What does Calvin Klein's “upskirt” ad have in common with Trump's campaign for president?

The Calvin Klein ad in question features an "upskirt" shot of model Klara Kristin, alongside the tagline: "I flash in #mycalvins." The ad is part of a larger campaign (see the rest of the campaign here), but this is one of the renditions that has drawn a fierce reaction in traditional and social media from critics who think it is perverted and sexist.

In this debate, I am conflicted. As a parent, I think it is going too far, but as a marketer, I see the merit. CK has been inviting controversy with its sexually provocative advertising since before social media, and probably even before the internet. 

Some of you may remember the media storm in the early eighties for CK’s use of, the then underage, Brook Shields with the line “Guess what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing!” CK has had several such controversies (see them here) every few years since. Going by the brand’s history, sexually provocative messaging is part of the brand’s DNA. Using sex to sell has worked for them in the past when the world was less open; I suppose they need to be even more provocative now that the world is desensitized to all expressions of sexuality. I say if it ain’t broke…

Well, now for The Donald (err Mr. Trump).

So what does Mr. Trump have in common with CK?

He is using a similar approach as CK, but with a different kind of provocation. Provocation is defined as an “action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, especially deliberately.” Deliberately being the key word. The idea is to deliberately arouse, tease, prod, taunt, incite or stir a person or a group to action.

Unless you were living off the grid during the last 8-12 months, you would know Mr. Trump’s unending list of provocations. He has gotten personal with the other candidates running for president, calling them “liar” (Ted Cruz); “little” (Marco Rubio); “pathological” (Ben Carson); “Idiot” (Lindsey Graham); “ugly” (Carly Fiorina); “low energy” (Jebb Bush); “crooked” (Hillary Clinton); “crazy” (Bernie Sanders).  In his quest to insult his way to the presidency, he has also lobbed insults at people not running for president, “goofy” (Elizabeth Warren), “loser” (John McCain), “unattractive/ugly” (Rosie O’Donnell, Bette Midler, Ariana Huffington and others), “disgusting” (Megyn Kelly) to name just a few.  He has famously insulted entire sections of the population, from the people of Iowa, to Women, African Americans, Mexicans, and Muslims.

He has not even spared heads of states, neighbouring countries (Mexico), allies (Britain, Germany and Saudi Arabia), and media organizations (CNN, NY Time, Fox and others).

Every time Mr. Trump has said something outrageous and insulting, he rose in the polls, defying all logic and expert predictions, to eventually become the presumptive Republican nominee.

In fact, Mr. Trump is so sure of this strategy, that he even boasted at a campaign event, "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters." See more insults here.

His secret?

I believe he is using the provocation-based selling approach. This approach was originally advocated by authors Philip Lay, Todd Hewlin and Geoffrey Moore in their article titled “In a Downturn, Provoke Your Customers,” published in the March 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review.

The authors propose provocation-based selling, an alternative approach to selling when the economy is in decline and budgets are tight.  This approach differs from the two conventional selling approaches: solution-selling (a consultative approach) and the more commonly used approach, product-based selling, which relies broadly on pushing features, functionality, and benefits.

Provocation-based selling helps customers see their challenges with a different lens that makes addressing specific painful problems clear and urgent.

To begin a provocation-based sale, you must do three things:

1.    Identify a critical industrywide and company-specific problem that resonates so deeply that even in a downturn, funds will be found to fix it.

2.    Develop a provocative and original point of view about that problem, one that links, naturally, to what your company has to offer.

3.    Lodge that provocation with a decision maker who can take the implied action.

How exactly is Mr. Trump using this approach?

You could argue that at about 5% unemployment and 0.5% GDP growth in Q1 of 2016, that the US Economy is not exactly in a recession, but it is performing weaker than expectations.  More importantly, the sentiment isn’t great. Americans are feeling the blues as indicated by a recent poll by the Associated Press and GfK, which found that 54% of Americans “say the nation’s economy is poor.”

With the sentiment as the backdrop here is how I think Mr. Trump has used provocation-based selling with the American voters.

1.    Identify a critical problem that has proved intractable to date.

•    “11 million illegal immigrants (who work at lower than minimum wages).”

•    “Radical Islamic terrorism on US soil (9/11 Trade Centre attack, San Bernardino shootings).”

•    “Trade deficit with China and Mexico and the loss of manufacturing jobs to low-cost manufacturing countries.

•    National debt (US$ 19 Trillion).

2.    Formulate your provocation

•    “Mexicans are criminals and rapist.”

•    “China is stealing from us by manipulating currency.”

•    “There is hatred, there is something there we don’t know what is going on.”

•    “Other NATO countries are not paying their share.”

3.    Lodge your provocation

•    “I will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it.”

•    “I will ban all Muslims from entering the United States.”

•    “I will kill the free trade treaties (NAFTA and PTA) and impose a 45% tariff on good imported goods.

•    “I will dismantle NATO.”

In Mr. Trump’s case, the decision maker is the American voter: specifically Republican and Independent voters. The provocation keeps the conversation going through multiple news cycles and across the spectrum of liberal and conservative media. With this free media, he not only dominates the conversation and crowds out competitors, but also propagates his message.

To provoke, one has to polarise. You have to be on the right or the left of an issue, because the centre is boring. Mr. Trump understands this and has been able to use this knowledge to provoke Republican and Independent voters to pack his rallies and come out in hoards to make him the Republican nominee.

While CK isn’t using the exact provocation-based selling approach, they are provoking nevertheless to generate media chatter while staying true to their brand character, just like Donald Trump.  Why else would we be talking about him?

Provocation works best when it outlines a problem that the customer is experiencing, but has not yet put a name to.

Provocation is a good tactic when nothing else will work.