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Lamb Chapter 1 Web Exercise
An Overview of Marketing
Vignette: Regarding market orientation, it is important to be
creative in conducting research to ensure that the company is doing
well at reaching customers and serving their needs.
Featured URL: www.levi.com
Marketing Blue Jeans: Check out the Competition on the Web!
In Chapter 1 in your textbook you read about a Levi Strauss vice-president
who found it highly worthwhile to conduct personal research to learn
what teenagers were thinking about. The purpose was to develop products
that would appeal to that group of potential customers. Most people,
especially teens, have heard of blue jeans even if they don't wear them.
The blue denim fabric used in jeans (and in other articles-jackets,
shirts, shorts, skirts, bags, and so on) is very much in demand. Blue
jeans styles and clothes have been in fashion for many years.
Brand recognition for Levis has reached the point where the word "levis"
has come to mean "blue jeans" around the world. What other
products have succeeded to this degree? "Coke" is often used
to mean a cola drink, "Nikes" to mean running shoes, and Kleenex
to mean facial tissues. What other brands have become a part of our
vocabulary?
When a brand has this high a level of recognition in the marketplace,
the competition has to use a lot of market savvy to get the attention
of buyers. One relatively new approach involves establishing a Website
for the business. In the Resources section for this Web Exercise you
will find listed a number of Websites that promote blue jeans products.
You will also find listed some of the elements typically found on commercial
Websites. It is worth getting familiar with these elements, as you will
be visiting many Websites while you learn more about marketing on the
Internet.
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Visit the featured Website for Levi Strauss. Tour the site, noting
the various elements. Does anything surprise you? Do you find anything
that was not on the list of site elements? Some sites have options
for international customers, but many don't identify Canada as a specific
market. Does this bother you? How could you address this oversight?
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Take a glance at the other jeans Websites listed in the Resources
section. Select two of the sites to evaluate in greater detail, comparing
each with the Levis site.
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Create a table for comparing the two sites you chose with the Levi
site. Based on your comparison, which site do you think has the better
marketing strategy? Explain.
Websites that market blue jeans. Featured site—Levi: www.levi.com
Elements found on e-commerce Websites
- Main focus: product catalogue, display and description of merchandise
and/or services and prices
- Targeting: location/language choice, client categories for
products (i.e., men, women, girls, boys, infants, toddlers), fitting/size
information, limited offers-gift certificates-promotions-seasonal specials,
fashion styles
- Extra attractions: links to sponsored events, investor information,
employment opportunities
- Customer concerns: FAQs, retail locations, customer relations,
contact information
- Selling products and services: privacy policies, guarantees,
security for payment transactions, returns, shipping and delivery
- Profile company: about us, history of company, mission statement
- Engaging interactivity, personalization, gathering data: registration
for newsletter, survey or poll
- Giving assistance: navigation aids, help, site search engine
- Special effects (such as flash animation, mouse-over sound/graphics,
video clips) requirements to view site optimally: media player, plug-ins,
frames capable browser, pdf reader.
These Web Exercises provide an additional opportunity for exploration
of Chapter 1.
INVESTIGATING A COMMERCIAL WEBSITE: Be a Marketing Detective!
- Closer Look: Questions
Take a closer look at any Website found in this chapter, and answer
the following questions.
- What means have been provided to gather data on who visits the
site?
- How could information gathered about customers be helpful in further
developing the marketing approach used by the company?
- What do the following elements suggest regarding the company's
current philosophy of marketing? About Us/Who We Are, History, Employment
Opportunities, Customer Service.
- What items on the site enhance and demonstrate concern for customer
satisfaction? customer loyalty? building customer relationships?
- Why would you return to this site?
- What conveniences does the site provide for customers?
- Is there any item that for you encourages brand loyalty?
- If you had a problem with a product purchased from this company,
how would you use the site to get a response to your complaint?
- Deeper Investigation
Conduct a deeper investigation of the jeans sites:
- Send an e-mail to each of three jeans Websites asking for further
information regarding employment opportunities for a marketing student
(or graduate).
- Investigate any aspects of the sites that reflect society's best
interests. Create a public service advertisement for one company
that reflects its concern about the communities it serves.
- Discuss the orientation to marketing that each jeans site implies
-sales or marketing. Provide examples.
- Investigating by Category
Investigating Websites by category of product or services:
- Use other product sites to conduct comparisons. Investigations
could be done for sites in the following categories: music, cosmetics,
cars.
- Choose a category, then visit three to five sites in this category
and make comparisons.
- As an extension of b., develop a table to chart the elements of
each site for comparison purposes. Elements could come from the
list included with this Web Exercise, or could include some other
aspect of marketing, such as marketing orientation, customer value,
societal concepts, or marketing objectives.
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