Final Post - Week 8

To have an effective marketing campaign, you need to be able to evaluate if the message is reaching it’s intended targets. There are a multitude of evaluation techniques that would allow a marketing team to make the appropriate assessments in this task. One such way to evaluate would be ad tracking research. In this evaluation technique, consumers are shown ads where the name or logo of the company is not recognizable and asked if they are familiar with the brand being advertised. This should assess brand awareness. I can see how this would benefit the company if they have a strong brand identity. However, it seems that it could be unreliable if your ad messages are not consistent.

 (image source: memeburn.com)

A second way to evaluate would be via copytesting. This is used to assess finished ads and is typically conducted by an agency client. Copy testing measures an ads effectiveness when the consumer is giving his/her 100 percent attention. I can see that this type of evaluation would be helpful as you have the consumer’s full attention and can gain immediate feedback. However, as the text points out, it can appeal to the consumer’s rational brain (and not action inspired) and not an emotional appeal, which would cause a consumer to take action and buy.

Get your "Fix" on

I have a fix coming this Wednesday. And I cannot tell you HOW excited I am to see this upcoming fix. I’ve been planning and waiting for this fix for weeks and weeks. Hoping there would be something in this box that would make me feel pretty and fashionable. 

Yes, that’s right. I have a Stitch Fix box scheduled to arrive this coming Wednesday. My “fix” obsession is my Stitch Fix boxed clothing subscription. And I cannot tell you how exciting it is for me, as a busy working mom of 2 to have a special clothing selection curated for me based on my style selections. I mean, having someone personally select what would work best for my body type and then pick the clothes and mail them to me, all for a $20 “styling” fee? Genius!

Genius, I say!

So how did the marketers of this fabulous service make this company so widely popular? Well social media of course! There are currently over 10 Facebook pages dedicated to the Stitch Fix brand. Ladies post about their upcoming fixes with wild abandon. They describe the type of bodies they have along with the type of clothing they hope to receive. Once their fix arrives they will post pictures of themselves modeling the clothing they were sent and ask for opinions on color and fit from the other members of the group.

So what research strategy would I use if I were marketing for Stitch Fix? Well, honestly, I think I would continue to monitor the brand presence on Social Media sites like Pinterest and Facebook. I would scour blogs for write ups about the service and personal opinions of users. My personal opinion is that bloggers provide the ultimate opinion base and market research. Most Stitch Fix’ers that blog about their “Fixes” are very critical about the clothing cuts, fits and overall style selections. How else can a company get true feedback about their products but from non-biased users?

Fashion bloggers connect with a certain target market – those that are looking for specific trends in clothing and want the opinions of those that are fashion forward. Stitch Fix has blog affiliates that are part of their program – and this is a great neutral way to monitor the overall perception and quality of the products they mail for their service. I would use the feedback I receive from blogger commenting to alter the overall service that I provide to tweak and determine the selections I offer.

If you haven’t tried Stitch Fix – you should. It’s a no-risk way to up your fashion profile.

So how would *you* change the Apple brand?

Gosh, I find this topic incredibly difficult as there really isn't much I would do as a marketer to re-brand Apple.
However, Apple has gone through a transformation and re-branding process that has made the company what it is today.

Remember this?

Back in  1997 Steve Jobs realized the brand image needed to be revamped and so Apple launched a campaign to re-brand the company. The logo was one of the more subtle yet visible changes made during this process.

So if you were in charge of the marketing vision what would you do to change the Apple brand as it stands today? Maybe I'd start with the Apple watch. I think Apple believed this watch would be a game changer in the tech space. You know, a great little gadget to corner the market where the FitBit and other watches like the Samsung product have gained market share?
Well I have to say, I'm just not so sure Apple hit a home run with this product.
As a huge Apple fan I'm still not 100% sure of the specific allure of this watch. First and foremost, so many people have abandoned wearing watches all together. With cell phones most everyone has the capability to tell time right in their pocket and purse. I suppose Apple's intent with the watch was to make wearing timepieces cool again. And I'm not sure it made the mark. Sales aren't near what Apple had predicted.
Yes, those who are Apple loyalists would take aim and try the Apple watch. But those that have abandoned timepieces all together? Well, it's kind of like Apple trying to revive the landline phone. People have moved beyond that technology.

So how would I re-brand this? Well, part of the strategy would be to move beyond the Apple watch. Try a whole new product all-together and admit this gadget as the failure it is.


References:
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/08/27/from-apple-to-starbucks-rebranding-brings-out-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly