Abstract

Consumer packaged goods major, Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Kimberly), had, over the years, made Kleenex a super brand. The brand identity was so strong that it had become a generic term for tissue paper, requiring the company to use ‘Kleenex brand’ to refer to its product. With the sales for the category shrinking since 2001, Kimberly decided in 2006 to rejuvenate the Kleenex brand. In late 2006, the ‘Let it Out’ campaign was launched. The case discusses the ‘Let it Out’ campaign in detail. It also discusses the criticisms against Kimberly by environmental activist organizations who accuse it of greenwashing. Greenpeace spoofed the ‘Let It Out’ campaign and in 2007, some Greenpeace activists also highjacked an advertising shoot of the campaign.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand how Kimberly succeeded in establishing Kleenex as a super brand and made it synonymous for facial tissue products. Understand the challenges faced by brands whose brand names have become synonymous with the generic term for the product. Analyze

Keywords

Brand strategy, Super brand, Brand identity, Promotional strategies, Advertising, Advertising strategy, Emotional appeal, Low-involvement product, Consumer research, Search engine marketing, Viral marketing, Environmental impact, Greenwashing, 'Let It Out' campaign, Kleenex, Kimberly-Clark