Student Number: (enter on the line below
Student Name: (enter on the line below)
Assessment Weight: 50 total marks
Instructions:
- All questions must be answered by using the answer boxes provided in this paper.
- Completed answers must be submitted to Blackboard by the published due date and time
Please ensure you follow the submission instructions at the end of this paper
Purpose:
This assessment consists of 2 Parts and is designed to assess your level of knowledge of the key topics covered in this unit. Lecture materials and resources used during your studies at Holmes Institute should be sufficient to guide your answers BUT if you consult any external resources be sure to cite correctly and list as references at the end of each question, using Holmes adapted-Harvard style.
PART 1: CASE STUDY (30 MARKS)
Case study about Target is provided below. Students are required to read the case, watch the video in the link provided and answer the following questions. No more than 200 words for each question.
Case study: Designer collections, plastic carts, and that bright red color: How Target gets you to spend money.
Earlier this year, Target became the seventh-largest retailer by sales in the U.S. It had a whopping $78.1 billion in revenue in 2019, and despite difficulties presented by the coronavirus pandemic, profits rose more than 80% year over year in the fiscal second quarter of 2020 with record online business.
Since its debut in Roseville, Minnesota, in 1962, Target has grown to 1,880 stores across all 50 states and now has a devoted fanbase who lovingly refer to the brand as “Tarjay.”
How does Target keep its shoppers hooked? The retail giant has revolutionized the shopping experience. From the width of the aisles to the placement of dollar bins, everything is carefully designed to entice customers.
“Expect More. Pay Less” has been Target’s slogan since the mid-’90s. One of the key ways the company breeds loyalty and excitement is with its popular private labels and designer collaborations.
Target began working with high-end designers like Isaac Mizrahi and Vera Wang in 1999, and its popular private clothing lines A New Day and Cat & Jack now account for $1 billion and $2 billion in annual sales, respectively.
“They have one of the best private-label strategies of any retailer in the United States,” says Bob Hoyler, senior analyst at Euromonitor International. “They’re the envy of even Amazon when it comes to their private-label strategy in apparel.”
Neuroscientist and marketing expert Terry Wu says the anticipation of these lines can even create a physiological response, giving customers a dopamine rush.
“That surge of dopamine drives us to go back to Target, to buy again and again,” Wu says. “This is how they build loyalty.”
And once you’re in the store, strategic design elements keep you engaged. From the dollar bin right at the front, which one frequent shopper calls “dessert” because she says “there’s always something I never knew that I needed,” to lightweight plastic shopping carts that are easier to push around than metal ones, and it’sthe signature red and white color palette, making it look bright and clean and easier to spot employees.
“Target has been able to elevate what’s at the end of the day, just a general merchandise, big-box retailer,” says CNBC.com consumer and retail reporter Melissa Repko.
Required:
STEP 1: Watch this video link:
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/22/hooked-how-target-gets-you-to-spend-money.html
STEP 2: Using the information provided in the video and the case study, answer the following questions:
- Who is Target’s target customer and what is itsprice strategy of Target? (5 marks)
ANSWER 1): ** ** Answer box will enlarge as you type
After watching video and reading the provided case, the world’s seventh-largest retailer is the target, pulling more than $78.1 billion in 2019. The operation of the stores is along with the U.S, where 1880 stores are there, in every 50 stores. The target enjoys more than a higher level of customer loyalty, compared to other retailers, which are major, and come just after Amazon. In the target of the annual report, it is said that the sales are roughly equal along with five categories of product. These are known as beverage and food, accessories and apparel, hard lines, decor, and home furnishing, with the household and beauty essentialsfavor’s slight edge.
Target price strategy is the philosophy, which is adopted by the CEO of the target Gregg Steinhafel. A luncheon crowd has been told by recently Mr. Steinhafel, at Minnesota’s economic club in Minneapolis, which is the headquarters city of the target. The “all-out price war” is not wanted by the target, but the price of the target is within the two percent of chief competitors. If the things can be bought from the vendors, as cheap as Amazon, and the product’s price, the margins of the firm are squeezed brutally. But, if more customers are attracted by the strategy of pricing, then the growth of the bottom line of the target can be volume fatter (Deepak, et al., 2019).
- What are the product strategies of Target? Use the information from the video to discuss the design collaboration of Target (10 marks)
ANSWER 2):
A product strategy is a plan, high-level in nature, which describes the wants of a company to obtain the products and the plans to obtain them. The product strategy is the map of the road, by which, a feature or product can be created. All of the tasks are listed by it, which should be accomplished to meet the goals of the company. The document serves as the team’s guide, and it is read by them while having doubts. Even, the strategy of the product is consulted by 70% of companies, during making the significant decisions. As the output, it is important to improve the plan, comprehensive and detailed for ensuring the correctly and timely performed tasks.
Product vision
The user and the technique to affect the business, are explained by the vision of the product. The target buyers are emphasized by the vision of the product, how the product is positioned, and how the competition happens with the other products in the category. A strategy, go-to-market, outlines the needs of the customers and how a compelling offer is produced, which should be the product vision’s part also (Pappas, 2016).
Product goals
It is not possible to develop the strategy of the product without the help of the goals of a product. These are the particular benchmarks or objectives, which can be met as the building product’s result. The guidance is provided by them for the team’s development and to guide for measuring the success after launching the product.
Product initiatives
The initiatives are the themes, high-level in nature, which are implemented to meet the goals of the business, including in the roadmap. The big goals are there, which are broken down by the team of the product into smaller or more manageable chunks. It is essential to be familiar with core components, to design the product, where the product strategy’s anatomy is clarified.
- What is the brand positioning of Target? Use the information from the video to discuss the private label of Target. (10 marks)
ANSWER 3):
Brand positioning is the positioning process of the brand, in the customers’ minds. More than a fancy logo or a tagline, it is the strategy, which is utilized to set the business. Effective positioning of the brand happens, during perceiving the brand as credible, valuable, and favorable for the customer. The above-mentioned three points’ sum is unique for the business, and as the output, a place is carved out by the customers in their minds. This is significant as it is not enough to be different from the side of the competition for winning in this market. It is necessary to create a plan of brand positioning, which can help control the brand image and its reputation. A century ago, it has been decided that a soda company, for offering a product, “never-before-seen” in nature, is the cola drink, first-ever in nature. By doing so, it has been positioned successfully as the actual, facilitates millions of sales across the world, and is a staple household in nature. It has been positioned in the customers’ minds as the soda’s gold standard.
For the retailers for scoring wins, big in nature, at the level of private label, where it is important to delve into the behavior of the buyer. This awareness forwards a long way to create the brands of private labels, which grab the attention of the customer. A mass retailer with the help of the insights to great impact is Target. It has been formulated as an approach of private label and three-tired, which is attracting successfully the shoppers’ diverse range. In the analysis of evaluation of private labels, it has been explored how the games are being raised by the retailers in the marketplace. It is done with the help of stocking the shelves with the premium products of private labels (Pappas, 2016).
- Target encourages customers to buy more when they are in their store. Discuss whichstrategiesTarget uses to impact consumer behavior (5 marks)
ANSWER 4):
Marketing is the bringing process of a product, service, or idea, to the buying audience’s front. It focuses on the needs and wants of the customers, to identify the probable buyer for attracting the customers into the business. In the article, there are 3 different strategies of marketing, which can help to attract new consumers and employ their loyalty.
Price
The need for a product always depends on the price of the product. The price should be reasonable so that anyone can be able to buy that. A seller should maintain such a type of price for a product, so that the customers can be attracted to him/her only to buy that.
Place
The availability of a product depends upon the environment of a place also, which should be maintained. It is necessary to check the environmental conditions first so that the products can be sold according to that to make more profit. To make more profit, the products should be available based on the environment.
Promotion
To increase the sale of a product, it can be promoted by various media, mainly social media in the modern world. Because, almost everyone in the modern world is available on social media, by which a product can be purchased. But, the advertisement should be given in such a way, so that anyone can be influenced by watching it (Hutt, et al., 2021).
PART 2: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (20 MARKS)
Question 1 (10 marks)
- Some marketers believe that online stores will replace traditional storesshortly. Other
- marketers have opposite opinions, believing traditional stores will still maintain the same position.
- In what ways and to what extent do you think that non-store retailing poses a threat to
- conventional retailers? Use examples to support your discussion.
- Answer the question in 300words and use at least 2 references to support your answer.
ANSWER:
The non-store retailing is the retailing form, where the products are sold by the firm, without the help of any retail space/store, physical (Ahmed, 2019). The products are sold by the firm, through the online platforms, and delivered to the doorsteps of the customers (Pretorius and Cloete, 2020). Although it is being done by the companies, in the previous decades, there has been a rise during the century of the 21st.
The trust of the customers
A very important challenge is attracting customers and gaining their trust, which can be tougher for the new entrants, who do not have any reputation in the market. A firm may be found as very tough to achieve the business, without the help of any presence, physical (Hutt, et al., 2021).
The advertisement for the costs
A physical store may not be needed for a retailer, non-store in nature, but the products’ advertisements are needed for getting the customers. Digital marketing may be very costly, and it works mostly through the method of “pay-per-click”. This means that the advertiser should pay for each click on the advertisement independent of the sale.
The costs, structural
The costs, structural in a business, non-store, and retailing in nature may be high. A warehouse and a website are needed by a business, to begin with. Moreover, the presence of social media is significant equally for retailing, non-store in nature. The experts may also have to be hired to manage and make the websites and the profiles of social media.
The requirements related to the security and legality
There is a hacking of the websites and the other digital channels also. If there is an involvement of a hacker in the website of the business or the profiles of social media, the thing may be very messy. On the other hand, it is necessary to be aware of and agree with the laws of e-commerce, which are related to running a business, non-store, and retail in nature.
Question 2 (10marks)
20 years ago, Al Ries and Laura Ries indicated that it has long been a trade secret advertising doesn’t sell – and that PR has more intrinsic credibility. In 2002, they introduced the Book called “The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR”.
In what ways and to what extent do you think Public Relations can replace Advertising?
Answer your question in 300 words and use at least 2 references to support your discussion.
ANSWER:
Both the PR advertisements help to prepare brands and communicate with the audience of Target (Xie et al. 2018). The most common difference among them is that the space of advertisement is paid for (Wies et al. 2019). It happens, when the results of PR are earned via providing the media information in the press pitches and releases form.
Target
During the creation of the organizations and companies, which target the potential customers primarily, there is a hope of PR professionals for casting a net, wider. The targeted public through PR may be external or internal and can involve the investors, employees, customers, legislators, media, and so on (Visconti, et al., 2020).
Goals and objectives
The PR helps to build the reputation and awareness of the brand, which revolves behind the campaign of a successful PR, across the fact. The more trust is placed by the consumers, and to perform the business more likely a company. There is a generation of advertisements for a target of a specific market, to generate sales.
Control
During buying an advertisement, it is necessary to decide how it looks, what it tells, where it should be placed, and when it should be run. The received exposure by the ad is very much dependent on the money amount to spend. When it comes to PR, and working specifically with the media, the control is less there.
Strategy
With the advertisement, there is a short-term goal in mind, where the copy of the ad is geared towards the seasons of specific buying. Also, it pushes a new product or promotes special deals for boosting sales. The professional PRs always look at the large picture, which delivers the meaningful information related to the brand for building a “brand fans” dedicated and sustainable base.
References
Deepak, R. K. A., & Jeyakumar, S. (2019). Marketing management. Educreation Publishing.
https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_DmvDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=marketing+management&ots=u45_ng9sZj&sig=NlF6ZQg9wLWWmji9ztSoP9y2dM4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=marketing%20management&f=false
Hutt, M. D., & Speh, T. W. (2021). Business marketing management: B2B. South-Western, Cengage Learning.
http://dspace.vnbrims.org:13000/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4877/1/Business%20Marketing%20Management%20B2B.pdf
Pappas, N. (2016). Marketing strategies, perceived risks, and consumer trust in online buying behaviour. Journal of retailing and consumer services, 29, 92-103.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969698915301296
Rosenbaum-Elliott, R. (2021). Strategic advertising management. Oxford University Press.
https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rr4cEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=advertising&ots=UMZr0RgBwG&sig=YVRAKRtKsR1jIih7opxXh7gZK1g&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=advertising&f=false
Visconti, L. M., Peñaloza, L., & Toulouse, N. (Eds.). (2020). Marketing management: A cultural perspective. Routledge.
https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tgfoDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT21&dq=marketing+management&ots=r3WPKm5-er&sig=V04MJGzXAWcqd0_kukUKKtp4aSY&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=marketing%20management&f=false
Winston, W., & Mintu-Wimsatt, A. T. (2013). Environmental marketing: strategies, practice, theory, and research. Routledge.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203058398/environmental-marketing-william-winston-alma-mintu-wimsatt
END OF FINAL ASSESSMENT
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