Lifestyle Changes and Their Influence on Store Marketing - Essay Example

Lifestyle Changes and Their Influence on Store Marketing Lifestyle Changes and Their Influence on Store MarketingTo determine and understand how lifestyle changes influence a retailer’s store marketing strategies, an interview was conducted with a manager of a local retailer of food brands. What are the recent changes observed in demographic patterns, and how are the sales of the product listed here affected by these changes? The retailer noted that changes in demographics and consumer lifestyles have affected how they shop and their choice of place to shop.

Some of the recent changes observed in the lifestyle of consumers by the retailer are the growing consciousness of Americans towards eating healthy food. More and more consumers are becoming diet conscious and are concerned with weight loss and calorie control. The low carb fad has become a by-word for most Americans. This change in food consumption habits has increased the sales of vegetables and fresh fruits. Consumers now prefer wheat bread over the white bread. Food items which contain less salt, less sodium, less fat, sugar-free and low calorie are more saleable now.

More consumers are veering away from processed meat and food which contain a lot of preservatives due to research findings that these food are cancer-causing. Increase in sales of food with Omega 3 or zero trans-fat are being experienced by food retailers. Another lifestyle change which has affected the sales of food products is that most customers now have very hectic schedules that gives them less time to prepare their meals (Imlay, 2006). This paved the way in the increase in the demand and sales of ready-to-eat meals.

Describe how a lifestyle pattern analysis helps marketers in developing advertising messages. The advertising messages used by food retailers are now more focused on the health benefit of their products. Men and women who look physically fit are used as models for food items to give the impression that consuming such products will make one fit. Dietary information need to be added to labels to boost the sales of food products. Food packaging and advertisements should emphasize that the product does not contain ingredients such as cholesterol, sodium or trans fat that are bad for one’s health.

Explain how customer attitude and values influence the designing of an IMC program. Write from both the retailers as well as the manufacturers perspectives. From a retailer’s point of view, the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program should take into consideration the attitude and values of the customers. It is important that the design of their IMC take into account the target market, its likes and dislikes. The strategies that the IMC should integrate must consider the market niche which they want to serve.

The retailer must deliberate on the promotional methods that will be most effective to the consumers they wish to reach. There should be strategic partnering with the advertisers. Monitoring of the effectiveness of the advertising being implemented must also be part of the IMC. Furthermore, the product must have an efficient distribution system else it will not reach its market. From a manufacturer’s viewpoint, the IMC must specifically understand how its consumers perceive their product and what they like about it.

Product development must be part of the IMC. Another factor that should influence the IMC design is the consideration of how better to relate and stay in touch with their product users. Communication with the target market is key here. The IMC should focus more on the importance of retaining their current market rather than trying to win new customers (Mir, 2009). Mir mentions that this strategy will reduce the incidence of customers shifting to other products and will advance the company’s relationships with its clients, and will bring in supporters for the firm’s products (2009).

If the target market of a certain product shop at specialty stores rather than at supermarkets, then the manufacturer must make sure that their product is present at specialty stores rather than in supermarkets. The IMC must be designed to give emphasis to the value of the product to its users. The right marketing mix must be an essential part of the program. References Imlay, T. (2006, May). Challenges in todays U.S. supermarket industry. Retrieved August 12, 2011, from msdn.microsoft.

com: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa479076.aspx Mir, A. J. (2009). Creating an Integrated Marketing Communications Program (IMC). Retrieved August 12, 2011, from asifjmir.wordpress.com: http://asifjmir.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/creating-an-integrated-marketing- communications-program-imc/