Midterm: Well Known Product 4

Consumers:

Starbucks is another very big brand all over the world. They reach out to many different age group of consumers whether they’re young, old or not even a daily coffee drinker. Starbucks’ primary target market is men and women aged 25 to 40 because of their hip, contemporary design and decor. Young adults, aged 18 to 24, because it’s a place where college students can hang out, study and meet people. Kids and teens also because when their parents go, they usually will buy their kid decaffeinated drinks, snacks and pastries. “We make sure everything we do honors that connection – from our commitment to the highest quality coffee in the world, to the way we engage with our customers and communities to do business responsibly.” (http://www.starbucks.com/)

Competitors:

Starbucks competitors are Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, 7-Eleven, Dunkin Donuts, BIGGBY Coffee, Caribou Coffee, McDonald’s, Panera Bread and Einstein Bagels. They’re price ranges are very similar and they serve almost the same types of products and pastries.

In the Market:

“Every day, we go to work hoping to do two things: share great coffee with our friends and help make the world a little better. It was true when the first Starbucks opened in 1971, and it’s just as true today.” (http://www.starbucks.com/) By hearing the name Starbucks or seeing the logo, everyone will know what company you’re talking about. It is such a huge brand that you can find them almost anywhere; in the mall, at the airport, in grocery stores, on the corner, right across from each other and so on. They are also very convenient with having a drive-thru where you can now see the worker that’s talking to you. (On the right is a picture of the Starbucks here in Las Vegas ) “Today, with more than 15,000 stores in 50 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. And with every cup, we strive to bring both our heritage and an exceptional experience to life.” (http://www.starbucks.com/) Starbucks sell’s products such as: coffee, handcrafted beverages, merchandise, fresh food, coffee and tea, read-to-drink and ice cream.

Cultivating the Community:

Starbucks gives back to the community and environment every possible way they can. “When it comes to the neighborhoods, cities and countries where we operate, Starbucks is committed to the helping communities thrive.” (http://www.starbucks.com/) They do community service, create jobs for USA, help community stores and help young people. For the environment, they recycle and reduce waste, energy, water, green building and climate change. “We are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint and inspiring others to do the same.” (http://www.starbucks.com/)

“So ever since we opened our first store in 1971, we dedicated ourselves to striking a balance between profitability and social conscience. We continue to believe that the ultimate way to scale the power of brand is to share the good we do so that Starbucks and everyone we touch – can endure and thrive.” (http://www.starbucks.com/)

Midterm: Well Known Product 3

Consumers:

ALDO’s consumers are men and women. Women who wear sizes 5 to 11 and men who wear sizes 7 to 14. People who enjoy comfortable, good quality shoes for a reasonable price, shoe fanatics and people who like to look fashionable.

Competitors:

ALDO’s main competitors would almost be every retail and online shoe, handbag and accessory store. Some of them are Steve Madden, Bakers, Charlotte Russe, H&M, Zappos, etc.

In the Market:

ALDO is a well known brand all over the world that sells shoes, bags, accessories, fragrance, nail polish, lip gloss and shoe care for both men and women. ALDO doesn’t carry shoes in half sizes; they run small and are European sizes. The brand is also known for carrying every type of shoe insole and cleaners to keep your feet comfortable, making sure you can fit the shoe, make sure you protect them, keep them clean and shine.

“ALDO Group, a privately-held company which operates over 1,600 retail stores, approximately 1,000 of which are under the ALDO banner. The ALDO Group is present in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland as well as in 60 franchised countries by the end of 2011.” (http://www.aldoshoes.com/)

Cultivating the Community:
Being another big and well-known brand, ALDO gives back to the community a few ways.

“ALDO is a brand with a conscience, a brand that cares. We actively support the fight against AIDS. Giving back to our communities is a necessary and fundamental part of the work we do everyday.” (http://www.aldoshoes.com/)

“Once again, during the holiday season, the ALDO Group prepared 500 backpacks, which were distributed to DANS LA RUE, an organization that helps youth living on the streets of Montreal.” (http://www.aldoshoes.com/)

One really great way that they decide to go green is by using less packaging by re-inventing their shoeboxes so that you can use the box as a bag. “The resulting design is simple, and the message is clear – take the box, not the bag.” “There’s no ego in eco, so the new shoebox is free of bold branding and even features a special label index so that you can keep track of what’s inside: Store your photos, CD’s, and all of your bits and bobs in one neat little place.” (http://www.aldoshoes.com/) 

 “…our new shopping bags are also designed with recycling in mind.  Each bag is made from 100% wood-free paper, supporting the growth of responsible forest management worldwide. (http://www.aldoshoes.com/)

 

Midterm: Well Known Product 2

 

Consumers:

H&M likes to reach out to different types of diverse people because “The H&M Group employs over 94,000 people and there are approximately 2,500 stores spread over 40 markets in Europe, North America, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.” (http://www.hm.com/us/) This shows that if they hire people from all over the world, then this brand can be for anyone that enjoys high quality, fashionable clothing at a low price. Since they sell kids, women and men’s clothing they have a much bigger target market. Their consumers are people who mainly love the UK style, urban fashion, who are fashion forward and love to shop.

“Each store should also be an inspiring experience, which appeals to the wider public. And everyone should feel comfortable stepping in for a visit, whatever their background.” (http://www.hm.com/us/)

Competitors:

H&M’s competitors are Zara, Topshop, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters and Gap. These stores are their competitors because they sell to both men and women, they almost have the same style of  clothing and their price ranges are very similar.

In the Market:

“H&M has expanded substantially in recent years. Today almost 2,500 stores are spread across 44 markets. The H&M Group includes H&M and H&M Home as well as COS, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday – independent brands that express their own sense of fashion.” (http://www.hm.com/us/) H&M sells women’s, men’s and kid’s clothing, shoes, accessories, handbags and cosmetics. “Online shopping is currently available in 18 European countries and will open in the US at the end of 2012. ” (http://www.hm.com/us/) H&M also has a strong social media presence such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube that draws customers in to get them to be interactive and informed.

Cultivating the Community:

H&M does many things to give back to the communities and the world. They do things such as working to create cleaner water, be organic, raise charities for AIDS, donate clothes to charities and support hunger relief. Being socially responsible is an important thing especially for a big brand. It makes the brand image look much better it shows that the company cares.

 “Rinse-washing denim garments to achieve a desired finish is a waterintensive process. We work with our suppliers to apply better techniques, reducing this water use.”

“An important part of our community investment work is to provide support in times of crisis. In cases of major catastrophes, H&M makes direct contributions to emergency relief efforts and humanitarian aid. In addition to this we regularly donate clothes to selected partner organisations.”

“H&M's commitment to organic cotton began as part of our environmental efforts – in 2004 we began including small amounts of certified organic cotton into certain children’s garments. In 2010 we became the number one user of organic cotton worldwide, according to Textile Exchange`s Global Market Report on Sustainable Textiles.” (http://www.hm.com/us/)

EOC Exercise: Chapter 4

This ad above is for BMW. When I first saw it, I didn’t realize that the guy was staring at a BMW picture in the magazine. This ad “is to sell the brand, not the product. There is no text about safety crash ratings or how many miles to the gallon it gets. It merely claims that if you drive a BMW, you will get noticed because it is “the ultimate attraction.” This ad is not focusing on BMW’s carline, but is focusing on what surrounds the product, the brand.” (wordpress.com)

            This ad also has a little bit of sex appeal. The girl seems interested in the guy because her hands are around his neck, but the guy is only attracted to the BMW than her. “This ad shows BMW’s brand image or personality. Products, like people, have personalities and this idea of personification is taken literally with the picture of the BMW covering the woman’s face. According to BMW “ the ultimate attraction” is their vehicle, women are still an attraction, just not “the ultimate attraction.” Women often wonder why men refer to their car as their “baby.”” (wordpress.com)

            BMW is known to be a luxury and expensive brand. “Owning a BMW is like dating the hottest girl in school – everyone dreams of it, but only some can actually experience it.” (wordpress.com) BMW was also made to fit that lifestyle driver and people would buy one because of status or to prove a point. BMW has made its brand well-known as a luxury car.

EOC Discussion Questions: Chapter 4

1.     Dolce and Gabbana divisions are Dolce&Gabbana, D&G and D&G Junior. Their brand has not been grown into other clothing lines, but there are lines for D&G Jewellery and D&G Dolce Bag,

2.     I think that D&G caters to the fashionistas that the rest of the design world has rejected because, they have came up with a new image on their ads in 1994 to show that the brand is for a diverse group of people. “To gain new customers for the licensed D&G division of the brand, Dolce & Gabbana launched a series of ads aimed at diverse target market.” (Brand Story) Their ads featured “alternative couples-pinks, goths, multi-ethnic, gay, lesbians and so on.” (Brand Story) They were the first luxury brand to display the homosexual lifestyle. I think that they have dressed women like Isabella Rossellini, Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Brooke Shields, because they believe that a D&G woman is “cosmopolitan women who has toured the world, but who doesn’t forget her roots. A women who indifferently wears extremely sexy bras that can be seen under sheer clothes, contrasting them with the very masculine pinstripe suits complete with tie and white shirt or men’s vest. She always wears high heels. She loves that so-masculine cap imported from Sicily and the rosary of the first Communion that she wears a necklace. She can be a manager, wife, mother or lover.” (Brand Story)

3.     I don’t think gay and lesbian consumers purchase different fashion brands than heterosexuals, I just think that it is based on their own personal style and where they like to shop. I think that it was smart for D&G to target to this market, because it opens up to more diverse consumers and now people can actually “come out of the closet” and feel comfortable about who they really are."Their customers genuinely admire what the brand stands for in the global fashion marketplace. These two men will continue to be fashion fairy godmothers, dressing those that everyone else has honored." (Brand Story)

Midterm: Well Known Product 1

“When Napoleon assumed the title of Emperor of the French in 1852, his wife hired Louis Vuitton as her personal box-maker and packer. This provided a gateway for Vuitton to a class of elite and royal clientele who would seek his services for the duration of his life and far beyond, as the Louis Vuitton brand would grow into the world-renowned luxury leather and lifestyle brand it is today.” (http://www.biography.com/people/louis-vuitton-17112264?page=1) This brand has been around more than 20 years and it is still successful.

Consumers:

Louis Vuitton isn’t supposed to suit your everyday person. Judging by the chart above from http://www.quantcast.com/louisvuitton.com, their demographics are mostly women who are between the ages of 18 to 44 and have no kids. They would usually make an income of $100k or higher, went to some college or grad school and are African American, Asian or Hispanic. The reason that Louis Vuitton brands itself to consumers that are older and make more money than usual people is because it is portrayed as a luxury brand.

Competitors:

Louis Vuitton has a few top competitors; some of them are Prada, Gucci, Chanel and Hermès. “Hermès -- the French fashion house that has evolved over its 174 years from selling harnesses and saddles to $7,000 handbags -- is refusing to be worn on the arm of competitor Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy” (http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/09/19/fashion-feud-hermes-families-fend-off-louis-vuitton-bid/)

In the Market: 

Louis Vuitton has been around for more than 20 years and is still going strong. It one of the most highest luxury brand known for handbags. "Today, the Louis Vuitton range includes luggage, leather goods, ready-to-wear and show collections, as well as extraordinary jewellery and watches." (Louis Vuitton, Invitation Au Voyage) One major issue that they have is counterfeit handbags. Now days it is very easy to create fake Louis Vuitton handbags. "Louis Vuitton doesn’t appear to be interested in extending the brand. On Thursday a federal court ordered Eisenhauer Market, a San Antonio flea market, to pay the French luxury brand $3.6 million for trademark infringement, due to a failure to stop their vendors from selling knock-off LV’s, Guillermo Contreras of the San Antonio Express-News reported." (http://tmdailypost.com/article/culture/louis-vuitton-knocks-san-antonio-flea-market) I myself have the real Speedy 35 monogram and matching wallet. My sister has a fake Louis Speedy and one day we compared the differences and pointed out how they were different. Some ways was the stitching, on the real Louis the LV logo is upward on one side and upside on the other and at the bottom of the fake Louis there are little feet.

Cultivating the Community:

Once you buy a product from Louis Vuitton they give you the best customer service. They add you to their emailing list, send you a card which is handwritten by the sales associate saying thank you and you hope you like your new products and also a little informative book about the company. They also give back to the community by being socially responsible. "In 2010, Louis Vuitton supported the SOS Children's Villages association for actions in France throughout the world." (Louis Vuitton, Invitation Au Voyage)