Marketing With Darian

Let's Talk a Socially/Ethically Responsible Compay: When thinking about a socially/ethically responsible company, the first one that comes to mind is my favorite ice cream company - Ben & Jerry's. This is a company that has been outspoken on social issues for decades. They did not simply hop onto the rising trend of the past couple of years of companies becoming 'woke' to attack consumers and increase sales. They are socially responsible in a number of ways. The company states, directly from their values webpage, that "guided by our Core Values, we seek in all we do, at every level of our business, to advance human rights and dignity, support social and economic justice for historically marginalized communities, and protect and restore the Earth's natural systems" (https://www.benjerry.com/values). All of their products are non-GMO, use cage free eggs, fair trade, responsibly resourced packaging and through the milk with dignity program. The company w...

McDonald's Versus Burger King There is no doubt that Burger King and McDonald's are the BIGGEST brands in the fast-food game. Both have been around since the early 1950s; during this time, both have gained quite a following and a large rivalry against one another. Over the decades, each would up the antics to get on top of the other in fast food sales - such as trying to create a bigger and better burger than their competitors. Even though they are constantly competing, McDonald's has always come out as the top dog. Today I will be discussing both brands' strategies as well as recommendations for the underdog - Burger King - to improve and surpass the top dog - McDonald's. Let's begin! Top Dog (McDonald's) Brand Strategy McDonald's has actually flipped their brand strategy over the last decade. Originally, their brand strategy was to be family-friendly. It was THE place to be as a kid! They had characters that they use - such as their mascot Ronald McDon...

 Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale When it comes to special events and promotions, Bath & Body Works tops all other retailers. Their big semi-annual sales have people lining up the night before - especially when it comes to their candle day sale. This is the perfect company to discuss for this week's blog on visual displays related to special events! Let's get started. Buy 3 Get 3 FREE Their biggest event and promotion is their yearly buy three get three free of EVERYTHING - yes everything - in the store! This sale occurs every year just before Christmas; hence, they can utilize holiday themes for the displays in the store. It is considered their BEST Christmas sale. You can mix and match what items are included in the buy three get three free. The first image below is the big floor display that you would see right when you walk through the doors of the store. It utilizes two main colors - white and red, staple colors for Christmas. Even the actual product chosen fo...

Let's Talk Mannequins! (image found at  https://www.goodfon.com/wallpaper/manekeny-fon-ten.html ) Mannequins are a staple in visual merchandising. Rather than simply displaying a single item on a hanger or other kinds of display structures - which we went over last week, the mannequin allows you to show the consumer an entire outfit - with accessories! Some consumers need a visual of how they would wear a certain top. What shorts, pants, or skirts would they pair it with? What color bottom would look best with it? What type of necklace would make it pop? These are all answers you can give the consumer by displaying the outfit. Along with this, it is a marketing tacking that can work to persuade the consumer into purchasing the entire outfit once they see how well it all looks together. This week we are going to talk about recommendations for what mannequin types are better for a specialty boutique-style store, a mass merchant store, and a department store - as well as why...

How a product is displayed relates directly to how well it will sell. Are the products just thrown out on a table? Most likely, people are going to walk right past it if that is the case. It is not ascetically pleasing to the eye; therefore, it will not catch the consumer's eye. Elaborate displays may seem silly but are entirely necessary to capture the attention of the consumer to create a purchase. Not only does it matter how you set the product out, but it also matters what store fixtures you use and how you use them. Let's go over a few store fixtures and how to use them with visual merchandising. Store Fixtures Hangers: Clothe hangers are exactly what you think that would be - hangers hold the clothes to display. However, they tend to look and be a bit fancier than the clothes hangers that you have hanging up in your closet. Depending on your store type and your target market, you are going to want to use your hangers differently. For instance, a more higher-end store - th...

 Where Do We Go From Here? QUICK BACKGROUND: (image found at:  https://www.marketingweek.com/under-armour-ties-with-htc-to-take-on-nike/ ) Under Armour was founded in 1996 and started as a company that made breathable undershirts for athletes - primarily football players and majoritally male; by 2013, they "expanded to shorts, shoes, and even hats, and was already a success within the men’s athletic-wear market, competing with powerhouses such as Nike and Adidas" (Saghian & Murray, 2016). IN THE CASE STUDY ARTICLE, WHAT MARKET SEGMENTS WERE IDENTIFIED AND WHAT SEGMENTATION STRATEGIES WERE IMPLEMENTED? The primary market segment that was identified were athletes and then the more specific market segment they were beginning to focus on was women. The company had dabbled in creating female lines; however, "in 2013, Under Armour had $2.3 billion in sales yet only $500 million came from its women’s apparel" (Saghian & Murray, 2016). Under Armour was ready to chan...

Me as a Consumer: (image from:  https://foodtechnotes.com/2020/10/12/consumer-awareness-in-food-market-fact-or-fear/ ) WHAT TYPE OF CONSUMER AM I? There are two categories of consumers - the individual consumer or the organizational consumer. The individual consumer makes purchases that directly satisfy their own wants and needs or the wants and needs of those around them - such as a family member or friend; whereas, an organizational consumer makes purchases so that they can "produce other goods and services, resell them to other organizations or to the individual consumer, and help manage and run their organization" (Kardes et al., 2015). As for me, I only make purchases for the sake of myself or those directly around me - like my fiance so I am the individual consumer. Instead of making purchases to sell items, I make purchases to keep items - such as makeup, food, clothing, and so on. WHAT INFLUENCES MY BUYING DECISIONS AND HOW? I am probably one of the easiest consu...