Media-Mix for Advertising Management Class - Case Study Example

Media-Mix (for advertising management Victoria's Secret is one of the brands under the company Limited Brands and it is considered as one of leading retailers of lingerie and beauty products. It is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and operates more than 1000 stores all over the United States of America. It showcases modern, fashionable collections and cosmetics that cater to the needs of their specialized customers (Limited Brands, 2007). One of the company's advertising objectives is informing the consumers. By simply presenting and showcasing their products through their advertisements in the different media and their other promotional events, it is apparent that the company is making the public know about what's new or what to watch out for in Victoria's Secret. Another advertising objective is encouraging the customers' recall of past satisfaction. Tapping familiar celebrities and making them do several commercials for the product would somehow make the audience believe that these are loyal and satisfied customers which further influences them into thinking that they, too, are satisfied with the products that they purchase from Victoria's Secret. However, most of the company's advertisements are for the purposes of modifying and reinforcing their target market's attitude towards their product. This is reflected on the controversial themes of their promotional materials. The issues thrown against the ads alone could show the audience how different the product is and how bold and daring one can seem by wearing that brand (Frisby, 2000). Advertising Overview Promotion is a company's way of reaching out to a target market or audience to communicate a certain message. To be able to transmit the message and tow a large number of consumers to buy a product, a company or manufacturer should have the most effective and appropriate promotional strategies and techniques. Victoria's Secret, as a brand and a company, has had several critics regarding the advertisement of their products. Effective as they may be, some print or broadcast advertisements roused both negative and positive reactions from supporters and detractors. Some ads just do not work for a certain part of the audience. No matter how minor this part is, it is still a vital share of the consumers. Therefore, it is also helpful to experiment with the different types of media and combine the different advertising strategies. Since this company's target market include women, specifically those who go for the fashionable and sexy lingerie and underwear, advertisements include endorsers who exhibit qualities that most women want to have. For instance, some of the print ads show sexy supermodels- the ones with physiques that young ladies work hard for. Another is selling at a particular area where customers are said to abound. In the case of Victoria's Secret, this may include schools or recreational areas where girls often hang out. This and other broadcast advertisements do not only help promote and sell the product but also extend the company's public relations and help the company expand their business. In terms of keeping guest inflow in their website, the company has used one effective strategy. Using the site as a way to get the latest info about the products and having a live simulcast of a certain event over the internet greatly support the company's promotional agenda and sales and profit in general. Evaluation As mentioned earlier, advertisements do not always suit an audience's taste and are important factors in controlling a company's sales. If a certain market finds the advertisement appealing, the product's brand or company would easily stick to their minds. An informative advertisement would stimulate curiosity among the audience and lead them to check out the product. If the advertisement is persuasive enough, then more consumers would eventually buy and support the items that that company manufactures. There are different types of media to choose from when trying to promote a certain brand or product. The print and broadcast media, and today, the internet which is the main transportation course for e-commerce. Each media type has its own advantages, disadvantages and certain appropriateness in relation to the product. Victoria's Secret has made use of the print and broadcast media in advertising and has now, benefited from the internet, not only in terms of promotion, but also in marketing their items. For the broadcast media, the company had a TV ad that featured Bob Dylan. Although this particular ad stirred up controversy and even elicited both negative and positive reactions from supporters and detractors, it was still one way of publicizing the company's name. Negative or positive, publicity is still publicity. Taking advantage of controversy leads to more popularity for the company. For the print media, one of the company's well known ads is the previous poster featuring some of the world's top models. This particular ad showed what came to be known as "The Angels". Those included in the promotion were Maria Ines Rivero, Adriana Lima, Heidi Klum, Rebecca Romjin, and Tyra Banks. The image of these women alone could draw attention from a certain group of people. With the additional elements and effects, the print ad can cater to the taste of even more people (TV Acres, n.d.). As part of their promotions, the company used the internet in promoting the show, and a wise move was using it to broadcast the event. The strategy has not only pulled in a large number of people into watching the show, but has also widened the company's market by introducing the brand and its products to more people. Another benefit from this technique is that the company has gained more supporters who are also potential (loyal) consumers. Recommendations Victoria's Secret has an edge in terms of their advertising because of the type of product that they market. The company's promotions are all effective despite some of the controversial ads. However, to further maximize their sales, the company should experiment more on the different types of media that they have already used. The internet, as the world progresses, presents even more ways and venues for promotion and advertising. More business opportunities and expanded markets bloom through online marketing or e-commerce. The company needs only to play with the different media types and take advantage of the available online resources. One particular media activity that the company can use is holding online designing competitions and using the other media types for the promotion. Another would be creating an online store and tapping certain supermodels or celebrities to be online storeowners whom consumers can interact with over the internet. As proven before, fashion events with simulcasts over the internet are effective and the company should have more modifications of this activity. Exploration on how they can form a collaboration between the broadcast and print media and e-commerce is what the company should focus on. WORKS CITED Frisby, Cyntha (2000). Positioning Strategies: Writing Advertising Objectives. Retrieved 1 April 2007 http://web.missouri.edu/frisbyc/J318/positioning_and_advertising_ob.html Limited Brands (2007). Limited Brands: Victoria's Secret. Retrieved 1 April 2007 http://limitedbrands.com/brands/vs/index.jsp TV Acres (n.d.) Advertising Mascots-People. Victoria's Secrets Angels. Retrieved 1 April 2007 http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_angels.htm Read More