Monthly Archives: November 2011

“The majority of you won’t know what a coupon is, so for your own sake: it is something your gran uses to save her pennies on her groceries.” This lecturer could not have been more incorrect. Firstly, a coupon allows people to save more than just pennies and secondly, they are far from outdated, but are in fact the opposite- trendy. The article “dealer-chic” on trend watching discusses why “deals are becoming a way of life, if not a source of pride.” It summarizes why this trend will explode in the future:

1.)    Consumers will always want more for less

2.)    The technology associated with couponing is innovative and keeps people intrigued (and fascinated on my part)

3.)    Deals are no longer heavily discounted prices on the bottom of the range products, but consumers are able to get the best of the best for less

The article mentions hundreds of deal finding sites, of which I (rather ashamedly) had only heard of three before.

After extensive research into Groupon for my class projects, my mindset on couponing has changed completely. Beforehand, I would check the deal of the day infrequently and now I find myself looking online daily to ensure I have not missed a brilliant deal. I agree with the notion that deals are “no longer considered cumbersome or even embarrassing, but simply smart.” (trendwatching) It has become an accomplishment to buy items for 50-90% less. Why would you want to pay the full price? This, however, creates a challenge for businesses because consumers are becoming more deal-prone than ever before. Thus, there is a challenge to innovate their product or service in such a way that it will avoid consumers (like me) who are discount prone.

So until businesses overcome this challenge, I will continue to participate in this growing couponing trend!

“To build a focused brand image you have to tie your brand to a single attribute that will help customers, prospects, suppliers, employees understand why they should do business with you.”
Bob Lamons – author – The Case for B2B Branding 

Recently in my marketing lectures, we have been discussing the importance of branding. What it means to build a brand that is more than just a name. It is about creating a personality. Allan Gray, a South African investment company, is one of the few companies that have managed to create a strong brand positioning. It stands as a loyal, patient and experienced investment advisor. Every marketing campaign, advert or billboard it launches, conveys the same message of reliability and a promise of excellence.

Jane noted: “marketing is entirely based on satisfying expectations.” It is about delivering a promise. In her blog, she verbalises her frustration in selecting mascara amidst a vast variety that all promise the same thing, only to be disappointed by the one she chose. I think that Allan Gray has consistently managed to deliver the same excellent results that it no longer stands as an empty promise on the shelf of investment companies.

This billboard is a quilt consisting of 900 hand-quilted squares. It is a brilliant advertisement that speaks about a patient investment over time. It is everything the brand positions itself on. Another example is this award winning advertisement Allan Gray produced:

All of the advertisements have a uniformity that promises the same thing: patience that reaps great reward. “Branding is the promises you make… whilst your brand comes from the promises you keep” we were told in class. Allan Gray has a leading edge in creatively conveying its brand positioning in such a way that it always fulfils its promises.