Category Archives: Food for thought

Can’t Wait to Meet you Neighbour

Starting in March, Target, an American retailing company, will open 124 stores in Canada. It is their first expansion beyond the United States and the move is their first step of going international and becoming a global retail force. Known for its reasonable price and exclusive partnership with designers, Target is hoping to earn some profits from the Canadian consumers since most of the Canadians are already aware of the brand. Also known for its savvy marketing, Target revealed its first Canadian ad campaign during the Oscar broadcast. Oscar awards is a yearly ceremony that generates tons of viewers; the airing of the commercial during the Oscar will not only increase the awareness of the brand, but also will represents the milestone of the company’s official introduction to Canadian shoppers.

Target’s Canadian Ad

The commercial depicts the Target brand as a friendly new neighbour for Canadians with a warm and family-oriented atmosphere. In the commercial, a woman rides a motorcycle with the Target’s mascot dog, the painted lady bull terrier Bullseye, sitting in the sidecar. The two drives cross-country past several remarkable landmarks and events of Canadian cities such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The goal of the ad, which is reinforced by items in the signature Target red and white, is to position and build the brand as well as to inform the Canadian audience that the company has spent time and effort in learning about the Canadian market. Several cultural insights Target weaved in the commercial  include the July 1 moving day in Quebec, a picturesque lighthouse of St. Johns, and hockey game. The commercial does not focus on showing audience the products in store, instead, it focuses on brand building. As a result, Target is able to generate a strong brand reputation and position itself against the competitors such as Walmart.

In addition to the pervasive marketing, Target also introduces its official Canadian site and its signature REDcard with 5% savings to generate loyalty. Also, it partners up with the Royal Bank of Canada to make purchase more convenient. I think the marketing strategy of Target is effective as it communicates the right information to the right audience at the right time. Also, it has well-analyzed the macroenvironment of the market and positioned itself in order to satisfy consumers’ needs. I would definitely visit a Target store any time soon!

 Sources:

http://www.target.ca/en/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/targets-mascot-wants-to-be-your-neighbour-in-canadian-ad-debut/article8951368/

Beyonce is invited to perform at the halftime show for Super Bowl 2013

The Super Bowl, championship game of the NFL in the United States, is famous for the high-profile advertisements that air during its television broadcast in the U.S. The broadcast typically reaches more than 90 million viewers while the advertising spot can typically cost millions of dollars. Due to the popularity of the Super Bowl, the commercials are  highly anticipated, generating viewers through posting ads on Internet even before the game is played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ANhmS6QLd5Q
A teenager is insecured about going to the Senior Prom without a date. But when the father lets him borrow the new Audi S6 for the night, he gains confident, arriving at the Prom a powerful young man. Viewers are expected to watch this Super Bowl spot to see if his newly found bravery pays off.

The link above is an Audi ad teaser for the Super Bowl. Like Audi, Mercedes Benz is also trying to make money from the  well-established younger viewers by featuring Kate Upton, a popular model, in its Super Bowl ad. Baby boomer is usually the population that purchases luxury cars. However, by positioning themselves with younger audience who watch Super Bowl, luxury automakers could possibly expand their market and generate more revenues. 

Mercedes Benz ad featuring Kate Upton

Why are companies like Audi willing to spend almost $4 million per 30 seconds for an advertising spot during Super Bowl? Despite the enthusiasm of the viewers on the day of the game, the entertaining and creative advertisements might just provoke people’s affective attitude and not initiate any buying behaviors. Most viewers might be checking out other things while watching the game. As a result, companies who profit from the Super Bowl might not be the ones with the most creative ideas, but the ones who integrate creativity with their market mix in order to reinforce their sustainable advantages.

Sources:                                                                                                                                                       http://business.financialpost.com/2013/02/01/luxury-automakers-target-younger-hipper-audience-with-super-bowl-ads/