International marketing management - Essay Example

Polaroid sunglasses to come back Polaroid Sunglasses to Come Back Polaroid sunglasses are a product of the Polaroid Corporation which is under the Italian company Safilo Group. The Polaroid stands for the polarization of celluloid. Polaroid Corporation has been making polarized sunglasses for about 70 years. They were the first to mass produce polarized lenses. They did not restrict their production to sunglasses but also to the production of camera lenses among others. Their success was brought about by the fact that wearing sunglasses was perceived by society to be cool.

The sunglasses were attractive and effective when it came to blocking harmful rays and excess light (polaroideyewear.com). The sunglasses market was crowded. Many companies were producing sunglasses for a ready market that was willing to spend on them. Success was brought about by the fact that many movie stars loved putting on shades. The movie stars embraced them as they gave them a chance to participate in activities while at the same time maintaining a distance. For Polaroid Corporation to be successful in their endeavor, they had to come up with a unique product.

This they achieved through the polarized sunglasses. This came at a time when the threat of global warming and ozone depletion was becoming all too real. Ozone depletion meant that people would be exposed to harmful radiation from the sun and other surfaces. They were perfect for driving to protect the eyes from reflection from the hood of vehicles. They were also effective in protecting people from reflection of light from the ocean or any other water body. The possibility of Polaroid sunglasses making a comeback is imminent.

The following that it commanded over the years has maintained though somewhat suppressed. The best way to make a comeback is by reminding the customers of the qualities they once loved about a product. In this case, Polaroid can serve to remind the customers of the good old days. Remind them of the memories and the reasons why they used to appreciate their product. Brand positioning In the present generation, we have seen the fashion industry adopt popular trends from the past. They have adopted many concepts, under the retro category, that we see celebrities don in present time.

From classic watches to old style themed dressing, people are slowly embracing trends from the past. This shows that there is great probability for Polaroid sunglasses reestablish itself. They can give a classic aspect to an industry dominated by modernized sunglasses from companies like Ray Bans. They embraced the production of modern sunglasses to accompany their old products. This can serve to capture a greater demographic of both the younger and older generations. The company’s main focus segment is fashion and prescription sunglasses but are looking to venture into the manufacture of 3D viewing glasses for TVs.

There have been negotiations with companies like Disney to have Polaroid eyewear make some glasses for them. They are interested in making passive 3D glasses that are getting wider acceptance as opposed to active ones. The company is trying to focus more on the 3D glasses since it is a new area with limitless possibilities. They intend to target the growing market of 3D TVs in the UK and US (Marketingweek.co.uk). In the spirit of reestablishing itself, the company came up with a new piece of technology for their sunglasses.

This new technology, thermo-fusion, is used to make their newest product called ultra-sight lenses. This technology offers efficient polarizing and better optics. The polarizer is protected under a layer of shock absorbing lenses and UV filtering lenses. This process allows them to make better lenses that let the user distinguish shapes and sizes without getting headaches. This type of lens is exclusively developed by Polaroid. It is a perfect strategy to try and captivate the market by giving them an edge over their competition.

Polaroid targets the population of sunglass lovers who have been overwhelmed by the stress caused by most sunglasses (polaroideyewear.com). These glasses are sold by opticians and certified retailers to people with sight problems or just for fashion. Their market is segmented by age, sex and income and the company strives to satisfy all markets. They have affordable as well as high end products for those willing to spend a lot of money. Together with this, Polaroid has to make products for their male and female clients.

There are products that are considered unisex and can be used by all sexes. They make sunglasses of various designs according to the target market. The older generation might prefer simple designs while the younger, upbeat generation may desire flashy ones (Hollensen, 2012). Polaroid has positioned the Ultra-sight sunglasses as being the first of their kind. They offer protection to the eyes and ensure durability through the multiple layers that protect the sunglasses. They have positioned themselves in the lines of price and user wants.

The target market is large including USA and in the UK (utalkmarketing.com). In the 3D glasses market, they intend to produce cheaper products that provide quality viewing. This is in contrast with other major brands like Oakley that sell polarized 3D glasses, and others, at high costs. Employing the 4Ps Product The company employs the use of the 4Ps of marketing. The sunglasses are scratch resistant. The scratching of sunglasses is a major problem with most eyewear that Polaroid sought to solve.

The glasses also have a shock absorbing layer to reduce the chances of the lens cracking when dropped. Being equipped with multiple layers of UV filters ensures that the user has 100% protection from radiation as well as glare. They can be used when driving, walking, in formal or informal situations. They are good for the outdoors. They also make 3D glasses for TV viewing. Price Most of their products cost about 60 dollars in the US and about 40 in the UK. They can be bought online at from solstcicesunglasses.

com in the US and polarizedsunglasses.co.uk where they offer free shipping. They range in prices from very expensive to cheap, at about the price mentioned above. Place The online platform is mainly used to gain information on the products people like and buy. Used products can be bought on e-bay. They can also be found in certified dealers in optics around the country. Promotion Information about the sunglasses and the company can be found on the company’s website. The user can be informed on the new products and means of identifying genuine products.

Information can also be passed through the media in form of advertisements. Advertisements might also serve to spread word of the product to a broader audience and increase the clientele. They use the social media to communicate more directly with their clients and also answer questions. Through this, they gain trust and have their products recommended to more people. They have entered into a contract for lady gaga to be the face and creative director of Polaroid (theguardian.com). As far as promotions go, Lady gaga is a good start.

She is a sensation in her art and has as wide a range of followers as she has ideas. She came up with a new set of glasses that transfer photos to a printer via Bluetooth. The printed photos are slowly coming back and this shall help capture the market. Bibliography Hollensen, S. (2012) Essentials of Global Marketing 2nd edn. Pearson, pp. 500-507. Polaroideyewear.com. 2013. About Polaroid | Polaroid Eyewear. [online] Available at: http://www.polaroideyewear.com/about-polaroid/ [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013].

Polaroideyewear.com. 2013. UltraSight™ Lenses | Polaroid Eyewear. [online] Available at: http://www.polaroideyewear.com/ultrasight-lenses/ [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. Swash, R. 2010. Lady Gaga to become Polaroid's creative director. The Guardian, [online] 8th January. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jan/08/lady-gaga- polaroid-creative-director [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. Utalkmarketing.com. 2013. How Polaroid Eyewear was re-launched in the UK market - Marketing Case Studies | UTalkMarketing.

[online] Available at: http://www.utalkmarketing.com/Pages/Article.aspx?ArticleID=15398&Title=How_Polar oid_Eyewear_was_re-launched_in_the_UK_market [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. WHITE, M. (2009). A short course in international marketing blunders mistakes made by companies that should have known better. Petaluma, CA, World Trade Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10305901. Marketingweek.co.uk. 2011. Bringing Polaroid into sharper focus | In-Depth Analysis | Marketing Week. [online] Available at: http://www.

marketingweek.co.uk/bringing- polaroid-into-sharper-focus/3027978.article [Accessed: 24 Nov 2013].