Establishment Credibility of Rolex - Essay Example

? A Practical Marketing Communication Report for Rolex and other Related Brands This is a report with the goal of choosing Rolex as a branded consumer product for critique of its associated communications mix used to promote to its target audience. In addition, the included analysis in the report tries to explain why in the proponent’s opinion; specific elements discussed have been selected to support the brand. In addition, the proponent was also able to successfully draw comparisons with the strategies used by other less, or indeed more successful brands in the same category. It was found that the chosen brands were consistent in their message sourcing and establishment of their credibility. Rolex is aiming to create image and identity and promote as a brand for high-end users. However, Timex is consistent with its effort to create marketing communication that is associated with latest fashion trend models. On the other hand, Nordstrom is trying to establish a more focus strategy to differentiate its product offerings as specialty products for women with varying styles, options, needs and wants. More detailed explanations and implications of the elements used by Rolex in its marketing communication are discussed. Keywords: marketing mix, marketing communication, marketing, Rolex Table of Contents Page Abstract 2 Introduction 4 Discussion 4 Message sourcing and credibility 4 Establishment of credibility 6 Timex’s point of view 7 Nordstrom style 8 Conclusions 8 Recommendations 9 References 11 Introduction Rolex’s website is a special place to advertise and promote its brand. However, when one has to open the site, the actual products are not the ones to be visibly observed, but the celebrity endorsers like tennis players and recently among the finest players of all time. Unlike any other brands or websites which are built for the purpose of advertisement and promotion, the website for Rolex seems to be promoting the players than its actual products. The website looks like trying to establish the credibility of the spokespersons by making it to the point of giving the visitors more knowledge about the players especially in their performance, and actual capability when they make it on court. As observed, not all of the best contemporary tennis players were chosen as spokespersons, so this creates an implication that there must something more about these featured celebrities on the Rolex’s website that could help establish the brand. The focus of this paper is in this particular issue while integrating the concept associated with the actual communication mix used to promote Rolex to its target audience. The proponent of this report chooses Rolex as a branded consumer product and critiques its associated communications mix used to promote to its target audience. Part of the analysis is an explanation why, in the proponent’s opinion, specific elements which are discussed below have been selected to support the brand. In addition, the proponent also draws comparisons with the strategies used by other less, or indeed more successful brands in the same category. Discussion In this section and as stated below are considerable explanations about the specific elements used to support Rolex as brand and the corresponding strategies used by Timex and Nordstrom as another leading brand. Message Sourcing and Credibility Rolex, a brand of watch that tries to position itself as highly differentiated and creating identity and image as elegant with ultimate unswerving performance, is highly associated with sports and culture particularly in tennis. The best way to integrate this brand into sports and culture is to allow endorsements coming from celebrities. Thus, the involvement of Roger Federer and other tennis players is part of the message sourcing and credibility. What do Federer, Ivanovic, Henin, Na and other excelling tennis players bring to the brand? Based on the advertising and marketing concepts discussed in the class, Rolex’s main goal could be about establishment of credibility of its brand through the above-mentioned spokespersons. Rolex is trying to promote its brand through these highly credible players who are not only good at playing tennis, but with remarkable characteristics and attitude on the court that are unique from other players. In the first place, Rolex could have remarkably used other best players, but there must something special and unique about the chosen spokesperson linked with the brand. The following are remarkable characteristics and credentials written about the endorsers on the Rolex brand on its website (Rolex, 2012). Roger Federer is known to play on the tennis court with utmost precision, may it be on clay, grass or hard court, which makes it hard for his opponents to secure for themselves an ace performance against him. This leads him to be known as Grand Slam collector. Consistent with his role as the best player of all times as recognised by the best tennis players of all time, Federer was making a history together with his top calibrated and impeccable performance on the court. Here is Ana Ivanovic, known for her undeniable elegance remarkable from her actual poise and style – on and off the court. Ivanovic is known to fight to the last point, which has become a remarkable attitude of an opponent one could see when she plays. Let us add Justine Henin to the list. Remarkably among the favorite iconic tennis celebrity player, of whom her opponents could see her grace under fire, making her the world’s number one over 100 weeks. Henin was renowned to go for perfection as she performs and play on the court. Finally, meet Li Na, the first ever Asian player who made it in the tennis world up to the last point of securing a Grand Slam singles title. Na proves that becoming true to sport’s dynamic could lead to a notch higher. As noticed, the above-mentioned players have ultimate qualities when they play that would make them unique among their opponents and other players. They all have unique identities that one could use to best describe them. Upon showing all of these on its website, Rolex is trying to prove that playing tennis is not just about winning, but having consistent character and identity is necessary. So this implies that the culture and sports should not be all about the sports itself, but above all, creating an identity that the crowd would surely love and miss about the player. Establishment of Credibility Now let us go back to the point what do these players and the tennis sport and its associated culture bring to the brand? So here are the following elements Rolex used to support its brand. Rolex tries to integrate the brand with sports and culture and the world of tennis. After all, it is possible to develop brands with the creation of sports (Parent et al., 2012). It is potential to create higher level of identity for the brand if it has to be made this way due to some reasons. Tennis is a game having history played by Royal people (Wilkes, 2004). Furthermore, it is a game which requires not only the talent and skill, but dynamic determination to live in it. In addition, tennis has been traditionally one of the games viewed in the US as pursuits of the wealthy (Young and Young, 2002). As a result, a higher associated value is considered especially to those who are finest in this game. For this reason, people from around the world having affinity for tennis have remarkably considered it as a sport for elite, not just because of its associated history, but because of the players who established it as a brand sport. In addition, some people do also have common remarkable perception about tennis as a rich people sport because it is a high maintenance sport. Now, it is clear why Rolex should integrate tennis sport into its ads and promotions. Rolex simply wants to create a brand image or identity as an upmarket product designed to boost prestige for upper-class people. It is also clear that Rolex is trying to create a brand image and identity, which it perfectly made possible through portraying it among the chosen tennis players’ performance, identity and credibility. It was not just an ordinary bandwagon appeal but Rolex is trying to display key attributes of the tennis players, a one way of showing how it would exactly perform as a product. For example, Federer plays with precision. So Rolex’s performance as a product could be highly illustrated by how Roger’s performed on court. Furthermore, Ivanovic elegance, on and off the court, is an iconic representation of Rolex actual elegance. Name all the rest of the players associated with Rolex and one will clearly able to find how they are used to illustrate the brand’s image, identity and credibility. Timex’s Point of View Unlike Rolex, Timex’s strategies in creating its brand are straightforward due to the following reasons (Timex, 2012). Upon visiting its site, one would be able to find out various styles and options for watches, making it exactly as an online store where there is an ample time to choose the best option. In addition, Timex is promoting relevant trends especially in 2012, which makes it a point that it is trying to promote its brand as fashionable accessory suited to the prevailing occasions or fashion styles. Furthermore, there is an opportunity for almost everyone to relate with the products for different purpose, options and functionalities. Nordstrom Style Nordstrom on the other hand is very specific to cater a single market segment. It tries to promote its products to the market for women (Nordstrom, 2012). This makes it a point for Nordstrom to employ a very specific strategy especially for the market segment for women, by knowing their needs, styles and various possible options. Conclusions Rolex is different from other mentioned brands of timepiece based on the image and identity it wants to promote to its target audience or probable users. First, unlike any other brands, it tries to transform itself as something special. So in this way, it seeks to formulate something remarkable about its image and identity. For this reason, Rolex has become differentiated from other product offerings because it tries to create something far better or unique image and identity by employing celebrity endorsers who have remarkable credibility in their chosen field, and integrating sports culture directed to its target audience or market. Second, the marketing communication of Rolex has a consistent theme and this remarkably integrates the concept of sports and culture, the world of Rolex and tennis. Other brands are using the same consistency in their theme, but what seems different in the case of Rolex is the thought that there was a high involvement of justifying the endorser’s remarkable credibility and the culture for sport, which in return has been positively expected to give a domino effect on the actual product endorsed. For this reason, Rolex has been relying solely on the ability of the celebrities to bring something positive to the brand, and as a result, a good response from the target audience in the chosen market. Third, Rolex has been consistent in ensuring its image and identity. It is promoting its identity and image as timeless product with utmost elegance and grandeur, without further consideration of fashions and trending of styles. Recommendations In creating a brand, it is important to associate the actual message and its image and identity with the target audience or market segment. For this reason, it is important especially among those who would want to establish a brand name for their service or product offerings to consider their target market segment. In doing this, it would be much easier to formulate marketing communication strategy that would best suit the selected or chosen market as this must essentially address their actual needs or wants. The actual marketing communication must therefore be in line with how to ensure potential response from the specified market segment. This would therefore eliminate brand confusion. Like in the case of Rolex, it strongly emphasises the point that the brand must be best suitable for high-end users. In the same way, Timex is consistent in establishing the point that the brand it holds is fit for those customers looking forward to relevant fashion trends. Nordstrom on the other hand could be best recognised as a specialty brand of watch for women. For this reason, women will be able to appreciate relevant marketing communications of Nordstrom that are highly associated with their actual needs or wants. References Nordtrom (2012) Official Nordstrom Website. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/womens-watches-shop [Accessed: 4 December 2012]. Parent, M. M., Eskerud, L., and Hanstad, D. V. (2012) Brand creation in international recurring sports events. Sport Management Review. 15(2): 145-159. Rolex (2012) Official Rolex Website. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www.rolex.com/en#/world-of-rolex/sports-and-culture/tennis/ [Accessed: 4 December 2012]. Timex (2012) Official Timex Website. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://global.timex.com/ [Accessed: 4 December 2012]. Wilkes, A. (2004) Folen’s History: Renaissance, Revolution and Reformation Britain 1485-1750. Dunstable: Folens Limited. Young, W. H., and Young, N. K. (2002) The 1930s: American popular culture through history series. 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