Target Corp. thinks the timing is finally right to trumpet its impact on communities.
In February, the Minneapolis-based retailer pulled the plug on the "Around for Good" ad campaign that was set to air during the Winter Olympics — and when the massive data breach was still very fresh in people's minds.
"Our gut feeling was that it didn't feel right," said Target spokesman Eric Hausman.
Now that a few months have passed, the company is ready to begin airing four spots that will run from Sunday through the end of June on cable and network channels, including during Sunday night's Billboard Music Awards.
The ads also come at a time when Target is trying to repair its public image after a series of setbacks. In December, Target revealed that its point-of-sale systems had been compromised by cyberthieves who gained access to the personal and financial information of tens of millions of customers. The breach triggered several congressional hearings and a blistering Senate committee report outlining several steps Target could have taken to prevent the attack.
Target's chief executive, who stepped down last week, was apparently a casualty of the breach and other issues.
And earlier this week, the company's chief marketing officer created a stir by posting a candid piece on LinkedIn in which he acknowledged that there are problems with the Target culture and said the retailer needs to innovate in order to recover from its current struggles.
Hausman said Target has seen improvement in rebuilding customer trust following the data breach. But the retailer knows it still has work to do.
