Case Analysis Of “The Fashion Channel”
Introduction and Problem Definition
The Fashion Channel case illustrates the development of market segmentation options in implementing marketing strategies in a changing competitive environment, and demonstrates how quantitative analysis may be used to support a strategic marketing decision.
The Fashion Channel (TFC) was a widely available niche cable network which only offers fashion-oriented programming. It was very successful until other regular networks began to copy its concept and take market share of it, which as a result, had a severe negative effect on TFC’s advertising revenue and affiliate fees. The problem is how to develop the segmentation and positioning, change the current
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Opportunity:
λ TFC can pursue competitors’ customers by initiatives for customers’ fickleness.
λ It can gain the preference from ad buyers easily by improving the ratings.
λ It is a right time to gain more profits when this industry is booming.
Threat:
λ TFC should compete with the regular programming for buying rating and demographics and with the fashion-specific one for contents.
λ TFC has to develop a unique strategy and differentiate its products to prevent copies.
λ TFC will lose attractiveness to cable affiliates if just keeps the worst rating. (See Appendix 1)
λ If the new target group is smaller than the old one, the rating will decrease, which will lead to the losing of ad buyers who use surveys and programs as decision aid.
λ If initiatives can not satisfy most consumers, TFC will lose the cable operator, affiliate and distribution support easily.
Alternative courses of action
Scenario1: Develop a multi-segment strategy, and focus on Fashionistas, Planners & Shoppers and Situationalists between the women aged 18 to 34.
Advantages: Through implementing various marketing tools on new target segment, the rating will increase from 1.0 to 1.2, leading to the increase in average viewers.
Disadvantages: Since there is no real change in viewers’ type and programming, the CPM will drop by 10% or more and competitors will continue taking its market share. (See Appendix 2)
Scenario2: Focus on the Fashionistas segment
5. An analysis of the individual customer accounts suggest that TFC’s current pricing model is ineffective. They are undercharging an alarming number of their customers thereby reducing their overall profitability. Based on this information, managers will hopefully elect to implement the services based pricing model so that customers are charged based on the services they are actually consuming. Ideally, changing the current pricing model will resolve the issue of customers reducing profit by 140% and 60% (Exhibit 8, numbers 3 and 4). If there are still profit draining customers, management should revisit and assess accordingly, either further increasing fees to those customers so their contribution is positive, or perhaps dropping these customers to increase overall profitability.
The company is experiencing an increased level of competitions from its rivals after the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decided to open the markets and deregulated specific areas of industry.
When a brand is created, many will ask the questions that haunt all of us trying to start a company. Will it work? Should we stay online or launch a brick-and-mortar store? Will I make profit or fail? These questions arise even more when the company is to start only online. Because of this, e-commerce fashion brands must constantly evolve and expand their styles to maintain the interest of their target customers. Fashion Nova is one fashion brand that manages to stay relevant among its consumers because of their edgy style and quality priced clothing. Fashion Nova was first established in 2010. It gained its popularity from celebrities promoting it on their social media platforms and the fact
Consumer behavior is also a factor to be considered, because factors affecting consumer behavior will make clients not to buy, for one reason or another. To get the target market or rather to increase the target market, one has to create and deliver content that attracts and contains customers. As is in the case of our products in John Deere Company, necessary strategies have to be implemented to retain the new target market. Marketing strategies capable of luring people especially the old
Also the loss that Rogers Cable could incur as a result of customer erosion should be taken into consideration while choosing an alternative.
Also the CPM will increase to $2,5 because of a dual targeting. In addition to this the average Rating will increase from 1% to 1.2%. Cons: To ensure that there were selections aimed at both segments; Wheeler needs to spend $20,000,000 more on programming. Because of the determination only on this two segments it can be that the number of the loyal viewers of TCF will decrease. Exercise 3: If you were Dana Wheeler, what would you recommend and why? If I was Dana Wheeler I would recommend TCF that they should adopt Scenario 3. However, Scenario 3 has a few disadvantages. For example the possibility to lose some loyal viewers and furthermore TCF has to spend $20,000,000 more on programming which means investing a lot of money for them. But in my opinion, in Scenario 3, the benefits exceed the disadvantages. On the one hand through this Scenario the Net Income will increase more than $100,000,000. In addition to that the CPM will increase to $2,5 and the average Rating will increase from 1% to 1.2%. On the other hand 50% of all US Television Households consist of Fashionistas and Planners/Shoppers. In these two markets the 18-34 year old female audience represents 50% and 25% of the cluster respectively. TCF should therefore increase the advertising revenue. The Scenario 3 is better than the Scenario 2 because Scenario 2 only focuses on the Fashionistas
But, unfortunately due to the enormous cost and very little public interest and demand Time-Warner decided to pull the plug on its nationwide change over to digital lines. This shows that the cable companies are surpassing the consumer demand for technology, making this industry a very hard one to market.
Please read and analyze this case on market segmentation and targeting options for a cable television network dedicated to fashion programming. No research into the industry or firm is necessary. Please use only the information provided by the case.
3. As more viewers begin using PVRs, what happens to the revenues of the major networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX)?
The Fashion Channel (TFC), founded in 1996, is a successful cable TV network dedicated to all things fashion. Although quite young compared to other TV networks, TFC has experienced steady growth and in 2006 forecasted its revenue at $310.6 million. TFC operates primarily as a niche network, focused solely on fashion and fashion related programming, but still manages to reach almost 80 million US households that subscribe to cable and satellite television. To date TFC has been able to experience growth in spite of having no clear segmentation, branding, or positioning strategy. Dana Wheeler, a recent hire as TFC’s Senior VP of marketing, was tasked to fix this.
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The problem that “THE FASHION CHANNEL” (TFC) faces is the selection of the right market segmentation and positioning strategy in order to maintain its position as a leader in fashion related networks, in addition to boosting its advertising sales and viewership ratings.
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