Month: February 2011

Old spice is capitalizing on their brand name by extending their product line from deodorants and antiperspirants to include body wash, body spray, and fragrances. They have added value to their products by building brand equity and they have increased their brand awareness with their unforgettable commercials:

People buy things to represent who they are and who they aspire to be. This is why celebrities or athletes are often used to promote products. While their spokes person may not be a celebrity, he has the same affect. These commercials have also built brand associations and developed the brands personality. These adds are fun, entertaining, and you now associate the product with the spokesman. Men are the target market. However, these commercials are directed to women as the spokes person is “the man your man could smell like”. The idea behind this is that the scent has benefit for everyone. Of course the individual wants to smell good but women want their men to smell good as well. Also, in many households, women do the shopping and they will be the actual purchasers, so appealing to them is advantageous.

This equity has added value for both the consumers and the marketers. For the consumers, it reduces the risk and search cost in purchasing as Old Spice becomes a brand you can trust. It results in loyalty and Identification. Therefore, consumers are more willing to try their new products from their line. As for the marketers, it will eventually decrease their marketing costs because as they become better known, Old Spice won’t have to work as hard for your attention.

Lugging around a huge laptop along with everything else can be a nuisance not to mention attribute to back problems. Not only this, but some laptops are quite expensive and not everyone wants to carry them around where they are at risk of being damaged or stolen. Students are in need of a substitute.

I recently looked into buying a smaller laptop or a notebook. They are lighter and fit into your back at greater ease. But note taking on a computer has its downfall; math, equations, diagrams etc. It is possible but takes far too long to do. It’s much simpler to write this type of thing by hand.

E ink has recently come out with epaper displays that allow you to take your notes with a ‘pen’ on and electronic pad. You can then transfer your notes onto your computer. I would classify this product in the ‘growth phase’ as product improvements are still underway.

For over a decade, epaper has been on the market but has received little recognition. The ereaders (an application) have proven useful and the product is slowly growing.

Epaper would be of great use to the everyday student. They are light weight, efficient, and easy to use. But there is a far greater benefit in hand with this product. It can dramatically reduce the amount of paper consumed by people.

Trees are one of the earth’s greatest assets. Just one tree can remove one metric ton of CO2 from the air every year so each one is worth fighting for. I would strongly encourage people to reduce their paper consumption and use E Ink products for their reading, note taking and other writing.

My group and I have chosen to research Lululemon in the marketing project, as have many others I’ve come to realize. Although information has been easy to find and abundant, I have struggled to find their weaknesses and am beginning to wonder if they have any.

Prices; my initial thought. Lulu charges extensive amounts for materials that do not cost a tenth of what they sell for. Evidently cost based pricing was never a thought. Lulu’s prices are value based and do people ever value their products highly. Their prices are strategic because people are still willing to pay such amounts. Therefore, these prices could hardly make for a weakness.

I am still in search of Lulu’s shortcomings but probably will not share much more on this subject as, well, it’s an assignment. Good luck to everyone else who shares the same difficulties.