Hi, is anybody there ? (apologies for the mistakes, it's 00:50 and i'm still French)
Right, so, i've been reading a lot of interesting articles, tweets and Facebook statuses about the whole "no make up selfies" thing and I just wanted to voice my own opinion. I don't tend to publicly share things like this, but what the hell ?
I'll be honest with you, I find the idea absolutely great. For several reasons:
1) Awareness: whether we like selfies or not, this idea/campaign allowed women to talk about the breast cancer. it's in the papers, on social networks, in conversations you've overheard in the tube. Friends share thoughts about it. Each selfie may not lead to a donation (you don't buy a product every time you see an advert, do you ?!), that is absolutely right. But it'll stay in the back of people's mind. If at least it makes women remember that they need medical check, that's positive. If the aim was to make some noise, then, it's worked. BOOM.
2) Marketing: a charity has a purpose, a cause, like any other company who needs to market its products. instead of trying to sell something, they're trying to raise awareness about their cause, or generate donations. Therefore, they need a communication strategy like any other organization. It seems to me that, for any communication campaign to be efficient it needs to be based on a cultural trend.
Who are we targeting ? ---> Women
What do women want ? ---> Feel beautiful, confident and healthy
What is the current trend that reflects this craving for self-confidence ? Selfies.
From a communication stand point, this makes complete sense to me. Now the question is, "how is it linked to breast cancer" - And in a way, this question is relevant as there is no direct connection to the cause. but let's take another example:
How many times have we seen on TV adverts that weren't related directly to the actual products ?
Let's take the Christmas adverts. John Lewis for example, do they feature their shops in the Christmas commercials ? Nope. Why? Because it is all based on emotional connection. And this is what this whole "selfie" thing is about: "Emotional Connection". Girls are sharing content with friends. It boosts their sense of togetherness, belonging and self-confidence. Without make up, we're all equal. In the same way, we are all equal when facing health issues such as breast cancer. We share this content with other women we appreciate and love. We celebrate each other, and at the back of our mind we remember that breast cancer needs to be fought. and what the heck is wrong with that ?
3) This leads me to my third point: is it just pure narcissism ?
And again, what would be wrong with that ? What's wrong with thinking that you are beautiful ? What's wrong with thinking that your photo is worth being shared and liked by people who appreciate you? It's no news that we live in a world where the standards of beauty are well established, and we're all fighting hard every day to look "the way we should look". For once, we're celebrating all women, no matter how they look. Isn't it something positive ?
I'm sure that many of us spend time looking in the mirror thinking: "meh, fat legs, big nose, bad teeth.....ah daaaaamn...cellulite alert !". And for once, a large number of women went "sod it, i'm gonna post a picture of myself because I can", without taking any of the above into consideration. isn't that a step forward ?
What if we all started to like ourselves a little bit more rather than always thinking we're not good/pretty/clever enough ? that'd be nice wouldn't it ? Do not worry, i'm not giving that advice to you first, dear reader, i'm giving it to myself. In the world we live in, the hardest thing to do is to think that you're worth it. (i'm fighting this feeling on a daily basis).
For me this "No make up selfie" trend is a success. It's reminded us all that we need to do something about Breast Cancer, whether it's donating, getting checked, helping friends and members of our families who suffer from it, or simply talking about it with our friends. And also, it was a wonderful way to celebrate women's natural beauty and self confidence. I don't know about you, but I discovered one thing with this trend : who needs make up anyway ?
I'm not saying i'm right, and I totally respect everyone's opinion on the matter. That's just how I see it.
And so I shall include my no make up selfie.
Aaaaaaaand a pic of Emma Thompson, because she is the reason why I feel like I should take a stand for things I believe in. WOW, it's getting emosh. (this is not related to the topic...at all. Apologies). And because her performance in Wit: The Play (about ovarian cancer) was outstanding and inspiring. Makes you stop and think for a moment.
Right, so, i've been reading a lot of interesting articles, tweets and Facebook statuses about the whole "no make up selfies" thing and I just wanted to voice my own opinion. I don't tend to publicly share things like this, but what the hell ?
I'll be honest with you, I find the idea absolutely great. For several reasons:
1) Awareness: whether we like selfies or not, this idea/campaign allowed women to talk about the breast cancer. it's in the papers, on social networks, in conversations you've overheard in the tube. Friends share thoughts about it. Each selfie may not lead to a donation (you don't buy a product every time you see an advert, do you ?!), that is absolutely right. But it'll stay in the back of people's mind. If at least it makes women remember that they need medical check, that's positive. If the aim was to make some noise, then, it's worked. BOOM.
2) Marketing: a charity has a purpose, a cause, like any other company who needs to market its products. instead of trying to sell something, they're trying to raise awareness about their cause, or generate donations. Therefore, they need a communication strategy like any other organization. It seems to me that, for any communication campaign to be efficient it needs to be based on a cultural trend.
Who are we targeting ? ---> Women
What do women want ? ---> Feel beautiful, confident and healthy
What is the current trend that reflects this craving for self-confidence ? Selfies.
From a communication stand point, this makes complete sense to me. Now the question is, "how is it linked to breast cancer" - And in a way, this question is relevant as there is no direct connection to the cause. but let's take another example:
How many times have we seen on TV adverts that weren't related directly to the actual products ?
Let's take the Christmas adverts. John Lewis for example, do they feature their shops in the Christmas commercials ? Nope. Why? Because it is all based on emotional connection. And this is what this whole "selfie" thing is about: "Emotional Connection". Girls are sharing content with friends. It boosts their sense of togetherness, belonging and self-confidence. Without make up, we're all equal. In the same way, we are all equal when facing health issues such as breast cancer. We share this content with other women we appreciate and love. We celebrate each other, and at the back of our mind we remember that breast cancer needs to be fought. and what the heck is wrong with that ?
3) This leads me to my third point: is it just pure narcissism ?
And again, what would be wrong with that ? What's wrong with thinking that you are beautiful ? What's wrong with thinking that your photo is worth being shared and liked by people who appreciate you? It's no news that we live in a world where the standards of beauty are well established, and we're all fighting hard every day to look "the way we should look". For once, we're celebrating all women, no matter how they look. Isn't it something positive ?
I'm sure that many of us spend time looking in the mirror thinking: "meh, fat legs, big nose, bad teeth.....ah daaaaamn...cellulite alert !". And for once, a large number of women went "sod it, i'm gonna post a picture of myself because I can", without taking any of the above into consideration. isn't that a step forward ?
What if we all started to like ourselves a little bit more rather than always thinking we're not good/pretty/clever enough ? that'd be nice wouldn't it ? Do not worry, i'm not giving that advice to you first, dear reader, i'm giving it to myself. In the world we live in, the hardest thing to do is to think that you're worth it. (i'm fighting this feeling on a daily basis).
For me this "No make up selfie" trend is a success. It's reminded us all that we need to do something about Breast Cancer, whether it's donating, getting checked, helping friends and members of our families who suffer from it, or simply talking about it with our friends. And also, it was a wonderful way to celebrate women's natural beauty and self confidence. I don't know about you, but I discovered one thing with this trend : who needs make up anyway ?
I'm not saying i'm right, and I totally respect everyone's opinion on the matter. That's just how I see it.
And so I shall include my no make up selfie.
Aaaaaaaand a pic of Emma Thompson, because she is the reason why I feel like I should take a stand for things I believe in. WOW, it's getting emosh. (this is not related to the topic...at all. Apologies). And because her performance in Wit: The Play (about ovarian cancer) was outstanding and inspiring. Makes you stop and think for a moment.
