A Marketing Blog by Iris Zhou

For the past semester I have had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of individuals who have each brought a unique set of skills to the team. Although none of us knew each other prior to our first meeting in class, it did not take any effort for us to get along, figure out our strengths and weaknesses, and fit the pieces together to deliver a solid marketing project. What really intrigued me was how fluidly we worked as a team, and although there were bumps along the road (ie. late nights spent organizing all of our individual thoughts into a single, coherent project before submitting it at 5 AM), I learned more than just “the 4 P’s” of Tata Motors; I became more familiar with my own attributes, where exactly I fit in a team setting, and how I can use my skills to contribute to the overall effectiveness of the group.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
– Henry Ford

I often perceived myself as someone who was soft spoken in the presence of people whom I do not know well. In the beginning, I was hesitant on expressing my opinions on matters and the direction of the project since I was not sure how they would be received within the group; however, as time progressed, I was more open to vocally contributing to group discussions. I credit this to the personable nature of my teammates, who were always encouraging each other to speak their minds and bring objections to the table if something did not seem right.

What I realized from my journey with my group in this project was the importance of thinking critically from a marketing perspective. We frequently found ourselves at crossroads, asking questions and evaluating prospects with every idea that came across our mind, wondering if our proposal was feasible or just plain out of the world crazy. Through this project I have also developed the important skill of “thinking on my feet” and being more creative with my exploration of marketing strategies.

“Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making something out of it after it is found.” – James Russell Lowell

We chose to challenge ourselves by choosing a company that was completely new and unfamiliar to us, and now that we are finished, I am glad that we pushed ourselves in this context since it compelled us to be more detailed and focused in our work. Overall, my experience with this marketing project has been a positive one and it has definitely made the material more interesting since we were able to experience the theories of marketing from a hands – on approach.

In an effort to increase customer base and brand recognition in light of competition from other department store companies, JCPenney signed on American’s most popular talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres, as its new spokeswoman. While many praised the partnership, a strong group of women from the social movement group “One Million Moms (OMM)” opposed Ellen as the new image for JCPenney due to her sexual orientation and deviance from traditional values.

“Funny that JC Penney thinks hiring an open homosexual spokesperson will help their business when most of their customers are traditional families. DeGeneres is not a true representation of the type of families that shop at their store. The majority of JC Penney shoppers will be offended and choose to no longer shop there. The small percentage of customers they are attempting to satisfy will not offset their loss in sales.” – On the OMM webpage

To stand by their statement, OMM created their own Facebook page, rallying supporters for breaking off the partnership between Ellen and JCPenney and organizing boycotts of the brand’s products; however, many Facebook users who were not part of OMM posted messages on their Facebook page stating that now they will actually “start shopping at JCPenney because of Ellen” or “shop at JCPenney more often.” Additionally, supporters of Ellen took the matter into their own hands and created pages of their own to show their support.

Ellen offered her own take on the criticisms JCPenney faced for breaking their traditional values:

“I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need! To me, those are “traditional values” that’s what I stand for!”

The CEO of JCPenney, Ron Johnson, stated in an interview with CBS that the company shared the same values as Ellen, and that having her as their spokesperson was a no – brainer.

“We don’t look at it like a controversy. One of the great things about America is people can speak their mind. And you know, the organization that believes one thing has spoken and it was great to see Ellen share her views yesterday. And we stand squarely behind Ellen as our spokesperson and that’s a great thing. Because she shares the same values that we do in our company. Our company was founded 110 years ago on The Golden Rule, which is about treating people fair and square, just like you would like to be treated yourself. And we think Ellen represents the values of our company and the values that we share.” – Ron Johnson

It is apparent that JCPenney’s intended message of “treating people fair and square” was misinterpreted by a large segment of the company’s target market – the Christian families who frequented the store. Although the intended message was not properly delivered to the receiver, JCPenney’s reaction to the situation is admirable from a marketing perspective. Instead of giving into a small group of consumers’ demanding wishes, JCPenney stood behind its partnership and repositioned its statement, this time making it more clear to the American audience that JCPenney is a company who supports equal treatment of all kinds of people, and in doing so will not break off with Ellen due to her sexual orientation. As a result of this effective PR strategy, JCPenney received positive feedback from the public, was praised by many other social groups and famous individuals, and was noticed by Americans who have never visited the store, but now will because of the company’s firm stance and action against discrimination.

Although the cold, damp, and chilly January weather in Vancouver usually calls for a night in for most couples on weekends, it is hardly so with the festivity that is Dine Out by Tourism Vancouver.

As Samantha Yam, a fellow classmate, mentioned in her blog post “Every Story Starts with a Reservation,” Dine Out is THE MOST ANTICIPATED event for foodies in Vancouver with over 200 restaurants participating each year in showcasing their unique culinary creations in table d’hôte menus. In addition to enticing city dwellers with savoury notes and decadent delicacies, Dine Out is also an exceptional example of a marketing campaign that effectively connects consumers with businesses, benefiting both ends.

How Dine Out applies classroom marketing knowledge to the culinary business: 

Consumer Segmentation 

Restaurants participating in Dine Out can choose to price their three – course menu at prices of $18, $28, and $38, and the Dine Out website offers the option of browsing restaurants based on price. This allows the restaurant to clearly position their business in the eyes of their target consumer, whether it be students on a budget or professional personnel with a taste for exquisite food. Additionally, this classification ensures that the needs of a wide range of consumer types are met, from those who simply want to enjoy a delicious meal to those who value the price that comes with fine dining and exotic ambiance.

Reducing Risk for Consumers 

Dine Out gives consumers the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and embrace fine dining without breaking the bank. With high end restaurants such as Black + Blue, Five Sails, and Four Seasons offering three – course meals at just $38 (compared to a typical steep price of $150+), it is a deal that no one would want to miss.

Reviving Businesses

January is the coldest month in Vancouver, thus consumers often opt for nights in with take out. Dine Out comes to the rescue by filling tables during restaurants’ slowest season. The hype of participating in a limited time only event in itself entices consumers to get off their couches and put on their coats. As Samantha mentioned, even food carts and hotels have joined the Dine Out hype this year!

Having celebrities endorse products such as cosmetics and skincare is certainly not a new tactic in the marketing world; however, Aveeno has surged through the competition with a new television advertisement that dispelled the old, conventional method of endorsement.

Competition Spotlight: L’Oréal Paris

L’Oréal Paris communicates their brands’s value to customers by aligning products with celebrities. For example, in Beyonce’s new foundation ad, she praises about the product being long – lasting, oil free, and fragrance free, features that customers often seek for when buying a new foundation. The ad is effective in that it clearly communicates to the customer the reason for choosing the product over competitors. Furthermore, the idea of Beyonce using the same product also connects with customers who aspire to be like her – a women who is fierce, confident, and stunningly beautiful.

Aveeno Strikes with New Ad 

Most, if not all, cosmetic companies have used or are using celebrity endorsements. The traditional way of having celebrities boast about the product and act full of joy after using it is saturated to the point where it is losing its effectiveness since virtually every company is doing it. Aveeno, however, decided to change the way it is communicating its products, and this particular ad caught my eye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNnEvVP5MPI

Instead of directly communicating to the audience, the short 30 – second promotion shows Jennifer Aniston in her every day life, getting phone calls from various companies seeking for her endorsement. She swiftly turns down all of them when finally, Aveeno calls just as she finished lathering herself with their lotion, to which Jennifer accepts their offer of endorsement. Although the ad did not directly feature Aveeno’s product or communicate its benefits, it was still effective in that it placed Aveeno above competing brands in the eyes of Jennifer Aniston, who is also an individual many women aspire to. Furthermore, the uniqueness of the ad and its slight, comedic tone resonates with the audience long after the ad is over, and because it is memorable, customers will be more likely to remember Aveeno in light of competition on their next shopping trip to the department store.

With the rapid pace at which new products and services are delivered from the hearts and minds of innovators, consumers have now become “virgins” of the marketplace, constantly mesmerized by the allure of the new and unfamiliar and coaxed into the pleasure of enjoying a fresh experience.

Newism is the term used to describe the birth of the trend where consumers are constantly lusting after new products, services, apps, experiences, and/or brands to satisfy their everyday needs. Virgin consumers are not naive in their purchases, seeking to maximize value at the lowest cost and becoming subconsciously skilled at identifying the “good and bad” due to their experience in the vast, competitive market.

Spotlight: Samsung Mobile’s Youm

I am an avid fan of the Samsung Galaxy Smartphone line and would not trade it for an IPhone any day. Although Samsung is the second largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, the company still works hard to stay in that place by constantly introducing new products. Their newest addition to the smartphone line this year – the Youm – will be the first flexible smartphone on the market.

“It won’t break even if it’s dropped. This new form – factor will really begin to change how people interact with their devices, opening up new lifestyle possibilities.” – Brian Berkeley, VP of Samsung Display

I believe the Youm will be positively received in the mobile market due to its unique features, bringing fresh values to consumers in addition to the conventional smartphone. With this product, Samsung will have effectively differentiated themselves from main competitors such as Apple with its never – before – seen features. In this value driven marketplace, the Youm is a device that has the potential to satisfy consumer’s craving for new and exciting products and also provide unique, unpreceded values such as being unbreakable, compact, flexible, and above all, entertaining and fun.

Children of the 21st Century are labelled as being increasingly mature for their age, and not in a positive sense either. With many critics already denouncing companies for harming the innocence and wellbeing of children through promotional campaigns (think McDonald’s Happy Meals and MAC Cosmetic’s Hello Kitty makeup line), a new industry has now set children as their object of prey.

Introducing Jours Après Lunes:

Jours Après Lunes is a clothing line that features provocative and sexual underwear designs for young girls from three months to young teenagers. The line, deemed “lingerie for children” by the public, borrows styles from sexy adult stores such as Agent Provocateur and Victoria’s Secret.

“It’s inappropriate to sexualize child. A pearl – encrusted triangle bra on a little girl does not sit well with me.”
– Marilisa Racco, fashion writer and author of Le Snob Lingerie

From a marketing student’s perspective, I believe the company has crossed the line with their target market. Certain products, such as lingerie, should not be made available to children especially with ongoing human rights issues dealing with child exploitation and underaged sex abuse.

The campaign is unethical in that it encourages children to explore in an area that is dangerous and unhealthy to their growth. Furthermore, the company displays ads featuring young girls in provocative, inviting poses, disturbing and frightening the public at the same time.

In a world where appearance is increasing being dictated by the media, the onslaught of sexualizing children in ads could be the cause of self – esteem issues faced by young girls.

“..Even the very young are quite conscious of media images of what is ‘pretty’ and desirable.”
– Paul Miller, associate Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University

Here’s a commentary video about 10-year-old French model Thylane Loubry Blondeau’s Vogue Paris shoot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBfpysk72Zk

References:

http://www.jours-apres-lunes.com/

http://www.businessinsider.com/french-model-thylane-loubry-blondeau-2011-8

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/199138/20110817/french-lingerie-vogue-thylane-loubry-blondeau.htm