This week, I stumbled across an article that was published last month (April 14th) by BBC reporting on how the French brand Dior was facing backlash for posting a photo on Instagram that many said was discriminatory towards Asians. The post portrayed a woman pulling back her eye very close up. Critics of the ad claimed that the post showing a woman pulling her eye back to make it appear more narrow was racist against the Asian population and their appearance. There was also backlash of the backlash, where some commenters were quick to criticize the people claiming that Dior was racist, talking about how sensitive people can be and how there was clearly no ill intent in the post. You can see the photo that was posted below. The caption was “Channel your feline fierceness.”

When first reading this article, I had a few different feelings. On one hand, I am of the opinion that this post was 100% not intended to be racially insensitive, and it really meant to highlight and accentuate the makeup on the eye of the woman. On the other hand, I see where people take issue with this post and I can’t believe no one in Dior’s marketing room caught the problem.

As strategic communicators, we need to be cognizant and aware of all of the audiences we are trying to reach. The article states that China is one of Dior’s biggest markets. To me, it is imperative to cater to that population as a marketer, and how this post was not flagged as potentially problematic is beyond me. It reminds me of some of the examples from this week’s reading in the textbook and in the instructor commentary: The black child in the hoodie that said “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle,” the Mexican character who looked more like a knife-wielding bandit than a spokeman, and the list goes on.  Unintentionally racist ads are the worst kind of ads, because not only does Dior look racist, they now look stupid for even posting this in the first place. It’s a great example of why we need to study multicultural marketing and the best practices to be successful in this endeavor. You can’t adopt a one-size-fits-all mentality anymore in today’s advertising culture. Knowing your different markets and making sure all groups can relate positively to your advertising is the most crucial aspect of successfully selling products or services today, and this article showed me a glaring example of why!

To read the article fully, here it is! https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-65229901

Thanks for reading this week’s post!!

Hi everyone! My name is Danielle Kochka, and I am in my 3^rd semester in the MPS program in Strategic Communications. Almost halfway there! I live in Monroeville, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh. I currently work as an Admissions Counselor at Penn State Greater Allegheny. I’ve been with PSUGA since 2020, however, with my first role on campus being the Head Softball Coach. This past season, however, was my last season in that role. I am now strictly in Admissions, and loving every minute of it! Some labels that people might call me are she/her, daughter, sister, athlete, coach (previously).

I use a lot of media, both digital and social. I love to watch TV and movies, using traditional routes like cable TV and most of the streaming sites. I would consider myself more of a social media observer than user. I don’t post a lot on the sites, but I always check Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. I love to scroll when I am bored!

I am taking this course primarily for the major requirement, but I am genuinely interested in the content! In my line of work, I market to many different cultures and populations. I think this course can help me in my efforts to recruit all types of students to Penn State and the campus I work at.

I’d love to tell you more all about me! I primarily speak English, although I do know a bit of Serbian (my heritage!). I listen to a bunch of different genres of music, from country and pop to hip hop and rap. I am more of a believer in being a fan of the artist vs. the genre. I love to travel! I’ve been to a lot of states across the country, and I’ve been on two trips to Europe! That’s a life goal of mine, to travel and see as much as I can all over the world!

My family and faith are very important to me. I am very close with my extended family, and I do so many things with them. Holidays, birthdays, and other functions are always priorities to me. I am a proud Orthodox Christian, and adhere to my faith in many aspects of my life.

Receiving my master’s degree is something I’ve been wanting to do since I graduated from Washington & Jefferson College with my bachelor’s degree, and I finally got in a position where I could pursue it! I am very excited to kick this semester off, and work with all of you. We got this!

For more about me, check out my intro video here!