile Mariam and his army or used by the Derg military junta).

More recently, Coldplay's Chris Martin has voiced his passionate views on social issues and is a big supporter of Oxfam’s ‘Make Trade Fair’ campaign. There is little doubt that a good pop star on your side can be an effective weapon, especially if you are trying to win over a younger audience, which many charities are desperately trying to do.

The temptation now is for stars to go solo and create their own campaign. Bono’s Red campaign to help fights AIDs in Africa only raised $18m against a $100m expenditure, despite being signed up to by big brands like Amex, Motorola, Apple and GAP. But to give him credit, the campaign was well planned and thought through, unlike the knee jerk reactions to world crisis some pop stars come up with.

After the Asian Tsunami old rockers Cliff Richard and Boy George announced they were recording a fund raising song called ‘Grief Never Grows Old’ and expected to raise £2m, but probably ended up raising more eyebrows.

When Michael Jackson announced he wanted to record a charity track to save kids dying in Africa the press took him apart. Despite the fact he seemed to know very little about his cause, it was suggested that instead of donating his talent he donated his cash instead and save us from what would only have been three and half minutes of self-righteousness.

Pop stars, like any celebrity, can be an effective tool in marketing terms when well used. But the danger is, left to their own devices, they can end up trivializing a cause or worse still, reducing it to the equivalent of a mere passing fashion fad; here today, forgotten tomorrow. Make Poverty History (2005) has itself become history. Critics at the time commented on the wristbands being more a fashion accessory than a social statement.

Of course, the danger of working with pop stars is the nature of their lifestyles and attitudes. Our national papers have highlighted the hypocrisy of rich pop stars that squander their money on indulgent parties and fancy holidays, stashing their wealth in off-shore accounts while preaching ethics and asking the poorer public to donate. Whilst driving a Prius, many celebs would do well to be honest and have a sticker in the back window, ‘MY OTHER VEHICLE IS A PRIVATE JET’.

I’m all for pop stars turning up the temperature on governments and raising money but I do feel that they are more interested in raising their personal profile than the plight of the planet.