May 23, 2014

Marketing to Hispanics (Chapter 3)

Marketers know that Hispanics are a huge and growing market. This article highlights the importance of marketing to Hispanic men. With white Americans, the female member of the household is often the decision maker for household purchases. Not so for Hispanics, a study by Mintel reports that 42% of Hispanic men and 55% of Hispanic fathers are the primary decision makers. Here are some other facts worth noting about household expenditures:

  • Older men are more likely to be key decision makers
  • Hispanic men from higher-income households are more likely to do the actual shopping
  • 2/3 of Hispanic men believe advertisers portray the wrong stereotype of them
  • Focus on value
  • Use niche media

Discussion Questions after students read the article, or the information is provided to the class.

  1. How are Hispanic men different than either white, African-American, or Asian men in terms of household purchases? What are the similarities?
  2. How should consumer package goods brands target Hispanic men, without creating the false stereotype?
  3. Are there differences among Hispanic immigrants, first-generation, second-generation, and even third-generation Hispanics?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 03 and tagged , , .

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May 23, 2014

Brita – Green Marketing (Chapter 13)

When asked, most consumers support green marketing. When it comes to purchasing green products, however, consumer actions do not always match their attitudes. Below are two ads by Brita that highlight green marketing through showing the negative impact of all the plastic bottles that end up in land fills.


Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you support green marketing?
  2. Do you purchase green products?
  3. What is your evaluation of these two ads by Brita? Are they effective?
  4. Describe the target market for these ads in terms of demographics, psychographics, and behaviors.

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 13 and tagged , , .

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May 23, 2014

Who Understands Men Better? Men or Women (Chapter 3)

Typically, when designing brands specifically for either males only or females only, marketers often assume that each gender understands itself better. A fascinating  article in Advertising Age suggests otherwise, at least in terms of the male market. The article describes branding, product design, and advertising by Frito-Lay.

Discussion Questions:

  1. When it came to designing Frito-Lay products and advertising, did the women executives of Frito-Lay correctly understand the male market? Why or why not?
  2. What are the advantages of having the opposite sex research a product? What are the disadvantages?
  3. Discuss the consumer behavior elements found in this article in how men purchase and consumer potato chips. How are they different for females?
  4. Identify and discuss the various methods of research used by Frito-Lay. How was this research used to design the product, its packaging, and advertising?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 03 and tagged , , , , , , .

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May 23, 2014

Chipotle Mexican Grill (Chapter 3)

The opening vignette for Chapter 3 is about Chipotle Mexican Grill. Here are two of the company’s recent TV ads. These can be used to launch a discussion of concepts in Chapter 3, or to introduce the chapter.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Are these two ads effective? Evaluate each ad.
  2. Describe the process you use in choosing a restaurant.
  3. Are ads effective in changing your attitude toward restaurants? Cite an example of a restaurant ad that changed your attitude.
  4. Of the three evaluation of alternative methods discussed in the chapter, which method would be the most frequently used by consumers in selecting a restaurant? Justify your answer.
  5. For Chipotle, which of the trends in consumer behavior discussed in the chapter could Chipotle use in advertising?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 03 and tagged , , , , , .

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May 23, 2014

Brand Positioning – Tide’s Pods (Chapter 2)

This Advertising Age article notes that consumers are willing to pay more money for products they believe are designed to prevent overuse. New products should increase category sales, but in this case category sales declined. Instead, P&G sales grew as the Tide Pods stole customers from competitors. The discussion of this innovation and positioning can be enhanced by using the following videos:

Discussion Questions:

  1. Have you used Tide Pods? If so, what are your thoughts about it? If you have not used it, why not?
  2. Is the convenience and innovation worth paying more money for it?
  3. Based on the videos and article, what positioning strategy is being used (see Chapter 4)? Explain.
  4. Describe the target market for Tide Pods, demographics and psychographics.
  5. Looking at the methods of segmenting markets in Chapter 4, which segmentation method is best for Tide Pods? Why?
  6. Based on the success of Tide Pods, can you think of other product categories that might benefit from an innovation that provides a specified amount?
  7. The article mentioned toothpaste manufacturers have increased the size of the tube opening and show a large amount on a toothbrush to encourage consumers to use more. Is this ethical? What other products fall into this situation of encouraging overuse?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 02 and tagged , , , .

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May 23, 2014

Co-Branding (Chapter 2)

Recent television ads for Head & Shoulders and Old Spice  provide excellent examples of co-branding. Here are two of the recent ads featuring baseball players from the Los Angeles Angels. It is a good example of using a sex appeal.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How effective is the co-branding effort for each of the brands?
  2. Are these two brands an ideal fit for co-branding? Why or why not?
  3. What are the advantages of co-branding? What are the disadvantages of co-branding?
  4. What other brands would be effective co-brands for Head & Shoulders? What about Old Spice?
  5. Is the use of sex an effective appeal? Why or why not?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 02 and tagged , , , .

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May 23, 2014

Wal-Mart’s Image Campaign (Chapter 2)

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlighted Wal-Mart’s new image advertising campaign. Faced with recent criticisms of the company, marketers launched an advertising campaign entitled “The Real Wal-Mart.” This advertising campaign seeks to enhance Wal-Mart’s public image by telling the real story. In addition to the article, here are some of the ads developed as part of the campaign.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Before showing the ads and discussing the article, ask students their opinion of Wal-Mart. What image do they have of Wal-Mart?
  2. What is your evaluation of the new ads?
  3. Does it change your image of Wal-Mart?
  4. Do you think the individuals in the ads are real customers and employees or actors? Explain. Does it make a difference? Why or why not?
  5. One consumer said rather than spending millions to change its image, Wal-Mart should spend the money on developing better stores and improving wages for its employees. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 02 and tagged , , , .

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May 23, 2014

YouTube Videos (Chapter 2)

Here are some videos you may want to use for Chapter 2 to introduce the various topics.

  • Strategic Identity & Corporate Image – This video discusses the importance of a company’s identity and image matching. (1:37)
  • What is Branding – This is a musical video that talks about branding, good video to launch the topic of branding. (3:00)
  • Top 5 Branding Tips – Angela Bains of CA Design presents her top 5 branding tips, especially good for small business brands. Students can discuss these tips and offer additional tips to build strong  brands. (1:45)
  • Top 10 Brands That Failed – This is a good video to illustrate the challenge in branding and why brands fail. (6:00)
  • Brand Loyalty Survey – good video with consumer interviews on the brands they are loyal to and why. Students could be asked to identify brands they are extremely loyal to and why. (3:59)

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 02 and tagged , , , , .

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May 23, 2014

Esurance (Chapter 2)

When Esurance began selling its insurance products on the Internet, the company quickly developed a niche in the under-30 market, a group attracted to the low-cost and convenience of buying online. As more insurance companies moved online, the company struggled to build the kind of brand recognition that stacked up to entrenched competitors such as Geico, Allstate, State Farm and Progressive, which spend hundreds of millions in advertising dollars each year.

“You’ve got the auto insurance industry spending $5 billion a year on ads,” Tolman says. “You turn the TV on and you’re going to see the [Geico] Gecko or [Progressive’s] Flo or Mayhem from Allstate.”

Tolman knew that rather than try to copy the models of companies with far more money and resources, Esurance needed to be repositioned to better reach customers the company could acquire and retain. That meant “aging up”its marketing to reach older, more mature and multicar drivers with higher lifetime value.

Resources:

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your image of Esurance?
  2. Who is the target market for Esurance?
  3. What are your thoughts about the Super Bowl ad and contest that Esurance did? Was this a good approach? Why or why not?
  4. Does it help having Esurance tied with Allstate? Why or why not?
  5. Can Esurance reach older, more mature, multicar drivers? Why or why not?
  6. Examine the Esurance website. Does it fit the image Esurance wants to convey? Why or why not?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 02 and tagged , , , , , .

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May 23, 2014

Swiffer Packaging (Chapter 2)

Packaging affects many consumer purchases, especially during visits to retail stores. Swiffer sales stagnated because the product was in a box and not visible to consumers.Resources:

Discussion Questions:

  1. How important is packaging in consumer purchase decisions?
  2. How does packaging impact your purchase decisions?
  3. What are some examples of products or brands that you have purchased because of the packaging? Explain.
  4. What issues can retailers faces in regard to packaging?

Posted by on May 23, 2014 in Chapter 02 and tagged , , .

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