Monthly Archives: March 2018

by | Tuesday, March 20, 2018 · 6:56 am

Brand Extension – PetComfort

 

Brand and product line extensions can be tricky things to successfully pull off. If the extension is too far out of the organization’s capabilities, or if the extension brings the organization into contact with a new target market, then the extension might be too costly or risky. However, when the extension helps expand the offerings and meet needs of the current market, it can be a beautiful thing.

WeatherTech is a company well-known for its American-made floor mats and trunk liners. It has gained greater market awareness through advertising in the Super Bowl for each of the last five years. However, WeatherTech recently announced an interesting brand and product line extension that takes it into a new market – pet care. The new brand is called PetComfort and is a line of pet food bowls and mats that are made to human-safety standards.

The PetComfort products are ergonomically designed stainless steel bowls on an elevated state with integrated floor mat. Materials are NSF-certified safe for humans and uses anti-microbial and anti-fungal additives and resins that are meet FDA requirements. The products come in different sizes and colors and range in price from $89.95 – $149.95.

Does this new product line fit into the WeatherTech brand?

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss product and brand extensions. What makes for successful extensions? Unsuccessful extensions?
  2. Show WeatherTech Web site: http://www.weathertech.com/

Show PetComfort Web site: https://www.petcomfort.com/

  1. Which marketing strategy is WeatherTech using for PetComfort? (Ex: market penetration, product development, market development, or diversification)
  2. Divide students into teams. Have teams develop a target market profile for WeatherTech products and PetComfort products.
  3. What are the similarities? Differences?

Source:  Buss, D. (27, Feb., 2018). For Pet’s Sake. Brandchannel.com

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by | Thursday, March 15, 2018 · 7:33 am

Outdoor Ads and Serena Williams

Serena Williams is one of the world’s greatest tennis players of all time. And, as a new mother, her husband and baby girl have proclaimed that she is also the “greatest momma of all time!” (G.M.O.A.T) They made the announcement in a very public way, too – giant billboards!

Using a series of four billboards outside Palm Springs, Calif., the billboards coincided with William’s return to competitive tennis as she competes in her first professional match since giving birth. While the billboards were charming and included photos of baby Olympia, the billboards also lend weight to one of Alexis Ohanian’s (William’s husband) business holdings. Ohanian used an outdoor advertising company named AdQuick to design and place the ads; he has a financial stake in the company.

It’s a lovely, and clever, play as AdQuick brings online tools to outdoor advertising to make the process of buying and measuring easier and more transparent. The company aims to solve two problems with outdoor advertising – getting billboards designed is usually a slow, low-tech process and it can be difficult to measure the impact of billboard campaigns.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss the various promotional tactics that can be used for launching a product.
  2. Have students come up with tactics and list all the tactics on the white board (ex: billboards, print, direct mail, etc.).
  3. Discuss the use of billboards and other outdoor advertising.
  4. Divide students into groups to work on this exercise.
  5. For a product of their choosing, have each team develop a creative billboard. Make sure they define the target market, key message, and billboard location.
  6. Note: Look up creative billboards online and show several in class to spark ideas. Many ideas can be found by doing a Google image search for “creative billboards.”

Source:  Nudd, T. (27 February, 2018). Those cute ads with Serena Williams and her baby are also ads for the billboard company. Ad Week.

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by | Tuesday, March 13, 2018 · 7:30 am

Dunkin’ Donuts Will Get Rid of Foam Cups by 2020

We know Planet Earth is in trouble with changing weather patterns, and a significant problem with plastics polluting and harming the oceans. The planet deserves the respect, and need the help, of all citizens and corporations.

One significant problem faced around the globe is the increased use of foam packaging, which has often been cited as a source of many environmental problems. A number of environmentally-focused organizations have challenged global companies to reduce or eliminate their use of polystyrene.

One company heeding the call is Dunkin’ Donuts. The company recently announced its plan to eliminate all polystyrene foam cups throughout its global supply chain by 2020. The coffee giant will replace foam coffee cups with double-walled paper cups. The majority of the company’s international operations have already begun using paper cups; New York City and California will be adopting the new cups this year.

The move to eliminate foam cups is a significant change in the company’s supply and distribution chains. This is no small matter – there are more than 9,000 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in the U.S. alone – that’s a lot of coffee cups!

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss setting SMART objectives (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound).
  2. Show video about Dunkin’ Donuts switch: https://youtu.be/3kAP01BeRo4
  3. What are the SMART objectives set by Dunkin’ Donuts?
  4. Divide students into teams. Have each team develop five SMART objectives for a product of their choosing. Have the goals reflect various strategies including growth, sustainability, profitability, etc.
  5. Discuss the objectives. How would the objectives change if a different strategy was used?
  6. Debrief the exercise.

Source:  Sustainable Brands (9 February, 2018). Dunkin’ Donuts to eliminate foam cups by 2020.

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