Flat Earth Chips Positioning

According to Flat Earth chips’ commercial, they appear to be targeting middle-aged women who want a good serving of daily nutrition, yet still desire tasty foods like chips. But upon visiting their website, I was certain the product was targeted to very young children because of the game offered on their website. The game I played was to get all of Flat Earth’s fruits in a separate basket to form Flat Earth flavored chips, and it reminded me of the game children play to get all the squares into the square hole, circles into the circle hole, etc. The positioning of their product from their website and their commercials clearly did not match: what woman would sit at a computer and drop virtual fruits into a basket? They would not, but perhaps her children would. To change this mix-up, I would incorporate children to the commercial, promoting that the chips are healthy for children too. That way, both the mother and the child can enjoy the same good-tasting food item. It’s a chip for the whole household! And by adding children, the children can enjoy the fun online game and the mothers can potentially teach their kids about fruits and healthy servings. If the brand were to position itself entirely to college-age students, like myself, they could promote their chips as the healthy alternative to the abundance of unhealthy chips out there that so many of us consume. Girls especially are worried that they will gain their “freshman 15” (pounds) upon entering college. So with these chip girls can eat and only fill their bodies with a good nutritional serving of fruits and vegetables! “Freshman 15? Not with Flat Earth Chips!” They can also advertise their product as an on-the-go chip for those college students who are in a rush and need a healthy snack.

Ethics In Advertising

It would make sense that companies need to specifically advertise to their target market for maximum sells, because advertising to the entire public would be unnecessary and a waste of money. But one has to ask whether companies go too far in reaching out to their target customer. Are the effects of their advertisements damaging over a long period of time? In many cases, the answer is yes.
Consider McDonalds marketing to young children. What might seem as harmless on the surface could actually be long-term destructive. Babies with a picture of French fries over their heads and a McDonalds’ bib look cute, but is McDonalds pulling children into their arches before they can even speak? Young children’s minds aren’t developed enough to notice when they are being lured into the marketing industry to potentially grow up and be a loyal and lifetime customer. The effects of McDonalds’ enticing ads of Ronald McDonald, fun and exciting PlayPlaces, and tasty fast foods, can eventually be harmful if kids are allowed to eat at the restaurant several days a week. Poor nutrition will certainly become a part of their lifestyles. In an in-class decision on the subject, one student said that her cousins now do not even want to eat home-made foods; instead, they beg for fast food like McDonalds. She cannot get them to eat anything but fries and chicken nuggets or hamburgers because they have already attached themselves to fast foods. Obesity is a growing rate in this country and it can be surmised that McDonalds targeting to young children is, over-time, poorly affecting children’s lifestyles and their health decisions.
The advertising industry certainly does not stop with McDonalds. Now, the game of LIFE has recently changed its paper money to visa credit cards, stating that now the game is more “realistic.” Most likely the Visa Company is teaming up with Hasbro, the company of LIFE, to build children’s interest in credit cards so that when they are old enough to get one, Visa will be the first on their mind. As if credit card debt is not big enough in the country already, children are taught to just swipe their card, without learning how to count money, the interest rate on their credit cards, or the damaging effects of not paying-off their bill on time.
The Ethics of Advertising have diminished so greatly that companies do not even care that there are negative aspects to their marketing. All they care about is money and pulling in their consumers as young as possible. Sadly, if parents do not step in to warn their children of these side-effects, they might only encounter it when it is too late. When they do have credit card debt or they are obese; yet still, have a lifestyle attachment to continue serving these companies as loyal consumers.

Brand Identity: Ann Taylor Loft

Ann Taylor Loft is a store designed to meet the comfort level and expectations of any woman in need of wardrobe basics and fashion forward pieces. It is a store that stands for strong customer service, with associates ready to dress their clientele from head to toe for any occasion. Whether it is a BBQ, a social gathering, or a PTA meeting, Ann Taylor Loft comes prepared. Its brand value proposition is that women who have little time on their hands, from a working woman to a housewife with four children, can walk into the store and be completely supplied with an entire outfit it a moment’s notice. It is a one-stop shop. No hassle running back and forth to clothing departments searching for the right garment, Ann Taylor Loft prides itself on having every necessity. Its latest slogan, “Fall in love with Loft” speaks to the customer because each individual knows that they can trust and rely on the brand, much like they would a relationship. According to Aaker’s brand identity model, Ann Taylor Loft is at the very top: Top of Mind brand awareness. Ann Taylor Loft’s target market is women approximately aged 25-45, so by that age women have built up an identity and promise within the brand. With such a loyalty to the brand and positive past experiences, customers automatically go into the store without even considering other brands. Having asked several customers what they think of when they hear the brand, they say: “reliability, classic pieces, sophistication, and great quality clothing.” Ann Taylor Loft has exceeded in creating a memorable and positive brand identity that will last and be depended upon for years to come.