Georgia-Pacific was the first movement member to pursue a SeeHer Bootcamp and has since conducted additional training sessions. The company has integrated GEM® and other SeeHer advantages into its ongoing process, moving closer to a bias-free future. Supervising the evolution is packaged goods marketing veteran Laura Knebusch, who has held multiple leadership roles at Georgia-Pacific in marketing and as general manager of the paper towel and napkins category.
Knebusch’s portfolio at the Georgia-Pacific is broad and deep, including media, creative, design, e-commerce, digital marketing, shopper marketing, and marketing technology, among others. For this week’s blog, we asked her to talk about the brand’s SeeHer journey, what works and what doesn’t, and how the drive has changed the company.
In my 15-year career, I have never seen this level of social change. Most marketers probably would agree. It’s a challenge for brands, sure, but surmountable if you are sensitive to your consumers’ changing lives.
In today’s world, you need more than a unique selling proposition. It’s not just business. It’s personal.
Today’s smart marketer should understand how their target consumers are affected by civic and social issues, economics, and shifting values, and if/how their brand can help consumers navigate these challenges and opportunities. For us at Georgia-Pacific, that means prioritizing a deep knowledge of our target consumer and her needs.
We believe in addressing our consumers’ multidimensional selves, and in the most positive and realistic way. It’s critical that we represent women and girls as having all of the choices and futures they should be able to achieve… Every touch point must bring her to life fully.
The overlapping crises we have endured in the past two years (and continue to face) present opportunity for new insights. For example, through this process we identified a growing demand for self-care. Additionally, the world is incredibly and increasingly diverse; we want women and girls to #SeeHer and see their gender, identity, race, and/or ability represented on-screen just as they experience it off-screen. Everyone desires the feeling of belonging.
Therefore, it is crucial to have everyone in your company on board, not only marketing staff. This is new inspiration and knowledge that any brand can use, but only if the knowledge is integrated into ongoing operations companywide. All the insights in the world won’t make any difference unless the knowledge is incorporated into briefs, media buying, quantitative and qualitative testing, and so on.
We need to stay vigilant in our drive to eliminate bias and represent women and girls well in the media. If we do, I think we will see that driving change delivers a different kind of fulfillment than we usually achieve in business. Doing good feels good.
