Blog 4: Rissa's Recommendations for Fall

After writing about one of my favorite brands in my third blog post, I was inspired to come up with a definitive list of my top picks for the fall fashion season. So, I have dedicated my entire fourth blog post all to some of my favorite fall must haves! Without further adieu, here are Rissa’s Recommendations for what to get this season.

Ranking in at number one is the brand Hunter, which is a designer rain boot label. Hunter boots are a must have for the fall mud season, as well as the transition into early winter. They offer a wide array of styles, colors, and types of boots to cater to any girl’s taste. They also sell customized socks to winterize their boots so that they can be worn even in the colder months. I purchased my first pair of Hunter boots last fall and probably wore them every other day up until the end of the spring! While these boots are pricey, they have great value in my opinion because they are versatile, stylish, and practical.

My second brand recommendation for the fall season is American Eagle Jeans. Not only are these jeans affordable, I have found that they can last up to many seasons and should thus be a staple to every girl’s wardrobe. American Eagle does a great job designing jeans that flatter all body types as well catering to a wide array of style types within their denim line. My favorite fit is the Skinny Kick Boot in dark wash, because I find this pair to add a sense of sophistication to my look while at the same time ensuring me comfort. American Eagle is a good example of a company that has successfully developed it’s brand personality, or set of human characteristics associated with the brand. For American Eagle, its brand personality is young, flirty, and fun because they target to young and trendy women.

Coming in at number three on my list of brands to get is Patagonia. Patagonia is another designer brand, however it’s focus is on outdoor wear. In particular, I would recommend any of Patagonia’s fleeces or jackets for the fall season because they are of very high quality as well as very trendy. Patagonia is another great example of a company that has a well-established brand personality. It is also an example of a company that spends a considerable amount of time trying to establish its brand equity, which is the added value a brand name gives to a product beyond the functional benefits provided. Patagonia has become one of the most successful outdoor wear companies in the industry because it prides itself on its core values and the notion of maximizing the happiness of each and every consumer for a lifetime. All Patagonia products come with an ironclad guarantee, which is another reason why it is such a highly respectable brand.

My fourth recommendation would be to shop at Express. Express is another great example of a clothing store that is up to date with today’s fashion trends, is reasonably priced, and that flatters all body types. My favorite part of Express is their business section, because they offer high quality work clothes for young women who are just entering the work force as well as clothing for mature women who are already in the working world. Express also offers a wide arrange of night time outfits that are perfect for going out for a night with friends, on a date, or simply having a lazy weekend at home. Any Express item will make you feel confident because each article of clothing was specifically designed to make you look and feel you’re very best.

A final brand that I have recently become acquainted with and have immediately fallen in love with is Lululemon Athletica. Lululemon makes fashionable workout clothes that are perfect for women who are on the go and want to look good doing whatever it is they are doing! In particular, I would recommend a pair of their leggings. While they are expensive, they are extremely flattering and are designed to last a really long time. They also are a very comfortable material and can be worn while working out, running errands, or even out with friends. There are many different styles, colors, and types of leggings available so it should not be a problem finding a pair that works for you!

Rissa’s Recommendations Re-Cap

1. Hunter Boots
2. American Eagle Jeans
3. Patagonia Fleeces and Jackets
4. Shop at Express
5. Lululemon Athletica Leggings

After reading this post I hope I was able to offer you some fashion advice on what brands to watch for during this fall season.

That’s all for now,

-XOXO M

Sources:

Marketing, 12th Edition Roger Kerin, Steven Hartley, William Rudelius. McGraw-Hill: New York, 2015

http://us.hunterboots.com

http://www.ae.com/web/browse/category_products.jsp?catId=cat6430042

http://www.patagonia.com/us/home

http://www.express.com

http://shop.lululemon.com

Blog 3: Pantene Perfection

This week our focus in class was on how to manage successful products, services, and brands. We talked a lot about the product life cycle, the importance of branding strategies, and the role of packaging and labeling on a product’s success. Central to our learning all semester has been the idea that all successful products must be well managed. Furthermore, products that continue to remain profitable must constantly be aware of how their brand is doing as well as its place within the minds of consumers. Thus our discussion of product management this week sparked quite an interest in me to devote my third blog post all to the role of product management, specifically by highlighting one of my very favorite brands!

A perfect example of a company that has revamped its marketing strategies is Proctor and Gamble’s Pantene line of hair care products. It is also a perfect example of a brand that I use daily and one that I would highly recommend to everyone! As mentioned in chapter 11 of our textbook, Pantene’s shampoo and conditioner line is a great example of what successful product modification looks like.

Product modification is the altering of one or more of a product’s characteristics, such as its quality, performance, or appearance, in an attempt to increase the product’s value to customers and increase sales. Pantene specifically did this by reformulating their shampoo and conditioner lines and also re-launching the brand with a multimillion-dollar advertising and promotion campaign after they noticed an increase in competition. The result?

Currently, Pantene is the most successful shampoo and conditioner brand in the United States. This is quite an accomplishment considering the fact that the company was founded back in the 1940’s. This only reaffirms the point that product modification can be the key to a product’s success!

Pantene is not only a brand known for its shampoos and conditioners, however. It is also a great example of a company utilizing the concept of product line extensions, which is the practice of using a current brand name to enter a new market segment in its product class. Pantene has over 20 types of product lines ranging from anti-breakage formulas to color renewal treatments. Not only do they offer shampoos and conditioners, but other hair products too, such as hairsprays, serums, and creams.

I think that Pantene also does a good job with their packaging and labeling, both of which are correlating factors to a products ultimate success. Packaging and labeling not only creates customer value, but it also adds a competitive advantage to the product. Successful packaging and labeling offers a communication benefit to the consumer, because it not only draws interest to the product but also explains what the product is. Proper packaging and labeling also ensures that the product is well protected and stored, which is a functional benefit that shows the consumer that the product is of good quality. Finally, successful packaging and labeling has a perceptual benefit, because it sticks in the consumer’s mind and peaks their interest. This is arguably the most important piece to what packaging and labeling aims to do, because if a product is not able to stand apart from others it is less likely to be picked up and purchased.

Another avenue of marketing that Pantene has done a successful job in is their current media campaign. Pantene has succeeded in bringing awareness to their brand through celebrity endorsement, as I mentioned in my previous post as an important aspect of marketing. Recently, Selena Gomez has been the face of the line and I think that this has generated not only an increase in buzz marketing for the company, which attracts consumers attention, but also an increase in sales.

To conclude this post, I hope that you all will try Pantene’s products because they really do work and are truly of great value. Next time you are at the store, wander down the hair care isle and see if any Pantene products catch your eye!

That's all for now,
-XOXO M

Sources:

Marketing, 12th Edition Roger Kerin, Steven Hartley, William Rudelius. McGraw-Hill: New York, 2015

http://pantene.com/en-us/shop-products/browse-by-type/styling-products#viewtype:gridview/facets:/category:styling-products/page:1/sortby:popularity-desc/productsdisplayed:undefined/cwidth:3/promotilesenabled:false/pcwidth:1/pscroll:

http://www.twistmagazine.com/posts/selena-gomez-shows-off-4-different-hairstyles-in-her-new-pantene-ads-67648/photos/selena-gomez-pantene-bts-99083

http://news.pg.com/image/beauty-grooming/pantene-reinvention

http://www.carsymbols.net/pantene-logo-images/