Month: January 2011

In the last while, BC Salmon farmers across the coast of the province have been facing troubling and unfavourable publicity. Accused of poisoning the wild salmon of the sea and contaminating and harming the ecosystem and the people dependent on it, the BC Salmon Farmer’s have countered these accusations with a number of approaches in attempt to get the truth out and the facts straight.  In the fight to save their reputation and convince the public of their environmentally friendly practises at the Salmon Farms, the BC Farmer’s Association has launched a website full of information and a collection of witty commercials.

By attempting to influence opinions and change feelings’ of the public through these marketing efforts, I believe that the BC Farmer’s Association is ultimately trying to shift our attitudes towards salmon farmers to positive ones. Of the three components of attitude, I feel that BC Farmer’s have done an excellent job of tackling two out of the three. The website makes the information and facts transparent to the public which satisfies the cognitive component of attitude. The set up of the website is constructed very well, with multiple textboxes stating facts followed by videos and testimonials backing up the statements. A blog is also built in on the right side to allow the public to join the discussion. These components of the website put together work really well to make the message, that BC Salmon Farmer’s is trying to convey, very concrete and very believable.

Covering the affective component are the thought provoking commercials which are personally my favourite parts of their campaign. They put a humorous spin on human behaviour by ending each commercial with, “Imagine if we believed everything we heard, the way we do about farmed salmon.” These commercials get the watchers mentally and emotionally involved and thinking about their own experiences. The only missing part left to tackle is the behavioural component. If BC Salmon Famers are able to get the public out and buying farmed salmon again, they will have successfully shifted our attitudes towards salmon farms. Attitudes, a vital part of consumer behaviour proves to be a main focus for many companies out there, including the BC Farmer’s Association.

Browsing through the stores of Robson Street this holiday, I quickly discovered an interesting pattern. All the retailers carrying TOMS shoes were completely sold out! There were no sizes, limited selection of colour, limited styles and just a limited supply! Not only has TOMS created a huge buzz in the fashion world, it has done an amazing job at creating and introducing a new social trend of buying products with a portion of proceeds going towards a charitable cause.

A marketing strategy TOMS has implemented well, is associating itself with high quality merchandise by placing their products on the shelves of trusted stores such as Aritzia, Holt Renfrew, Off the Wall and Stone Ridge. By doing so, consumers have an initial trusting impression of the brand and after further learning about the movement behind the shoes become even more interested in TOMS shoes. In this way, Blake Mycoskie, creator of TOMS is able to do what he had originally set out to do, which is getting his message out and gaining the support of the world.

“With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for one.” (TOMS official website) Toms has been able to influence customers to buy into the idea of giving. Not only do consumers get an trendy and comfortable shoe out of the purchase, TOMS has created greater value behind their products. The sense of having done a good deed and something charitable is how customers feel walking out of the store carrying a new pair of TOMS shoes, unlike most shoe shopping experiences people may have nowadays after spending hundreds on brands like Lacoste, UGGs and Hunters. TOMS has differentiated itself from other shoe brands by tapping into a consumer psychological “want” that is rarely focused on, which has proven by TOMS to be extremely powerful. That is, the desire to make this world a better place and contribute in a little way to those less fortunate. TOMS has created this opportunity for consumers to give through their “One for One” program. Not only is this company a success story, TOMS has put giving back into the hearts of society.