Month: October 2013

As I was browsing the Internet in search of a marketing blog, I came across an interesting Ad featured as the “social image of the week” in the blog “Convince& Convert”.  Volkswagen UK Caters to Dog Love with New #woofwagen Campaign, the title, captured my attention immediately because of two things: dog, and the witty hash tag #woofwagen.

 

The post mainly touched on how the Volkswagen dived into the social media trend and viewed this as a unique and innovating aspect of the ad. However, social media advertising isn’t something new, what really interested me about this Ad is the subtle message that Volkswagen is sending to its targeted audience. Along with the witty hash tag and the comparison of different breeds of dogs to the different models of the car, Volkswagen is projecting itself as a young and hip (the hash tag) and dog loving brand that suits all different kinds of personalities.

 

Volkswagen not only clearly identified its consumers but also successfully targeted them. VW is targeting the younger cohorts, generation Y, although this age group varies the most in age- teenage to young adults with families, I believe that the Ad appeals to this group the most. Since this is a tech savvy generation, the hash tag will not be unfamiliar to them, and the idea of the different dogs representing different models of cars is innovative yet fun, something the younger generation would enjoy.

 

However, it can be argued that VW is not just targeting people of a certain age range. As I learned in class you don’t always have to target people based on their age, and gender, you can also target them based on their interests. By having the different dogs in the commercial also target all dog lovers, which can range in age, taste and interest.

 

Watch the commercial yourself and be the judge: #woofwagen Ad Campaign

Recently I came across Lydia Dai’s blog “What’s the core market value of The Body Shop?” The blog identifies the value the brand presents to its consumers; differing from other brands by promoting green, eco-friendly, and human-oriented values. Thus, the brand is successful not only because of its excellent products, but also in delivering to its customers a differentiated marketed value.

Lydia states “The core market values of The Body Shop differentiate their products, and also gives their consumers an image that they are not just using this product, but the product is sharing the same thought with the consumers.”

 

I think this is a really important, in today’s competitive industry where technology is becoming more and more advanced there isn’t really a product that is unique. Especially in the beauty industry, the ingredients to the products that women use are similar. The Body Shop differentiates it self from its competitors by using differentiated ingredients and using that unique difference to add value to the consumer’s purchase through marketing.

 

“Natural, inspired by nature, ethically produced beauty products” The body shop promotes it’s values through promoting community fair trade, defending human rights, against animal testing, active self-esteem. By promoting these values, body shop is telling its customers while they enjoy these beauty products they can feel good about bringing a positive impact to society.

 

 

Consumers buy based as much on an emotional connection with protecting the Earth and animal rights, as their satisfaction with the cosmetics.  The Body Shop has used value-based marketing to promote its products and maintain, attract existing and returning customers, making them a leader in the industry.