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American Eagle brings secondhand clothing shop to Snapchat

The augmented reality experience is part of the retailer’s new RE/AE digital shop and clothing collection curated with online resale platform ThredUp.

The consumer trends of “Authentic Automation” and “Control the Scroll” are two that have been on the rise lately. To support this, American Eagle (AE), the popular teenage/young adult (Gen Z) clothing store, has partnered with ThredUP to launch an online store, RE/AE. ThredUp is a “resale-as-a-service” company that has previously partnered with several other retail brands, like Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap. This new digital environment will allow consumers to shop pre-owned or “vintage” pieces dating back to the ’80s, with prices ranging from $10 to $40. The brand is not only promoting environmentally-friendly tactics, but they are seeking to “strengthen its ties with Gen Z,” according to the MarketingDive.

To aid to this strategy, AE has turned to the popular social networking platform, Snapchat, to launch this new second-hand strategy. On the app, consumers can open the AR (Augmented Reality) lens to explore the store, virtually, giving them the ability to click on the clothing items that will then bring them directly to the online RE/AE store. As mentioned, “Authentic Automation” plays a large role with consumer trends. Just by American Eagle having a digital store on Snapchat, they are aiding to this trend by replacing automation with manual tasks (in-store shopping). AE is making it easier for consumers, given that they don’t even have to leave their house to visit their stores. Although, as stated in the Global Consumer Trends Report for 2023, new technologies aren’t the only part of the equation and consumers still crave personal touch. I think AE has done a great job with checking both boxes, delivering meaningful solutions through Snapchat filters and the freedom of choosing clothing pieces within the online store format. Through their AR lenses and personal-touch virtual space, AE is building a stronger relationship with their audience, rather than being fully automated. 

Alternatively, the consumer trend, “Control the Scroll,” can have an effect on AE’s new virtual  initiative. Considering this, also mentioned in the Global Consumer Trends Report for 2023, 57% of consumers deleted apps on their smartphones in 2022. Secondly, consumers aren’t planning on cutting back their screen time, but they are being more picky on which apps they will actually use. AE’s virtual store can be a big hit among their consumers, but if it is too much of a hassle, the brand may be taking the risk of losing potential conversions. Considering this, if the brand is heavily promoting their digital store on Snapchat, how can RE/AE appeal to audiences who may not use social media networking as a main source of communication? Will the advertising spend used to ignite this strategy hurt the brand’s initiative if their Snapchat filter goes unnoticed, due to constant changing in consumer trends?

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White Claw unveils branded vodka as it enters the spirits category

The vodka is available in select markets across North America and comes in an unflavored option, as well pineapple, mango and black cherry.

White Claw is branching into a new market, and this initiative comes with the same sweet flavors it has previously produced. The top tier hard seltzer brand has introduced a new line of products that is within the Spirits market– this shift can be considered an “industry-wide” movement. The vodka is 30% to 40% alcohol by volume, and come in the delicious flavors from their original seltzers– pineapple, mango, and black cherry, as well as unflavored. Appealing to new trends of consumers, White Claw wanted to develop a way to show what “complexity” looks, tastes, and feels like within the minimalist experience of vodka.

This national launch, available in markets across North America, is tackling a new sense of consumer tastes due to their shift in demand. Considering White Claw has dominated the hard seltzer market from the very beginning, the “low-cal” and sugar-free trends have taken over the industry. Given this, White Claw has also announced the expansion of ready-to-drink vodka soda cocktails that are sold in a can and contain flavors of peach, wild cherry, pineapple, and watermelon flavors. 

White Claw has used a series of external and internal analysis components to develop and introduce their new initiatives. To achieve such strategies, under external factors, White Claw took a closer look within customer, competitor, market, and environmanetal analysis. Per customer trends, a recent study by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis proves that the spirit-based ready-to-drink cocktails will surpass hard seltzers by 2025. The company has noticed that consumer preferences are shifting. Given this, White Claw thought it would be a smart move to tap into a new market, grabbing a new area of consumers that are on the wave of ready-to-drink cocktails with their newly crafted vodka. Under competitor analysis, White Claw is differentiating itself from other vodka brands and potentially appealing to new consumers by their new filtration method– “triple wave filtered.” The company’s use of this unique filtration process to create a “minimal, yet complex combination of aromas and high sensations” is a response to consumer trends for high-quality, but clean demands. 

The seltzer brand can achieve major growth with their introduction of vodka-based products through the Product-Market Growth Matrix. The Product-Market Growth Matrix is a strategic marketing tactic that provides companies with areas for growth by analyzing the relationship between their products and markets– it consists of market penetration, market expansion, product expansion, and diversification. White Claw’s approach to product and market expansion with vodka and ready-to-drink cocktails can help the brand achieve even more growth. This diversification of product offerings can help White Claw capture a larger share of the alcoholic beverage market and appeal to a larger audience (new markets (Spirits), new products (Vodka, ready-to-drink cocktails). 

While White Claw can grow even larger across several markets, I am curious of the challenges that the brand may face with these new strategic initiatives. I couldn’t help but wonder, how will the introduction of White Claw’s vodka and vodka-based soda affect the sales of their original seltzers, or better known as their “claim to fame”?

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Coca Cola: A Recipe for Magic Meals –News & Articles

“A Recipe for Magic” celebrates the human bond formed by family members, friends and even strangers while breaking bread – rooted in the belief that whether an everyday or a specially planned occasion, meal moments become magical when they are enjoyed together. Check out this story and more news from The Coca-Cola Company.

Just when you think Coca-Cola has done it all! In recent news, the brand has announced a new campaign titled, “A Recipe for Magic,” that highlights the bond consumers have with family and friends while sitting around a table. Such a bond is rooted in the belief that all occasions are magical when together. Coca-Cola has made this a global message, appealing to consumers all across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Japan and a few other major markets. In fact, 86% of the brand’s global shoppers agree that Coca-Cola makes any meal better. As stated in this article, a magical event is a mix of “good company, great food, and ice-cold Coca-Cola.” 

Gigi Hadid, the celebrity face of the campaign, has used special moments with her family to add creative content to the message. Hadid is a “foodie” who enjoys cooking as a way of connecting with loved ones. Through her marketing efforts within the campaign, Hadid can be considered an influencer while encouraging consumers to showcase their connection of bonding over meals with Coca-Cola. 

The campaign aims to encourage people to share more meaningful moments and create a movement where people share their own “recipes for magic.” Coca-Cola has established itself as a perfect pairing to meals cooked at home, ordered-in for takeout, or enjoyed in a restaurant, per the video included in the article. The company hopes this new initiative will inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to come together around the table and celebrate the magic of shared meals. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, people are eager to return to normal ways of life. Gathering around the dinner table is a healthy practice that consumers are ready to do. To support this statement, it is said that “more than 80% of people” want to share meals more often with loved ones, while “65% believe that sharing a meal reminds them of the importance of connecting with others.” I couldn’t help but wonder, if all brands took this approach like Coca-Cola, would they see greater success within their global marketing strategies?

Under the topic of Strategy and Tactics, Coca-Cola’s “A Recipe for Magic” initiative is one of strategic market management, which can be defined by how a company will carry out the plan and the logical argument that makes it workable. Considering all of the components that fall under a strategy, Coca-Cola’s “A Recipe for Magic” is larger in scale, difficult to copy, and will have a long time frame due to its long-lasting effects. When it comes to identifying strategic alternatives for Coca-Cola, the brand has definitely leaned on their sustainable competitive advantage. They have identified organizational strengths, which include using their ever-so-loved brand image to create a sense of community and taking on celebrities like Gigi Hadid appeal to Gen Z and the Millennials. Coca-cola is utilizing a limited amount of resources within the best opportunity to increase sales.

According to the Global Consumer 2023 report, “Revived Routined” consumers fit well with the ideal person to target within this campaign. According to this section of the report, brands that create long-lasting relationships with customers will boost their confidence and encourage them to return to their revived routines. This said, revived routine consumers will resume their in-person social gatherings to get back on track– which is what Coca-Cola is encouraging through getting together for gathering. After reading this article, it had me wondering- Can Coca-Cola’s sustainable competitive advantage of their brand image be strong enough to appeal to “revived routine” consumers, just by cracking an iced-cold Coca-Cola?

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I’ve been loving Adobe Spark! It’s fun and easy to use. Here are a few recent graphics of mine.

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Putting in work with Adobe InDesign. A potential brochure design for a bakery! If you’re in need of a cake or cupcakes for an upcoming event, be sure to look into ordering from Whipped Sweet Shoppe!

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Creating “Mood Boards” on Adobe Illustrator

While being home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been playing around with Adobe and all of its incredible programs. One that I have been frequently using is, Adobe Illustrator. Adobe has blessed this world with their programs. Their Creative Cloud is my playground, and I have been learning/teaching myself so many new techniques. Being able to transform almost any idea of mine to something digital is fascinating to me.

“Mood Boards” are a collage of images that help you express your passions, or so called, “moods.” Being that I am passionate about the marketing world, art, fashion, etc., I use Mood Boards as an opportunity to share my favorite photos, articles of clothing, or even quotes that I find inspirational. The cool thing about Mood Boards is that even though they are a collection of all different things, they always seems to blend so well together. 

I am not an expert when it comes to Adobe, and this is by no means, a professional tutorial. I have discovered a fun and easy way to make Mood Boards on Illustrator. The steps are basic. First, open up a blank project- I use A2 and change the orientation to landscape. Next, click the rectangle tool on the toolbar to the left. Begin to make different sized rectangles, while you can also copy and paste the same rectangle to keep them all the same size. This action allows you to section each space and make a Mood Board template for yourself. I have inserted a photo of this step below. The last and most fun step is to search the wonderful internet (I use Pinterest) for photos, prints, or anything that fits your “mood.” Copy and paste the images to Illustrator. Use the selection tool to drag, resize, and fit each inspiration together. You will then end up with a Mood Board that is customized to your own personal style. The final outcome of my Mood Board that I have posted was inspired by fashion trends and details of Fall 2020.