Social Media

DOLCE &
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GABBANA

Mapumaikona’aloha Vidal
INTRODUCTION and
HISTORY!
■ Worldwide Italian fashion brand
■ Founded in 1985
■ Owners: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana
■ Target: those invest in luxurious designs,
Italian-heritage, and design philosophy
■ Elegant and alluring Italian-inspired designs
■ Target: people who invest in luxurious designs,
Italian-heritage, and design philosophy
■ Distinctive style and determined craftsmanship
■ Ventured in other industries: art and music
SOCIAL MEDIA
CAMPAIGN
● Included stereotypical Chinese
music
● Model struggling to eat with
“small-stick”
● Saying explicit things
● Racist and discriminatory campaign
● Attempted to advertise upcoming
show in Shanghai
● Ruined model career
● Under the hashtag
#D&GlovesChina
 RESULTS
● Unpublished less than 24 hours
● Found it controversial and offensive
● Resulted to boycott: Chinese celebrities terminating
contracts, destructions of products, removal from
websites, any relations of the brand will receive backlash
● Forced to cancel Shanghai event
● Apologized about the ad -> gets (Gabbana) gets involved in
another controversial scandal regarding to China -> claims
to be hacked
● Still continues to struggle in the industry
MEASURES
● Asia-Pacific market decrease by 25% to
22%, full expectations of declined
● 2021: recovered by 20% compared to 2020
- Still remains lower than before
scandal
- With pandemic, sales dilmenish to
15% to 1 billion EUR (7.95b RMB)
● Stock price loss 37.6b RMB in 8 days into
the controversy
 ANALYSIS
● Errors
- Perceived as racist and stereotypical
- Ad has no correlation with fashion
- Lack of cultural sensitivity and social listening
● What I would’ve done…
- Preview of the process
- Chinese celebrities promoting or wearing the designs
- Creating a brand collection dedicated to the Chinese heritage
- Hosting pop-ups/exclusive events in China
- Adjust content to preference, aesthetics, tradition, and
concerns– leads to attract
 IMPROVE
zzzz
● Use social listening
○ Connect with audience, gain relevance
● Educate!
○ Know the audience and their preference
○ Culture
● Partnerships suitably
● Better management
 final

THANK
YOU