Overview
Your answers should show the depth of analysis and the link to the theory in the relevant chapter. Answers that reflect your personal opinion without referencing theoretical concepts are not accepted and are discouraged. You can also cite sources other than the book, such as articles, news reports, and so on. Your assignment shouldn't be longer than two pages, 1 1/2 spaced.Use the brand Aerie by American Eagle. Follow the Short case Study rubric that is linked.
Case Study: Marketing in Action Case Did you drink your eight glasses of water today? Medical experts say that specific advice is outdated, but the need for water drives many of us to grab a Dasani, Aquafina, or other brand of bottled water out of a vending machine. Many consumers now get their water out of the tap or water fountain and keep it cool in a stylish reusable water bottle. One brand of water bottle has managed to become the top choice for water consumers-the Hydro Flask that the Helen of Troy corporation manufactures. Its rise to number one was driven in large part by establishing and maintaining a strong brand that some customers say they not only prefer but love. The Hydro Flask was created in 2009 by a couple who were tired of drinking lukewarm water. Travis Rosbach and his girlfriend Cindy Weber improved upon the double-wall vacuum insulation bottles that the Thermos Brand invented back in 1904 by making its new bottles stylish and colorful and remarkably effective at keeping cold drinks cold. They first sold their innovation at the county fair and later at farmers' markets in Bend, Oregon, an area full of hikers and campers. As proof of their product's thermal capability, the founders put ice in the bottles the day before and then showed prospective customers how the ice cubes were still floating inside even after having been in the hot sun for a day. That demonstration converted many prospects to customers and led them not only to buy the product but to bring their friends to see this new bottle. The original inventors sold their ownership stake to an investor to keep up with the company's growth, and that investor later sold to consumer products conglomerate Helen of Troy. The new corporate owner brought both money and distribution relationships that helped propel Hydro Flask's growth even fur-ther. External factors also played a role. A greater interest in more nutritious eating and exercise contributed to an awareness of the role of water in good health. This contributed to bottled water's growth in popularity, surpassing the sales of carbonated drinks in 2016. But some consumers were concerned about the environmental impact of all those plastic bottles. The 2008 recession may have also impacted reusable water bottle sales as consumers tightened their budgets. Hydro Flask's marketing efforts, most notably its focus on design and variety in its product offerings, have also helped. In adition to perfecting its fundamental cooling functionality, the company focused on the aesthetics of its product. The bot-tes exterior is powder-coated, a painting technique that looks reat and is durable with a slight texture to it for an easier grip. A variety of bright colors and a whimsical logo make the product noticeable particularly since it is too large to hide away in a backpack. The company also employed an approach simiat to the technique used in the company's early farmers' market days to win over distributors. Hudro Flask sales reps would lave bottles of ice water at dealer offices and then ask them to call when the ice melted. These marketing efforts, with some help from the external factors, led to significant sales growth; in 2019, purchases of Real Choices at Helen of Troy Hydro Flask increased 239 percent. But the more impressive part of the Hydro Flask story is the depth of affection that its customers have for the brand and its products. Founder Ros-bach recalls that his first customer at that county fair almost started crying when he saw the unmelted ice in the bottle. Whitney Todosiev, a Palos Verdes High School junior, says about her Hydro Flask, "Now that I have one, I realize that ove mine." She has even given her bottle a name: Barry. According to Scott Allan, the brand's former global general manager, "Customers came up to us and didn't just say, 'We ove your product' or 'We love your company,'" says Allan. "They were saying, 'We love your brand.'" What's behind all this brand love? Customers clearly appreciate the functional value the product delivers (that ice just won't melt). But they also seem to like what the product and brand say about them as users. Carrying a water bottle communicates that health is important and that exercise or outdoor activities are part of one's life. It could also signal concern for the environment. These priorities are hallmarks of a particular type of consumer known as "VSCO girls," so named for their prolific use of the photo sharing app VSCO. These teens are known for their "beachy, California style" and their concern for the environment. They are also concerned with having all the right accessories, including the Hydro Flask, that appear in many of their social media posts. Hydro Flask's focus on personalization allows VSCO girls and other customers not only to choose their bottle style and color but to dress it up with stickers and other marks of their personal style. The attraction to reusable bottles is not limited to teens: 74 percent of millennials reported owning one. "With millen-nials, fitness and health are themselves signals," says Tülin Erdem, a marketing professor at NYU. "They drink more water and carry it with them, so it's an item that becomes part of them and their self-expression." One researcher suggested that the water bottle has become a "comforting, adulty 'binky,"" with users having one they take when they exercise, one for the car, and one they use at the office. The tendency to own more than one Hydro Flask is one key to the brand's continued growth. Hydro Flask offers lim-ited-edition series and opportunities to mix and match different colors and accessories, which supports a marketing strategy called "just one more." The company also has the opportunity to expand internationally and to move into new categories like insulated grocery totes and hydration packs. The success of these growth plans will largely depend on whether the Hydro Flask continues to be the reusable bottle among VSCO girls and the other consumers who love to use it and love to talk about their love for the brand. Among those is a fan of the brand who said, "I will be buried with all of my different sizes of Hydro Flask. Maybe by then Hydro Flask will come out with a coffin, that for lifetime values, so I can be buried in that, too.
Questions:Questions for Discussion 9-30. What brand (in a different product category than reusable water bottles) do you love or at least have a strong affection for? Translate the reasons that you love your brand into generic attributes to which other brands could aspire (for example, "high quality" or "rugged"). 9-31. For the brand you identified above, which attributes that you listed do not directly relate to the performance of the product (for example, "sophisticated")? What marketing tactics may have influenced your inclusion of those brand attributes in your list? 9-32. Helen of Troy has a history of growth and expansion g its product offerings. Its goal for the future is to continue growing its products, including the Hydro Flask. Describe three possible growth strategies Helen of Troy might consider for Hydro Flask. What are the pros and cons of each? Which one would you recommend and why?
part 2-Answer the questions in paragraph form. 4-5 sentences each question as a base-guide:
Mobile commerce (m-commerce) occurs via a smartphone or tablet instead of a desktop or laptop computer.
a. How has m-commerce changed the way consumers shop?
b. What do marketers need to do now and in the future to support their m-commerce customers better?
c. What do you think the future of m-commerce will be?
then, respond to these two comments, using the discussion rubric that is linked.
Person 1:
a. M-commerce has changed how consumers shop by adding another layer of convenience to their shopping experience. They can order things while doing almost anything, whether it be during a commute (please not while driving) or staying inside either because you want to or have to. M-commerce has removed the physical ties to stores and allows consumers to buy products from all over the globe.
b. Marketers will need to be ready to continuously update the user experience of apps to keep up with the popularity of m-commerce and its constant innovation. As the surge in AI usage is not going to slow down any time soon, they might as well leverage its capabilities to give more personalized experiences on apps or websites.
c. As technology continues to evolve and our lives become more and more reliant upon it, m-commerce will eventually become a thing of the past. We will inevitably outgrow it the same way we outgrew older things such as the typewriter, cassette tapes, Stick shift cars etc. But as of right now m-commerce is going to remain a major factor in our modern lives and it is almost necessary that companies at the very least dip their toes into it.
Person 2:
a. M-commerce has changed the way consumers shop by streamlining the process of buying online. Many stores or retailers have an app that allows customers to create a profile and save their shipping information, payment information, and search history. This can give the consumer a more personalized experience, enhance engagement, and make it much easier to order that item they just saw in someone else’s hand or in the advertisement they just saw.
b. By the consumer creating a profile on the app, the retailer now has the browsing history of the consumer along with their location at any given time, if permission was granted, as well as any other information gathered when a profile is created. Now the retailer can send push notifications via the app based on preferences and browsing history. Also, if permission was granted, notifications can be sent when the mobile device is within a certain range of a brick-and-mortar store.
Moving forward, marketers need to make sure that mobile apps and websites are fully optimized to be compatible with mobile devices. This will help to create a smooth experience for the consumer that will keep them coming back and making purchases. They also need to make sure that they are using or creating abilities to best reach consumers and give them a personalized experience. Lastly, marketers need to ensure the safety of consumers’ information on their websites and apps.
c. I think that m-commerce will continue to grow and become more competitive. This is why I think things like security and personalized experiences will set retailers apart from each other. An app could be viewed as an intangible product as discussed in chapter 8 of our textbook. The core product is shopping or browsing, the product is the app, but the augmented product are the bells and whistles. Things like augmented reality could be one of those frills so a customer can see what a piece of furniture looks like in their home, how that new article of clothing might look on them or how a different pair of eye glass frames might look on them.