As branding goes today, Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s likely to be lauded by Web entrepreneurs as well as some PR folks for its new site, http://www.kotex.com, which launched last week.
Still, we're a little stymied as to whether this kind of newfangled, online slumber party for girls is communications at its best - or most risky.
Granted, we think the idea of a Web venture that provides information about such serious topics as premenstrual and toxic shock syndromes is worth every byte that's devoted to it, but it's the frivolity that's attached to the site (the "Are You a Doormat?" section is meant to help girls test out their self-esteem) that's a little hard to stomach.
The site - which is being promoted by PR house Cone Communications, Boston, and was developed by Organic Online, San Francisco (for an amount the Kimberly-Clark Corp. [KMB] wouldn't disclose) - made its debut June 10 on the same day that Kimberly-Clark.com made its entree.
The corporation, which was the first company to develop the feminine pad in 1920, views the URL as brand reinforcement, said Wendi Strong, director of corporate communications for the company. Example: There's an interactive feature for girls to input how active they are and how much protection they need to get advice on what to use.
Strong said that execs believe the Web site extends Kimberly-Clark's business practice of forging new territory with time-sensitive tactics (in 1932, it released the brochure, "Marjorie May's Twelfth Birthday") but years ago there was far more "veiled language."
Kotex.com, however, stops short of that.
While we agree that the site is good customer PR for the Kotex brand, we think the content that's of relevance here is pretty serious stuff and shouldn't be taken lightly. While the company, so far, has done a fine job of mixing play and pathos about puberty, we're reminded that mixing promotional and editorial content can be a tricky thing and potentially a PR disaster if there isn't constant PR direction.
Any company embarking on this PR trail best do what Kimberly-Clark did and have some strong pre-launch market data to make sure they're hitting the mark. Strong said Organic surveyed girls on the West Coast to find out whether the language was "appropriate" and to find out how the look and feel of the Web endeavor would come across to the target demographic group.
Even the best-intentioned businesses can get caught in the public-perception and corporate-responsibility fray and wonder what happened. We're reminding Kimberly Clark and other corporations that use this kind of potpourri PR tactic to ready themselves for the queries that may follow. (Wendi Strong, 972/281-1200)