Timberland's Response to Their Unexpected Non-Target Consumers

NIKE Inc. has been the worldwide leader of athletic shoe sales for many years now. The company’s successful brand image combined competition and enablement for the competitive, athletic user. Nike has to modify their brand to a focus of excitement and freedom and not just competitiveness. By collecting and studying an assortment of material we could be able to understand where NIKE is currently placed in the athletic shoe industry compared to their competition, and how they will be able to adjust their brand focus so it can be more effective in the future. These adjustments can help NIKE reach the more casual group of urban runners and ultimately increase the sales forecasts, while still controlling a percentage of the market for athletic shoes.

Sportsman Shoes has been a leader in the shoe industry for more than thirty years. Sportsman manufactures and sells athletic shoes for all types of sports. The company has pursued a low-cost strategy in order to sustain their success. They sell a limited number of shoe designs and have held costs low through manufacturing efficiency and standardized operations. However, the past five years have been a struggle at Sportsman. The shoe market has seen a rise in the availability of low-cost imported shoes that has threatened Sportsman’s competitive position. As a result, company executives have decided it is time for a strategy shift.

In the article “What We Are to Advertisers,” James Twitchell argues that “different products have different meanings to different audiences.” This is a valid argument because every product today can be interpreted differently by people. Barbie, for example, is viewed as an awesome toy by many young girls; however, few boys purchase Barbie because it is considered to be feminine. Cowboys boots can also be interpreted differently by groups of people. Someone living in an urban city would likely consider cowboys boots to be unfashionable or out of style. Unlike people from the urban city, those living in rural areas may regard the boots to be fashionable and stylish. Another example can be seen in the fragrance industry. Perfume is nearly identical

Customers make purchasing decisions based on the information they have among products and the values of goods a company offers. For that reason, companies have to promote their products to increase products awareness. In order to achieve organizational goals, companies must understand the market’s needs to ensure the success of their businesses. Such information can be gained through research. The industry that will form the basis of this paper is Western Canadian Shoe Association. The three brands under study are Reebok, Adidas, and Nike.

What are the common consequences of remixing? According to Jenkins, “The rise of disco culture in the '70s inspired producers to cut longer ‘extended versions’ of singles so club patrons could weed out the songs they liked for more than the usual three to four minutes”(Jenkins). I believe that if true artists fear that their music may be remixed then they may not do it to their best ability. Now, imitation/remixing in art is not only all right, but it is encouraged, and using someone else’s sound, idea, etc. is considered flattery. According to UC Davis professor of law Thomas W. Joo said, “Most copyright scholars agree that this power is inimical to semiotic democracy and that reforming

Pepsi or Coke? Apple or Android? Starbucks or Tim Hortons? These are seemingly insignificant choices between products; however, taken together they structure the lives of individuals. To reduce brands to anything less would be to negate the significance they hold in the fabric of individual’s lives. What is important, then, is to uncover the ways in which certain brands weave their way into this fabric through their advertising practices and promotional culture. This paper begins with a brief historical outline of consumer culture and it’s ties to neoliberalism, and then moves to an in depth exploration of the way in which companies work to create and maintain a positive brand image among consumers. Through a focus on branding, versus product-specific advertising, companies work to create attachments and emotional bonds, effectively creating a loyal and invested customer base. Corporations draw upon established systems of meaning, selling consumer’s values and beliefs back to them in the form of a brand. This process is not unidirectional, operating simultaneously through individual consent and participation. In our modern, neoliberal market place, notions of individuality have positioned “the choosing self at the center of consumer culture”, and individuals seek self-fulfillment and satisfaction from “active lifestyle choices” (Arvidsson, 2001, p. 48). The self has come to be defined by the brands one identifies with.

Our consumers’ perception of the brand, J.Crew, usually entails the style they advertise in commercials and television. J.Crew can be seen as a style with practical women in finely cut business suits and overcoats. When most people visualize the company they visualize classy and professional clothing. The problem is they are not seen as the standard, like Gap, for instance, they lack the basic necessities to attract young college students. J.Crew just wants to maintain its professional status, but attract a younger crowd who are establishing their position in the real world applying and interview for jobs. When walking into the store, consumers see bright lights and a variety of fabrics and styles. The dresses range from simple around the house to dressy date-night dresses. The one-thing consumers’ can expect to see when entering J. Crew is the variety of clothing. Consumers’ can perceive clothing brands based on what they see on

When it comes to the concept of sneakers and clothing, the majority of the population would think of it as just something we wear every day. They don’t think too much of it, and simply see them as something we wear. However, there is a certain part of population who love and live by clothing and sneakers. Major sneaker and clothing brands have established themselves to be forces in the market economy and with this they are attracting high demand and popularity. With the success of these brands, comes the subculture of sneakers and streetwear, who have attained a cult like following. I myself and many others are part of the subculture where we follow all things sneakers and clothing.

The chances of the company’s initiative in regaining its initial image could only be successful if it gives the existing marketing strategy a face-lift. For the company to regenerate the consumers’ interest in the new brands of products, it has to establish a link between the traditional product brand and the current brands.

In determining whether or not a brand extension will be successful, corporations and marketing strategists must attempt to build strong correlations between the existing brand and/or product line. A strong pairing or high-fit brand extension immediately associates a new line or extension with currently held views of consumers. The more dissimilar a new product

In 1993, a number of employees in Sierra Design decided to start their own outdoor apparel company. They capitalized on their expertise in the field and with the support of an

The Timberland Co. has five main goals that their company wishes to achieve. The first is becoming the authentic outdoor brand of choice. Timberland will try to accomplish this by coming up with new and innovative products that are constantly being demanded. Their next goal as a company is to be the business partner of choice by providing value to their customers. It is not enough that they get their product to their customers. It is of greater importance to Timberland that the quality of the shoe or boot being made is accepted and that the cost for their footwear is affordable. The third goal of Timberland is to be one of the top employers of choice internationally. Around 25 years ago was the first time Timberland went global, creating stores in Italy and around Europe. This international presence is one of the reasons that Timberland is the footwear giant it is today. International sales represent 40% of their total assets (1). The final two company goals are to be the reference for socially responsible business worldwide

Murketing, as described by Rob Walker, is a marketing approach in which “the line between brand channels and everyday life” is blurred or unclear (Walker, 2008). As he pointed out, the dialogue that was prominent in previous marketing campaigns appears to be missing. For example, who is the targeted audience, why you should purchase these products, questions which are longer prominent (or at least not transparent) (Walker, 2008) What Walker described as the “murketing” phenomenon is also articulated by other authors such as Anthony J. Cortese. Cortese asserted, “Now, in order to market a brand, advertisers usually have to use a very soft sell. It is so soft that the product is not the focus and is, in fact, often jettisonable. It is not that advertising no longer wishes to be authoritative; rather, ads and commercials get the consumer’s attention by proclaiming their presence or participation and matter-of-factly admitting their ulterior motive-to sell their brand merchandise (Cortese, 2008). Murketing, therefore, allows consumers to place their own definition of value to the product.

The objective of marketing is to produce bottom-line results by increasing sales and high investment returns. Marketing campaigns establish long-term goals in pursuance of increasing the value of a brand over time while sales promotions set short-term goals as a means to sway consumers toward a particular brand. In order for a marketing strategy to be successful, awareness of the brand needs increasing as well as changing potential consumers attitude about a product, a company or services that are being offered. “Increased brand awareness is not only one of the most common marketing communication objectives; it is also typically the first for a new company.” (Kokemuller, 1). When advertising, identifying the target audience is one of the first things that need to be done. Identify the target audience through a channel of communication so the right customer is

In recent times, branding has played a pivotal role in some brands’ success. This has been made possible through the ability of some marketers to capture the essence and minds of people (consumers), and put the trends and characteristics into the personality of a brand. Customers have always found ways to identify themselves with certain products, and on several occasions, branding campaigns