Month: February 2011

After reading Jessica’s blog , it amazed me as to how close to home the story and origination of Aritzia hits me. Starting out as a single store in Kerrisdale and blooming into a national-wide known brand and legacy, Aritzia has achieved considerable success with their Canadian market.  The question now is, how will they do in the Big Apple competing against the international fashion gurus of the world? I guess we will just have to wait and see! I definitely agree with Jessica in terms of Aritzia’s segmentation strategies in a geographic sense. With that in mind, Aritzia could have chosen to open its first American store in Seattle, Los Angeles or even Las Vegas . Why New York City? The Big Apple as a potential segment is very attractive for a fashion-forward retailer like Aritzia. Not only are New Yorkers always hungry for the latest and newest styles, have money to spend and appreciate fashion, the city itself, NYC is known to be a leader in the industry, with trends that are influential worldwide. Why else would Aritzia choose the Big Apple? New York city is highly  reachable, as it is an internationally known city and is considerably substantial as the second most populated city of the world with great buying power, in turn, suggesting profitability. NYC is also said to have a significant influence on art, fashion, music and media which are all things Aritzia wants to be associated with to build and solidify their brand. I guess we will be seeing Aritzia bags on the streets of SOHO more often.

Praeventia Cookies, a brand from Leclerc, has raided TV commercial airtime, social media and advertising mediums of all sorts, endorsing a health conscious lifestyle. While promoting all the healthy ingredients that they put into their cookies including orange zest with green tea extract, and dark chocolate chip which is 70% cocoa with red wine extract, Praeventia has definitely made it clear that they are targeting consumers who desire nutritious alternatives for snacks.  Not only does Praeventia suggest choosing their cookies for a healthy lifestyle, they also recommend daily physical activity in order to stay energized and maintain an active way of life. By giving great tips to complement their products, Praeventia is addressing the social trend of an increasingly health conscious society. They also address the social trend of a time-poor society by creating convenience by packaging their cookies into the correct portions for dietary balance, and in boxes which contain enough pouches for one week.

In terms of tackling the social factor of family in the consumer decision process, Praeventia has strategically marketed their products in a way to convince mothers and fathers, who are generally the decision makers and buyers of the family, that by choosing Praeventia Cookies, they are making the best health decision for their children. Praeventia has cleverly created a brand which promotes itself as a not only healthy snack alternative, but also a choice that your children will enjoy, as the commercials suggest. Praeventia in the long run will also be able to capture the children of parents who bought Praeventia cookies for them as children, and so on. The passing down of Praeventia’s perceived value through the generations is another aspect hinted in their commercials. All in all, Praeventia has been able to portray themselves as the best of both in the world of cookies. They are good-tasting and you won’t feel bad after eating them because they are healthy too! So the answer is yes, there is such thing as a healthy cookie.

Do you have the sports station fixed in your car’s radio? Do you find yourself constantly checking your Sports Net App on your IPhone or Blackberry for updates on the standings and player stats? Do you sport the flag on your vehicle windows? If you do, you are not alone. Although many may not know much about the specific game rules we all recognize when a player wearing a Canucks jersey racing down the ice rink and snapping a puck straight through to the back of the net. We can all relate as our hearts melt at the familiar and comforting sound of the siren going off to signify another winning goal. The Vancouver Canucks fan base, significantly larger than most of the NHL, is still growing.

What makes Vancouverites hockey crazed and believing in blue this season? Is it the outstandingly talented twins leading our team? Is it the fact that the Canucks stand as the #1 team in the western conference? Although these reasons may have contributed to their popularity,  from a marketing perspective, the minds behind the Canucks have done an amazing job communicating the value that this sport brings to our community. Everywhere we turn, we see or hear something Canucks related. From TV commercials, radio broadcasts, billboards, team gear to car flags, the team has grown to become a part of the lifestyle of Vancouverites. We are emotionally, mentally and physically attached to the excitement of the game, spirit of the sport, and the pride we possess for our team. Some can even say that we try to embody a part of what the Vancouver Canucks represent. The team represents a young and rising team, much like our blooming city. They are a true Canadian team, building  local charities such as Canucks for Kids Fund and Canuck Place much like the kind hearted and generous people of our city.

Whether it is the love of the sport that draws you to watching the Canucks every evening or the desire to fit in with the whole of the city cheering, we are all believers in blue.