Advertising Strategy Used by Old Navy to Target Young Male Customers - Essay Example

Marketing Module 4 Case Study Internal Memorandum Subject: Advertising Strategy Used by Old Navy to Target Young Male Customers Dear Ms. McIntyre, The purpose of this memo is to apprise you of my feelings and professional opinion regarding the new advertising campaign launched by Old Navy directed at young male customers. Indeed, you have even targeted this campaign at ‘Mike’, a hypothetical consumer in the age bracket 25 to 35 years, who would presumably go for these products in a big way. With the suggested demographics, psychographics and lifestyle elements already selected for this targeted consumer, it appears that you have decided that he is young and virile, has changing tastes and is very much into fashion trends, is a typical metro-sexual living a college life on campus or off it. As members of this young community, the minds of people like Mike are always changing as they are swayed by the latest trends on the move, with the I-Phone, the Internet and the I-Pad very much a part of their lives. With opinions on social media dominating their tastes and choices, it is a wise move to have targeted the bulk of your advertising budget towards the Internet and social media network advertising. Opening pages on Facebook and Twitter has become a necessity now rather than an exception. With millions of users not only in the USA but right across the world, social media pages, opinions and advertising is the way to go nowadays and I commend the new advertising agency for recognizing and helping you capitalize on this trend. I noticed that the new advertising campaign makes use of online video instead of television. This would be in line with the viewing habits of the young teenagers and adolescent group that the company wants to target for increased business. I might add that this is a very good strategy and is well timed too, as industry analysts have noted that the market for men’s apparel was up 3.3 percent last year, compared to the average rise of 1.9 percent in shopping for clothes for both sexes. It was also seen that in the three months of the year ending February 2011, the sales in men’s apparel was 12 percent higher than last year. Consumer analysts have also noticed that as men are taking more and more interest in their wardrobes, they tend to order similar pieces in a variety of colors if a style and a cut suits them. This is what is likely to boost men’s clothing sales even in a recession. The only thing that I do not like about the present advertising strategy for men’s clothing is that the ads have not been tastefully made. Of course I understand that they are meant to be humorous, but as any sane person and especially a stand-up comedian can tell you, it is really hard to make people laugh. In fact it is an art form that the likes of Eddie Murphy, Danny Kaye, Buster Keaton, Robin Williams and even Charles Chaplin took years to perfect. No one finds the same things funny, and most of us laugh at different things at different times. When you make an ad for young men’s clothing and want to connect it to humor, there is a danger that your product too will not be taken seriously at all. The ad for Supar Tool is really pathetic and needs to be taken off the air immediately. Frankly I fail to see the humor in it at all! Some scenes are images have decidedly religious inferences-like the man with the sheep that reminded me that Christ was the Paschal Lamb of God or the papal style headgear that is worn by the model in the beginning of the advertisement. The entire ad consists of disjointed scenes and elements that are intriguing but have no connection and no purpose. A very disappointing ad if I may say so, in fact disgusting and easily forgettable (Advertising Age, 2011). I would suggest a complete remake from scratch and more cleverly made. In fact I would suggest that you use the words supar and tool in an ad that promotes the virility of a young man. Why not consider an ad plot that insinuates that a young man is a stud for an older woman? You can show the first meeting at a candle lit dinner in a restaurant, then flash back to the first time she saw him- self confident and suave as he walked down the street by the bay, while she and other girls stared at him and tried to catch his attention. At the very last moment, a sly grin as he turns his head and catches her attention with a wink and a smile… then forward to a yacht where he is at the controls, using nautical styles and shades. She joins him up on deck in a bikini or wrapped in a towel with Old Navy tops and a glass of champagne in hand. They make a pretty couple as they sail off into the sunset. Forward to the present, where he is preparing to date her and preening himself in the comfort of his room. His cupboard lies open displaying a whole collection of Old Navy gear- from casual to semi formal. Clearly the embodiment of a Supar Tool kind of guy! This will also massage the male ego and will be a definite turn on the 25-35 age group (USC Marshall, Group Influences, 2011). I think we should stick to positives. The young and upcoming males in this age bracket need to be told what is right for them to buy. They need to be shown the ease, comfort and style of Old Navy and its place in their lives. Telling them how not to dress will confuse them further, not simplify things at all (USC Marshall, Attitudes, 2011). You will see that it is indeed no coincidence that most of the comments following this ad are negative. I feel that the Corporado ad has been more tastefully made and there is good clean humor in it that is not in the least bit confusing. It also shows off the product quite well. All the same, the emphasis should be on how to dress using Old Navy products, instead of how not to dress, which is confusing. People are more inclined to follow positive suggestions than negative ones. So now you can target the population on both sides of the urban-rural divide, or those that want to mix and match and experiment with different styles (Kotler & Keller, 2011). It would also be more sensible to make the ad for the third product, Jack Ash leisure wear something more positive and more tasteful. In view of the fact that the new male consumer is concerned about healthy choices offering comfort and style, Old Navy could also hire style gurus recommending their products in newspaper ads, where the offerings for the whole family could be covered. Or one could even make an ad showing a young wife or girlfriend picking out clothing for her partner, and lamenting on his bad taste, whereas he is shown emerging from a trial room in a tasteful and matching clothing choice that shows that he has now learned how to dress well. Years of indulging in Old Navy offerings does that to you! In the stores, you could also have one stylist each for males and females helping the customers make choices. Everyone is happy as they run their hands across the Old Navy offerings, clearly created with smoothness, comfort and style in mind. I end with best wishes for the company and the rest of the publicity campaign. I will be available on my cell-phone for any questions or clarifications that you may require. References Anonymous (2011). Behind the Campaign: Old Navy Goes After Men in New Ad Push. Advertising Age, 18 June 2011. Online. Accessed on 07 Dec 2011 at http://adage.com/article/news/navy-targets-campaign-men/228051/ Kotler, P. & Keller, K. (2011). Marketing Management, 14th ed. Prentice Hall. USC Marshall (2011). Attitudes. Accessed on 07 Dec 2011 at http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/cb_Attitudes.html USC Marshall (2011). Group Influences. Accessed on 07 Dec 2011 at http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/cb_Group_Influences.html Read More