Monthly Archives: October 2013

10/24/13

Society and Marketing

Response Post:

According to Ethical Issues in Marketing: Selective Marketing and Market Exclusion, the general trend is an increase in clothing size in USA. Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F), on the other hand, has been creating products that aim toward “thin people,” which exclude people who require larger sizes. Yes, it may limited the amount of profit that A&F could potentially make but the most important issue is the societal impact that such market exclusion can create.

The ethical issue in question is the body image that A&F tries to promote. They promote “thin” body type instead of promoting healthy body type. And when people associate with the word thin and clothing, people would tend to think of model body type, which at times could borderline anorexic. Consequently, consumers  internalize the model-like thin body or the muscular body of male model, which could altered the healthy body image.

Ethical issues can be viewed as important or not is based on the people in that society. In North American society, body image has always been an important issue. However, the issues of healthy body image is often overlooked by the marketers such as the ones for A&F. The consumers would keep the vicious cycle going if they keep indirectly promote the unhealthy body image by keep supporting the brand.

I have conducted an interview with a long-time A&F customer, who has been a loyal customer of ten years. He is not concern with the fact that A&F produces their clothes in a third world country where the factory workers could be underpaid and overworked or the fact that they discriminate against people with a certain body type. According to my interviewee, he said, “It’s [A&F’s] marketing strategy…people can choose to buy their clothes from other brands if they want something that fits.”

The interviewee is an example of how the marketers such as the ones from A&F can get away with discriminating a certain type of body image through market exclusion. When consumers in the society do not care, the mindless consumption can sustain the vicious cycle of unethical marketing, hence the negative impact that it contributes to the society.

Abercrombie & Fitch, The Militant Baker

Photo from Business Insider.

10/8/13

Marketing and Me

Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and I have long been in a relationship even before I realized that the relationship is created by marketing. One of the ways that Marketing can be defined is a profitable relationship between two parties, in this case, a company and a customer. The four P’s of the Marketing Mix, Product, Price, Place, and Promotion contribute to a long term relationship between Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and me that benefit both parties.

Product creates value for the customers and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo created a value for shampoo without harsh chemical. When I was younger, the baby shampoo was gentle and good for my baby skin, so my parents chose Johnson and Johnson over other brands.  The shampoo was really effective and delivered what the product had promised, which was clean hair without harsh chemical that would cause irritations. Now that I get to choose my own shampoo, I still choose Johnson and Johnson over other brands because I still value the fact that Johnson’s Baby Shampoo keeps my hair clean and gentle to my hair and scalp.

Price setting was reasonable and reflect the value of the product. Johnson’s Baby Shampoo set the price at the right level  in order to get new parents to try out the product for their newborn and for a University student, such as myself, to keep using the product because the price matches the willingness to pay.

Furthermore, Johnson and Jonson placed its baby shampoo at every supermarket, which makes it very convenient for me to buy whenever I want a new bottle of shampoo. I can buy a new bottle of shampoo when I go grocery shopping, so I do not have to make two trips.

Since Johnson’s Baby Shampoo has been available for 125 years, the promotion reinforces the value that the product is of quality. The promotion such as advertisement below increase my value for the product and suggests to me that the company is committed to creating and maintaining good quality, which increases my loyalty to the brand.

The 4 P’s of Marketing Mix have bridged  a long, profitable relationship between Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and I, where I enjoy using the quality product  and Johnson and Johnson increases their sales revenue. And with Johnson and Johnson’s commitment to maintain the quality of their product, I will keep going back for more Johnson’s Baby Shampoo.