Hockey has been a popular sport in Canada and the US for many generations, and with a rise in young super stars, Warrior has shifted their advertising and product appearance goals towards younger consumers (ie. Teens). Unlike other companies (Easton, Nike, Bauer) who convey their products as high tech, efficient machines, Warrior tries to appeal to the immaturity of teenagers, and avoids the scientific jargon. With a stick that’s essentially named after marijuana and an added stickiness called “Nipple Grip” it’s fairly clear that their target market is teenage boys, whereas other brands target an older, more sophisticated demographic. Warriors marketing mix isn’t all that different than other hockey brands; they sell a variety of quality products at similar prices and locations to competing brands, however it is the way that they promote their products that differentiates them from the others. I believe that this strategy (not tactic) is very smart. By targeting a younger group of consumers, Warrior can effectively create a long lasting and profitable consumer relationship as long as they continue to deliver quality goods. Like all high-end hockey sticks, Warrior uses the latest in carbon-fiber technology however, they understand that to most consumers this doesn’t mean a lot so they made their products more appealing by removing the confusion from their advertising. http://www.slapshotonlinestore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCategoryID=26&ProductBrandID=9&ProductID=423