Professional management skills assessment: Reebok, In pursuit of generation X

Résumé du document

The definition of viral marketing corresponds to the creation of a buzz in the internet that will be spread due to 'word of mouth'. This advertising strategy, in the condition that it respects the value of the product, is a good use of the media and the communication networks, an efficient growth of the target, the consumer needs, and considers the competition, allows the company to increase its brand awareness. Thus, on long term, the group should be able to increase its sales. Reebok is the third actor in it's market and tries to struggle against the competition of Nike and Adidas. Micky Pant, the marketing director of the group, put the new advertising strategy into practice by investing $4 million for Terry Tate's commercial that took advantage of the context of Super Bowl XXXVII's American football game. The difference that Reebok created is clear: it is an added value that complemented the traditional ad campaigns. Indeed, it is a better way to include the new target that the sporting shoes and apparel market is facing the 'Generation X'. This age group tends to change it's values, from materialism to a meaning of happiness and personal achievement. They are much less receptive to the traditionnal advertising that is almost saturated in the global medias (TV, direct mail) and spend most of their time surfing on the web using new social networks (the blogs, Youtube, and now Facebook, etc).

Extraits

[...] For this reason Reebok had to come up with an innovative campaign with a creative and memorable message to catch the interest of the new generation of internet visitors. The use of direct mail is a frequent new way to advertise. The case of hotmail, with the tag your private free email at http://www.hotmail.com"[4] at the bottom of every free message, shows that the propagation of the message can be very fast and efficient to get new mail subscribers. However, it does not interact with the potential clients in the same way: the attention is wider when the surfers look hear about a video through a friend or a relative. [...]

[...] Progressively, the market was changing and the consumers were using new medias, thus Reebok started to make online and mobile advertising, but still this new change was not enough to get the majority of the generation X. This important target group for Reebok corresponds to the age category born between 1965 and 1980. Their features are quite new in the society: Gen Xers look for new values. In contradiction with the baby boomers, they are much less materialistic and have a different meaning of success. [...]

[...] Professional management skills assessment: Reebok, In pursuit of generation X Table of contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 INTRODUCTION 3 Micky Pant can be credited with introducing a novel (at the time) and innovative tool into Reebok's advertising strategy. Viral marketing was at the time only superficially understood. How would you explain this technique to a lay audience? 3 To what extent does it complement of replace traditional media e.g. ; television, billboards, direct mail, etc. ? 4 Evaluate the Terry Tate commercials. [...]

[...] In other words, Internet is the best way to spread the information. Scales easily from small to very large: word of mouth is the best way to develop the target Exploits common motivations and behaviors: the marketing strategy has to be designed according to the motivations and behaviors of the target. Utilizes existing communication networks: the use of famous communication networks is important (youtube, facebook for videos; useful mail server for text transmission, etc). Indeed, the easier the network is used, the better the dispersion will be. [...]

[...] At first, we will define the viral marketing, its added value and the way it has been applied by Reebok in the context of the Generation X . In a second time, the marketing indicators will allow us to evaluate Terry Tate buzz and the positive and negative points that have been impacted by this strategy. Micky Pant can be credited with introducing a novel (at the time) and innovative tool into Reebok's advertising strategy. Viral marketing was at the time only superficially understood. [...]