Qu Puteh, The Controversial Tagline & Advertisement Of A Local Beauty Product : An Academic Perspective Of A Greenhorn Communications-Scholar Aspirant.

Tagline is a powerful marketing tool. As per my proposal “The Relationship Between Tagline’s Usage & Beauty Umaira’s Marketability” (which centered on Kak Ton’s Beauty Umaira “Comey tak Kak Ton?”) for the subject “Communication Research Method” under Assoc. Prof Madya Dr. Muati for last semester (REFER to https://undomiel84.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/stressful-phase-gone-beserk-a-proposal-for-research-communication-methods-as-kiasu-as-it-is/) , I have touched on the eminent role played by tagline in catapulting the marketability of a product. Of course it was merely a proposal with dummy tables and schedules but since I was forced to do bits of literature reviews, I somehow got the idea of how tagline plays pivotal role in engraving unique marketability niches.

The controversial sponsor. But, she nailed it. For me, she has laboured millions of Ringgit; why not using the platform to its fullest capacity? In the end, she managed to create buzz of her products. Brilliant!

Lately, our local beauty products marketers are becoming more creative in marketing their products. They realize that their targeted niche, which is the Malay population is closely affiliated with the local entertainment world. Call it hedonistic or opportunistic – but the reality in unscathed by the fact that the affinity is undeniably strong. With that token fully aware by these local beauty products marketers, they have taken the initiative to branch out the presence of their products by sponsoring several popular local entertainment shows which have good track records in terms of garnering high ratings and views and these including the likes of TV programmes such as “Akademi Fantasia” by ASTRO and also the coveted ‘Anugerah Juara Lagu’ by TV3.

The product ambassador. Via the TEARS Model? I guess for the local Malay market, Anzalna would do. 

Since I am doing Master of Corporate Communication now in UPM and about to enter my 3rd semester in this upcoming mid of February, I can’t help but to assimilate what I have learned throughout the course with my surroundings. What really ignited me to write this piece of entry was the vehement reception of Malaysians to the recent sponsorship of ‘Anugerah Juara Lagu’ by Qu Puteh by Vida Beauty who is owned by Dato Dr Hajjah Hasmiza Othman or affectionately known as Dato’ Vida.

The repetition of this advertisement airtime with some ‘self-professed’ fashion police claiming that Dato Vida was a Fashion Faux Pas in this scene. Well, in the end; she had the last laugh. 

First, I would like to see this from the window of “Integrated Marketing Communications” (IMC). Dato’ Vida is brilliant and dares to take the risk to bid as the main sponsor for ‘Anugerah Juara Lagu’ (owned by privatized TV3 and not to mentioned the prestige! Surely not a small scale amount of money involved here!). She used one of the IMC tools which is Sponsorship. This tool demands large amount of money but guarantees a coverage of wide spectrum of audience. She knows that the Malays love local entertainment TV programmes and like ants surrounding a grain of sugar; therefore ‘Anugerah Juara Lagu’ would be a great platform to launch that advertisement.

If it is not because of the ‘Bandwagon Effect’ (mouth-to-mouth words); I won’t know about this and writing about this product. So, this is also a publicity for Qu Puteh without realizing it! Oh, well…Hahhaahha!

The usage of the catchy tagline “Qu Puteh, Qu Puteh, Barulah Putih” (I have fair skin, I have fair skin, Now I have fair skin) with the gesture of touching two cheeks and show the whole oval face definitely created buzz in the town! The tagline was simple yet catchy – deemed to be an ideal phrase to be repeated as parody or teasing punchlines by children as well as women (the main targeted market!) during daily conversations! Based on the observation, most people expressed their annoyances to the ‘overly-done-and-excessive-repetition’ of the tagline throughout the event BUT along with that, came all sorts of parodies and viral icons and images constructed. Yes, the product as well as Dato’ Vida are the target of ridiculing &  mockeries BUT the mission was a success!!! The product Qu Puteh finally is creating a buzz in the town!! I have to say if it is not for “Anugerah Juara Lagu” and the tagline-play-along, I would never know about Qu Puteh!! Definitely very brilliant.

The outspoken Chef Wan bashing Qu Puteh advertisement. Irregardless, another publicity for the company and the product.

Apart from that, by having that catchy tagline, Qu Puteh is exercising the ‘Bandwagon Effect’; where words-of-mouths are used as platform to introduce a product. Yes, people make fun of the tagline BUT it also opened new horizons to new possible customers or niche of market that used to be ignorant about the products BUT NOW ARE CURIOUS to know about the product due to this ‘hullabaloos’!!

One of the circulated viral parodies via social networking sites.

Second, I would like to see this from perspective of “Public Relations”. Now, throughout the event, the hosts were asked to repeatedly mentioning the products of Qu Puteh, embroidered with artistes’ interviews, etc. This is an unconscious usage of Diffusion Theory (which happens to be a Persuasive Theory) used to reach public as the targeted audience, where :-

• Stage 1 – “Create Awareness” : the hosts were asked to repeatedly mentioning the names of the products as well as the catchy tagline, over and over again;
• Stage 2 – “Instilling Interest” : the interval airtime of the advertisement using the beautiful Malay local artistes Anzalna as well as the host Juliana Evans (both with famous fair skins) and relentlessly repeating the tagline, are meant to evoke sense of ‘proofs’, an effect created by Qu Puteh.

I have learned in Faculty of Modern Language & Communication in UPM that the principle of “publicity” lies in the definition of ‘free mentioning of either the organization, the products or its activities to directly or indirectly expedite exchanges a.k.a. profits’. Now, of course we never know whether after the ‘Anugerah Juara Lagu’ sponsorship that Qu Puteh is experiencing skyrocketing sales or remain stagnant; BUT we do realize that the mentioning of Qu Puteh became such contagious phrase of the household these days and the tagline is being parodied almost everywhere; either in real world or cyber world.

The tagline also invited antagonistic perception as it chronicles on the idea to ‘whiten the skin of Asians’. The local product definitely plays with the stereotype Asian women’s fantasies to be as fair as “Snow White” and to have pinkish lips. Quite discriminating to the darker skin tones; but by manipulating the fantasies, the local beauty product companies are household names. 

On top of that, the so-called ‘distasteful comment’ by Chef Wan, a local chef-celebrity who is known as razor-mouth claiming that he was quite nauseated with the overly-excessive advertisement of Qu Puteh has ignited a few red flags among the quarters of local entertainment aficionado who actually cares. Of course, some people simply ‘add salt’ to the comment by joining to bash and echoed Chef Wan while others who don’t pay heed simply laughed at the bashing by reviewing it as “a comment-made-by-not-significant-to-the-brain-figure”. With the diversified responses rippled from that, either way; Qu Puteh has ONCE AGAIN been getting publicity; free-of-charge.

The most popular viral parody. Batman slapped Robin for repeating the tagline of Qu Puteh! Haha! Sometimes, people can be so creative!

Communication is very interesting to decipher. I never thought that it could be very enthralling; a far cry from my Microbiology degree world. I have always known that I have the flair in Communication but now as I am studying the arts of Communication as Master’s Degree, I begin to realize that it is not merely about the oral eloquence or being loquacious; it is confined in many disciplines of life. I think I have finally found what I am willing to dedicate myself with. The discipline of Communications and its artsy processes with the targeted audiences.