The Next Step: NIVEA BOYCOTT
As of Monday November 22, all those participating in the Mackenzie Protest were asked to stop calling ITV.
This request does not mean that the protest is over. What it means, is that we have to recognize when the limits of one approach have been reached, and be flexible enough and honest enough -- to realize it is time to move to the next step..
A review:
Despite wholesale emailing and calling by protesters, Kelvin Mackenzie's contributions to ITV This Morning continue. In fact, Mackenzie has appeared on This Morning three further times (and counting), since making his horrific comments on November 9. This fact, along with the tone and content of Mark Sunderland's widely-distributed email, are clear indications that -- even at full throttle -- the protest did not persuade, convince, or concern ITV enough to get an apology from them.
Therefore, it makes no practical sense for telephone call to ITV to continue.
As you all know, efforts to contact Randy and Taj Jackson and Akon directly are being made, and they will continue to be made. For all those of you who follow Randy's, Taj's, or Akon's tweets, or have some other means of contacting them, please let them know that all that is needed to extract an apology from ITV -- is a formal complaint from one of the Jacksons and/or other high profile media personality along with a strong request that a public apology by ITV is made.
If any of you do succeed in getting in touch with either Randy, Taj, or Akon, please give them this link:
http://tinyurl.com/35gp35k --- and ask them to read all the posts here. It's really important these three are contacted, and that the message that the Jacksons directly contact ITV to ask for an apology, is clearly stated.
The Next Step is NIVEA:
As of October 4, 2010, NIVEA, became the official sponsor of ITV This Morning.
ITV have a lot to lose if this sponsorship agreement were to be jeopardized. Adam Crozier became C.E.O of ITV on April 26, 2010 and the deal brokered between BEIERSDORF UK --who own the NIVEA brand -- and ITV, is very much his 'baby.'
The stated reason behind NIVEA's thinking that ITV This Morning is a 'fit' for Nivea - is This Morning's family values appeal. Advertising blurb in trade reports that covered this sponsorship agreement are sales soundbites that ITV This Morning and NIVEA hope to --- " capture moments of closeness in different relationships - Mother/daughter/Father and Son/ Friends / Husbands and Wives. "
This Morning's family values mandate and NIVEA's 'Feel Closer' brand statement cuts directly across the professionally unethical and callous comments made by Kelvin Mackenzie on November 9.
So now, the next step of this protest is about making ITV and BEIERSDORF aware that a boycott of NIVEA is underway until a public apology is made by ITV, and full notice of that apology is also given in advance.
Below are two letters that now address this next step in the protest. There are two different destinations for these emails. In total -- this is two emails.
For ITV, simply CC Crozier, Sunderland and Viewer Services. And when you email BEIERSDORF simply CC all the email addresses listed below.
You will probably not receive a reply from ITV. It doesn't matter. The emails maintain the pressure. Your email content does not need to change, and for those who have asked for it, there are two examples emails below that you are welcome to use.
Details for BEIERSDORF are a little further down this page.
So that's 2 emails. You don't even have to write them. Just add the email addresses to your computer and press send -- daily (or at least three times a week.)
Simple.
1: Email to ITV.
Should be sent to Adam Crozier, Mark Sunderland and Viewer Services at ITV. Email addresses at: How to Support the Mackenzie Protest entry on this blog --
http://tinyurl.com/35gp35k
To Adam Crozier / Mark Sunderland, Viewer Services,
On the morning of Nov 9, 2010, on ITV's flagship programme This Morning, ex-Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie made a series of contentious comments live on air after watching a clip from Oprah Winfrey's recent interview with the late Michael Jackson's parents and children.
As you no doubt know, Mr MacKenzie speculated in a highly offensive manner about the biological connection of Jackson's children to their late father, offered his own non-legal, highly accusatory opinion about the charges Jackson was accused of in 2005 -- and was emphatically acquitted of -- and basically called the late Mr Jackson a child molester before an audience of millions.
Unbelievably, Mackenzie then proceeded to say Jackson's children were better off now that their father was dead. In effect, he delivered a monologue on national television venting his own obviously negative and deeply personalized view of someone who cannot answer back.
Since contacting your organization to register my disgust at Mr Mackenzie's remarks, you have since allowed this man further opportunites to appear on your program, thus making a complete nonsense of the expressions of " regret " in the recent email company sent to me.
I am asking the human being reading this to imagine, just for a moment, how Paris, Blanket and Prince Jackson would feel if they heard Kelvin MacKenzie's words --- and in that moment recognize the enormous wrong here.
.
I am asking for on-air apology to the Jacksons and viewers who were offended on November 9. I think that is the least ITV can do.
*Your name*
2: Email to Beiersdorf:
Should be sent to:
a)
CorporateCommunications@Beiersdorf.com
and
b)
amy.chapman@beiersdorf.com,
Nicolo.pome@beiersdorf.com and
richard.eastham@beiersdorf.com
Dear Ms Chapman/ Ms Pome / Mr Richard Eastham,
I am contacting you to make you aware of something executives at ITV This Morning have possibly not disclosed to you. On November 9, ITV invited a known media agitator -- Kelvin Mackenize -- ex-editor of 'The Sun' newspaper in Britain to appear on This Morning. Whilst on the show, Mr Mackenzie made seriously offensive and ethically reprehensible statements on-air.
The context of the comments came after a group of guests -- of which Mr Mackenzie was one -- watched a playback clip of American host Oprah Winfrey's recent interview with the late Michael Jackson's parents and his three children.
After watching this clip, Mr Mackenzie speculated in a acutely degrading and derogatory manner about the biological and, in fact, basic familial connection of Jackson's children to their father -- and further, made highly accusatory statements about the charges Michael Jackson was accused of.
Charges Mr Jackson was emphatically acquitted of in 2005.
After the airing of the November 9 episode, ITV executives promptly ordered an edit-out of the segment where Mackenzie made those comments, thus de facto admitting that an act of serious offensiveness had taken place.
When asked, ITV This Morning, also admitted privately in emails to those of us who complained, that offensive statements were aired and that they regretted them. However the request we asked for --- that ITV issue an on-air apology -- was denied.
Since Mr Mackenzie's comments were broadcast nationally and reached millions of people, we find the denial of this reasonable request for a simple, well-stated on-air apology to be both unreasonable -- and indefensible.
Mr Mackenzie stated on air that Mr Jackson's three children were now " better off " that he was dead. He also mocked their relationship with their father on the implicit grounds that such a 'family' did not constitute a family.
ITV will no doubt tell you that Mackenzie's vicious monologue was sufficiently
"contextualized " by lead host Philip Schofield at the time the comments were being made. After ITV make the edited-out footage of the November 9 show available to you for your own perusal -- you will see for yourself that no such adequate mitigation took place.
The decision to now initiate a boycott of Nivea products -- which of course has the potential to dramatically impact sales figures both in the UK and in the US (where a substantial part of your target audience are African-American consumers) -- is not one that is taken lightly.
But it is also not without justification.
In light of Nivea's 'Feel Closer' brand statement which proposes focus on the
"moments of closeness in different relationships- Mother/Daughter; Father/Son etc " -- we are asking your organization to consider the ramifications of ITV allowing a personality like Mr Mackenzie (who has a history of making inflammatory and repellent remarks publicly) to regularly appear on ITV This Morning. And whether those ramifications 'fit into the original 'family values' goals you intended when you signed up as sponsors of This Morning in October 2010.
It would take an enormous stretch of imagination to believe that ITV can be unaware of MacKenzie's history. It's what he does. Thus allowing this man a platform to vent on This Morning represents a serious lapse of judgement and care towards viewers -- and Beiersdorf.
In a world filled with millions of families brought together by surrogacy and adoption: the question has to be asked why Mr MacKenzie, and by extension ITV, feel they are in a position to allow anyone to disparage someone's choices or means of having a family? Mr Mackenzie is welcome to his toxic opinions in private, but he -- and This Morning -- crossed the line when he was given a national platform to share those opinions with unsuspecting viewers.
It is important you are aware that we are prepared to continue this boycott until ITV makes an on-air apology, and further, gives notice to the organizer of the protest -- Deborah Ffrench (who has already contacted you) -- of when that apology would take place. You should also be aware that the Jackson family have been notifed of this matter and are considering their options.
Finally: This boycott, now in effect, is only being undertaken because ITV will not take responsiblity for statements made on their program. We are hoping that even if they do not care about their relationship with their viewers -- they will take note of their relationship with Beiersdorf.
The fact is, ITV should have acted promptly and appropriately not just because it's the PR thing to do; but because allowing someone to state on a nationally broadcast television programme that they are essentially glad that an acquitted father of three young children is dead is one thing -- but not standing up and admitting how inherently 'wrong' that act was, is inexcusable.
Sincerely
Your Name
