My Projects
These are samples of projects that I’ve worked on in the past year. They are all marketing related and are a good representation of my work. Enjoy!
Fair Trade Project with The Bookie and World of Good
Setting/Purpose
History of Fair Trade
There has been international success with the marketing of fair trade coffee and chocolate. Since the introduction of fair trade consumables to the United Kingdom ten years ago, the market has slowly caught on and embraced fair trade practices. There are several reasons for the incredible success of fair trade both in the United Kingdom and worldwide. The shift in consumer lifestyles came after the onset of a variety of food scares such as salmonella and BSE (The Department for International Development). People began to pay attention to where their food was coming from and looked for the organic seal. Now, the consumer is looking a step further to how their food got to the supermarket. With an increase in the popularity of Co-ops and eco-friendly products, fair trade naturally completed the circle for an environmentally and ethically friendly lifestyle. Today, consumers care even more about every purchase they make on a limited income. People are choosing sustainable products more- now than ever before.
More and more companies are adapting to accept fair trade as a part of their business models, many in an attempt to keep up with their competition. Seattle’s Best Coffee based their company principles around using the best beans, which were hand-selected using fair trade principles -(Seattle’s Best Coffee, LLC). Starbucks eventually realized that they cannot be left behind and teamed up with TransFair USA to increase their Fair Trade Certified coffee purchases by forty percent in 2009 (Fair Trade Certified). Starbucks is now the largest buyer of fair trade coffee, but they have lengths to go before offering exclusively fair trade brands. Regardless, their efforts will have a strong impact on the communities they buy from, and will help encourage fair trade purchases in all areas by Starbucks consumers.
An opportunistic trend is emerging as more companies begin to offer non-consumable fair trade goods, such as clothes and crafts. If the success of fair trade coffee carries over to craftsmanship good,- then the sales of fair trade should continue to increase despite a recession in the market (The Department for International Development). 87% of people are in support of fair trade and labor conditions nationwide (Handmade Expressions). Looking at the local Pullman market, 48% of Washington State University students would choose fair trade if available (45% answered “Not Sure”). Consumer choice should continue to move towards fair trade as the world becomes increasingly aware of what they buy and globalization expands (The Department for International Development). People are now able to support a cause through their everyday purchases, which makes choosing organic or fair trade even easier.
Fair Trade organizations and what they do
There are multiple fair trade organizations that have been established in the past ten years. These organizations are both non-profit and for profit that arrange for projects to be developed and to empower artisans throughout the world. According to the Fair Trade Federation’s website, they partner with nine different organizations that all have something new to bring to fair trade in a worldwide arena.
Some of those include the European Fair Trade Association which consists of 11 fair trade importers in nine European Countries. The EFTA “supports its members in their work and encourages them to cooperate and coordinate,” and “facilitates the exchange of information and networking and identifies and develops joint projects” between participating countries and also with other organizations (Fair Trade Federation Site). Another promising partnership is with the IFAT which is also known as The World Fair Trade Organization. This is a global network that is working to connect fair trade organizations with “their mission to improve the livelihoods and well being of disadvantaged producers by linking and promoting fair trade organizations, and speaking out for greater justice in world trade” (Fair Trade Federation Site).
7 Fair Trade Principals
The fair trade federation has created seven main principals that explain what fair trade is and stands for. The principals include: fair wages, cooperative workplaces, consumer education, environmental sustainability, financial and technical support, respect for cultural identify, and public accountability. These principals are the basis of what fair trade strives to accomplish.
Fair wages for the artisans is very important. By offering them fair wages, they have the ability to provide for their family and have opportunities that was never thought possible. This does not mean that the consumers pay more for goods; rather, because the middle man is bypassed it makes it possible to have quality products for low prices.
Cooperative workplaces are important to fair trade organizations. They work primarily with small groups and companies to create the most benefits for the artisans and their communities. Fair trade organizations strive to educate the consumer on the benefits of fair trade. By purchasing fair trade products the consumer provides living wages and the chance for artisans to work in safe environments.
Fair trade products are good for the environment and help to preserve it. Artisans are more environmentally friendly than bigger companies and put more effort into protecting the environment when creating their products. Another important principal is providing the technical and financial support making fair trade possible for the artisan. Fair trade allows artisans in remote areas to have the opportunity to sell their product to people around the world. Financially artisans are given loans that is given by organizations or even individual people who are paid back at a later time.
The fair trade process respects the culture and beliefs in the regions where the fair trade products come from. Fair trade organizations work with the artisans to continue their traditions while allowing for it to be practical in the modern world. Public accountability is also important in fair trade. It is essential to fair trade organizers to monitor closely the people involved in fair trade and insure that no illegal or unfair actions towards the artisans are taking place.
Artisan Fair Trade
Artisan fair trade encompasses the idea of having specialized crafts makers from across the globe that enter into agreements with developed and neighboring entities to produce wages that will both support a standard of living for the workers, the community as well as repaying for the natural resources being used in the area of production. These crafts makers deliver a unique product with unique value that are both run at price ranges that promote sustainability for the production location and for the lives of the workers themselves.
World of Good Overview
World of Good is a for profit corporation that leverages community connections to provide several different business services. The service most related to this particular project is their relationship building between retail establishments (as well as online outlets such as eBay) and third world countries to develop lasting correspondence to empower the developing country and provide a unique value to the global consumer. A second facet for the World of Good ties into their microfinance engine as well as their Fair Wage Guide to give businesses within the developing countries of decent scale to start from when better understanding what a fair wage really consists of for their workers.
Products
Choosing Our Target Audience
In order to decide which products to offer, we must look at the type of consumers looking for fair trade. Currently, middle-aged, middle-class women with higher education are the largest demographic of fair trade buyers in the United Kingdom, however the fair trade audience has been expanding (The Department for International Development). Young adults, and women, are looking for purchases that can make a difference. Women are the target audience of the company World of Good, selling the image of women helping women. They have connected with Whole Foods Market Inc. and Follett Corp., a college bookstore company, to bring products from producers worldwide to young adults and women -(Geron). We can support these profitable trends by offering fashionable jewelry, scarves and bags.
We must also consider the consumer group labeled LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) due to their conscience purchasing behavior (Handmade Expressions). This group exists on the Washington State University campus as well as the surrounding areas. We found that 88% of Washington State University students consider themselves environmentally conscience and would buy sustainable products when available. We can tap into this demographic by connecting fair trade with the sustainable impact to attract these consumers. Products that reflect the LOHAS lifestyle should also be offered, including fabric bags and natural household items.
Product Categories
The product categories with the strongest feedback from our research were bags, jewelry and scarves. This reflects the female-heavy audience for World of Good items. Neutral gender items such as house wares, decorations, and school supplies should also be offered in limited quantity for men who follow LOHAS principles. We chose additional items based on our research, trends and what will catch the eyes of young women and people looking for gifts for their stylish friend. Safari and ethnic-influenced items are always in style for fashionable women,- and can be found in all World of Good items. People are also looking for items that can go from season to season to get the most out of every purchase. All of the items we chose, with the exception of the ornaments, could be worn or displayed in any season.
Appropriate Price Ranges
When we were deciding on which products and pricing segments that The Bookie should carry from the World of Good we decided to do some market research and figure out what our particular demographic is willing to pay for these types of products. The results netted some interesting results showing that the most popular price points for consumers were products up to the $20 price point which is where most of our products should be clustered. All other products should follow the distribution of the various price points surveyed, which are as follows:
Up to $5 : 11.76%
Up to $10: 20.59%
Up to $15: 14.71%
Up to $20: 38.24%
Up to $50: 14.71%
Another important piece of information to consider when evaluating a student’s spending habits on campus is that students actually have a higher amount of disposable income when compared to their counterparts +/- 3 years of their situation. Given this, there is data to support that the average student spends roughly $2,000 per year on books and other items at their student book store. This means that there is a lot of opportunity to capitalize on in the Fair Trade section at the bookie (http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/113086 ).
Potential Products for Recommendation
Generic (shelving items, ancillary displays)
Soapstone Pencil Cup-Fall
Soapstone Mini Bowl-Fall
Recycled paper and leaf journal - small-Fall
Lac Pencil Cup-Fall
Lac Tealight-Fall
Coconut Squares Pencil Pouch-Fall
Mosaic Glass Dish-Holiday
Mosaic Glass Photo Frame-Holiday
Lacquer Mirror-Holiday
Mosaic Box-Holiday
Cinnamon Box-Holiday
Soapstone Heart-Valentines
Glass Heart Keychain-Valentines
Jewelry (Top 15)
Circles Design Cuff-Fall
Wood and Brass Bauble Bracelet-Fall
Brass Disc Earrings-Fall
Wood and Brass Bangle-Fall
Brass beaded cuff-Fall
Brass and glass bead elastic cuff-Fall
Leather-laced chain bauble pendant necklace-Fall
Faceted Bead bauble earrings-Fall
Faceted glass bead long necklace-Fall
Round faceted bead elastic bracelet-Fall
Clustered faceted bauble earrings-Fall
Filigree with Beaded Border Pendant Necklace-Fall
Filigree with beaded border earrings-Fall
Faceted Bead Bauble Pendant-Holiday
Metal Elastic Bracelets-Holiday
Wire Wrapped Glass Bead Earrings-Holiday
Teardrop Bead Multistrand Necklace-Holiday
Embossed Metal Bangle-Holiday
Glass and Ornate Bead Bracelet-Holiday
Bead and Wire Cuff-Holiday
Bone Filigree Earrings-Holiday
Bone Filigree Pendant Necklace-Holiday
Batik Bone Earrings-Holiday
Horn Necklace-Holiday
Enamel Earrings-Holiday
Resin Bangles-Holiday
Embossed Metal Earrings-Holiday
Embossed Metal Bangles-Holiday
Glass Ring Bauble Pendant Necklace-Resort
Glass Bangles-Resort
Metal Ring with Bead Baubles-Resort
Silk Thread Necklace-Resort
Glass Bead Bracelet-Resort
Bags (primary wall, honeycomb display)
Striped Guatemalan Cotton Sling-Fall
Beaded coin purse-Fall
Embroidered Sling-Fall
Striped Bead and Sequin Coin Purse-Holiday
Recycled Sari Sling Bag-Holiday
Recycled Sari Clutch-Holiday
Recycled Sari Coin Purse-Holiday
Woven Vines Handbag-Holiday
Woven Vines Cosmetic Bag-Holiday
Mirrored Coin Purse-Holiday
Embroidered Mirror Coin Purse-Valentines
Bead and Button Tote-Resort
Bead and Button Cosmetic Bag-Resort
Scarfs
Thin Striped silk and viscose scarf-Fall
Striped Cotton Scarf-Fall
Silk Tussore Scarf-Fall
Sequined Scarf-Holiday
Alpaca Scarf-Holiday
Boucle Scarf-Holiday
Tonal Silk Scarf-Resort
Ornaments
Bell wreath ornaments
Glass bead and wire ornaments-Blue coiled bead snowflake
Glass bead and wire ornaments-White coiled bead snowflake
Glass bead and wire ornaments- 3 D shapes
Glass bead and wire ornaments- 2 tone snowflake
Glass bead and wire ornaments- Star with center beads
Clove ornaments
Zardosi embroidered star ornaments
Antique embroidered ball ornaments
Mirrored Lac ball ornaments
Store Layout Arial View
Signage/Graphics
We will be using multiple types of signage and graphics throughout both the Bookie and on campus in order to increase sales within the fair trade section. Some of these displays are blown up images from the various season catalogs on the World of Good Wholesale website. These are images of empowering women all over the world and we are using these images to connect with the college age consumer. These images will be utilized around campus and in posters within all dorms on campus with the Bookie’s statistics of fair trade within the store. Another set of locations for the graphics will be within the Bookie itself at the slot wall display (in varying sizes), in the stand-alone metal sign holder, and around the products themselves with features of certain artisans.
Green 1= Artisan Highlight Display
Pink 2= Jewelry Display
Yellow 3= Assorted Bracelets
Planogram for Octangular Table: Appendix III
Recycled displays
The displays that we decided to work with are a mix of the provided displays that the bookie already has in stock and displays that are handmade from all recycled products. By utilizing the current displays that the bookie has on hand will reduces the cost for adding the second jewelry case and spreading the merchandise out within the cases. The other kinds of displays that we utilized in our project are those made from recycled products such as Heavyweight Construction Paper from Michaels which is made from 100% recycled paper. This material was made into a cone-shaped earring display which can also double as a bracelet display if made into different proportions. The average price per 12″ cone is $.24. This is $3.00 per pack of recycled paper (50 sheets) plus $3.00 for a glue stick, divided by fifty sheets and multiplied by two sheets per cone.
Additional recycled materials can be used in support for the fair trade section and as another point of connection between the Bookie and the consumer. The recycled paper cone that is used to display earrings and bracelets can also be used to display the Holiday Ornaments from the Holiday Catalog. Another option for a prop display that can make the fair trade section is the use of coffee bean bags and additional fair trade chocolate products. These would help to make the section more approachable and connect with the targeted consumer at a deeper level.
POS Information
Within the fair trade section and along the slot wall there will be highlights of particular artisan groups that will have a profile of the current featured artisan. The products that the featured artisan produces plus any geographically related items will also be in the same area as the featured artisan information. This information will be laminated and placed on plexi-stands which are currently used for book displays. This can be easily altered based on the seasonality of the products that are in stock. For example, during the holiday season, the recycled paper cone can be used to display the holiday ornaments and then an artisan feature may highlight the producer of the ornaments. By associating the ornaments with the season and then highlighting the artisan, other similarly gifted products or geographically similar products can also be highlighted in the same area.
The main part of our research has shown that college students are informed about world events but may not know how fair trade fits into the world events. A way that we discovered to connect with the college aged consumer is a demonstration of how to wear and interact with the products. This can be done in a few simple and cost effective ways. First and foremost is the availability of a mirror close to the products. This will encourage the consumer to touch and try on the products such as scarves and purses to see how they look on their person and to make a more informed decision. Another means of connecting the fair trade products with the world events are the facts that we have gained from our research as a point next to the products. For example, next to the bowls and coin purses you can place a small placard with the statistics which can be found within the specific catalogs and utilized for each group of products.
Advertising and Promotions
Interacting with Fair Trade
A key element to increase sales of any retail item is to encourage touch and trial of the merchandise. To encourage people to interact with the World of Good products, we recommend placing a mirror within the Fair Trade section to encourage shoppers to try on scarves and bags. Plush scarves will be placed near the aisles to encourage people to reach out and touch the items while walking by. This will hopefully help grab people to further explore the Fair Trade section. We also recommend placing a sales representative near the Fair Trade section when resources are available to avoid any frustration trying to access the jewelry case. Shoppers are more likely to give up than intensively search for a salesperson, especially men who may be searching for a gift purchase.
Items that are friendly for children to interact with should be placed lower, such as hearty house ware items, and durable fabrics. Children cannot be held back from touching merchandise, but by making the Fair Trade section “kid-friendly”, parents can relax and shop at ease. Their children may even pick out an item their parent cannot refuse.
Driving Traffic
Getting people to the store is half the battle, but encouraging students to further explore new sections of the store can be even tougher. To help bring traffic to the Fair Trade section, we recommend launching an educational campaign that will help raise awareness about the fair trade social movement. When people know more about fair trade and that it actually makes a difference, they are more likely to consider making a fair trade purchase. Furthermore, by linking the awareness campaign to the availability of fair trade in your store, traffic will naturally flow to the section as students explore to find more information. The campaign is simple. Place a series of signs around the store, the CUB and around campus with simple fair trade facts. These signs can be found at key locations within the store, at checkout, and inside textbook reservation boxes. Students will also encounter the messages on the CUB television screens and on bulletin boards within dorms and high volume classrooms. The facts will peak the interest of students and encourage them to check out the Fair Trade section and join the movement.
Fair Trade Fact Card Sample Below
Consumers that do not actually buy
There is an odd paradox that consumers fall into when they “support” a good idea or cause but fail to actually act on their vocalized support. Consumers often exhibit this dissonance in behavior out of habits and not actually by thinking about their actions and the correlations to their beliefs. The Bookie will be able to close this disconnect by doing additional market research and creating signage that illustrates this disconnect so that consumers realize their shortcomings and will then feel more compelled to act on their beliefs.
RSO/ Partnerships
Since The Bookie has no budgeted funds to promote this new fair trade section that is consuming valuable retail floor space that could otherwise be filled by known profitable goods puts us into a creative corner to figure out a way in which to capitalize the most efficiently on the University resources, particularly student organizations. These groups have a need to promote good causes, especially the houses on Greek row that are required to commit a certain percentage of time, effort and funds towards philanthropic events.
These groups will prove to have the largest return on investment because they have little to no cost and will provide a great sounding board for the message of Fair Trade to reach the student masses.
Sororities
The sororities on Greek Row produce a new section of the targeted market. The mainstream fashion aspect determines an opportunity for a “show-on-the-road” type of interaction with the products in the form of a purse party. This would be hosted by one or more sororities and located at the house of one of the participating sororities. By only supplying a certain amount of product with respect to repeats in color and product, the catalogs of that season which include the current product line would need to be provided by the Bookie. Additionally, the signage that would be used to create the atmosphere of fair trade could include pop-up banner displaying similar images to those within the Bookie. Images of the main girl against the grey cement wall wearing the scarf, bracelet, and holding a bag is a perfect example of how to integrate multiple products in one display and also how to wear them for the consumer. This type of display could also be used for a farmer’s market display in a more advanced stage of growth.
RSO
Partnerships with Registered Student organizations around campus will be a great way to promote fair trade at basically no price. By creating awareness and excitement on the WSU campus, students will be more likely to go into the bookie and make fair trade purchases. The key focus should be getting involved with the Center for Civic Engagement, ASWSU, as well as some of the many RSOs that relate to fair trade.
We have tried contacting many of these organizations but unfortunately many are going through transition into new leaders or have gone home for the summer. After looking over the organizations and what they stand for we have come up with a list of organizations who we feel would be good partners.
Center for Civic Engagement
They are a large organization that focuses on helping WSU students understand the main social, cultural, and environmental issues. Their mission is to promote civic responsibility, community knowledge, and self awareness for students through education and action. Fair trade would fit directly into their organization and what they stand for.
After talking with the Academic program Coordinator, Vernette Doty, she offered many possibilities for creating awareness for fair trade. Having a big tent debate about the pros and cons of fair trade is one thing she talked about. They could find two organizations that have two different points of view on fair trade and have them debate. The bookie could be a part of it and show the final product of fair trade.
She also mentioned that a fair trade function could potentially be held on the mall. The CCE could reserve mall space and a date to have it set up. The CCE would be the main people organizing it. They would also get help from other student groups and potentially help from an academic class. The bookie could provide some of its fair trade products to display. This would be an excellent way to cheaply promote the fair trade products and have them exposed to thousands of students.
ASWSU
Their Student Entertainment Board periodically holds education lectures throughout the school year. A fair trade lecture would be a great way to inform the students as well as bring in fair trade products from the bookie and show what a finished product looks like.
Environmental Science Club
This club focuses on environmental issues and how to promote them on campus. Fair trade is very environmentally friendly and they may be interested in promoting it. By increasing their knowledge of fair trade they may want to help create awareness around campus.
Africa friendship Association
They mainly focus on events and activities related to the continent of Africa. With many fair trade products coming from Africa, it would seem likely that they would be interested in learning and sharing fair trade with others. Africa is an important part of fair trade and this organization would be interested in learning more about fair trade.
International Business Club
This club primary consist of business students who come together to discuss global business. Fair trade is a global business and the International Business Club would greatly benefit by having someone inform them about fair trade.
Students in Free Enterprise
They promote positive business practices among WSU students and around the world. This group is promoting the same ideals that World of Good stands for, which means that the members are our perfect customers. We can team up with this student group by inviting a representative to come speak to their club about the Fair Trade items available and the mission of World of Good. We will educate their members about this emerging business practice in turn for a captive audience and potential customer base.
Others
The clubs we mentioned are just a sample of the overall RSOs that the WSU campus has to offer. These are the main clubs that stood out in our minds but we are sure that others would be interested in learning about fair trade. Many clubs are always looking for guess speakers and fair trade would be a great topic to discuss at a club meeting.
Operations
In order to effectively sell fair trade products in the bookie, it is important that the employees are knowledgeable about fair trade. By informing them, it will allow them to better assist the customer and answer any questions that they may have. We understand that the bookie carries a variety of products and it may seem difficult to educate employees on fair trade. However, a short tutorial on the basics of fair trade would greatly assist each employee when they are discussing fair trade products with customers. Also a reference guide that the customer can look at will help them educate customers. An example of this can be found in our appendix.
The employees should be able to accomplish three things when talking about fair trade. First they should be able to explain what fair trade is. Next they need to be able tell the story of the product. They should know where it came from and explain the craftsmanship of the product. Finally they need to convey the main message of fair trade.
The main message is that everyone benefits from fair trade. The artisan is able to work in a safe and healthy environment and provide for their family. The artisan community benefits from better education and health care. Consumers benefit by having cheaper prices and knowing that their purchase is helping someone. If the employee can convey this message it will ultimately increase sales.
Employees also need to be aware of the top selling times of fair trade products. These times appear to be at the beginning of the school year, home football games, holiday season, mom’s weekend, and graduation. It will be crucial for the employee to try to promote sales by telling customers to check out the fair trade section. Also reminding them of how fair trade items make great gifts.
Media Coverage
WSU Today article (for sure, draft to be included with final report)
Potential integration with WSU Magazine
Appendix I
Reference Guide for Employee
Background
Fair trade gives artisans in developing countries an opportunity to create and sell products to consumers all over the world. It gives -artisans the chance to be above the poverty line and provide for their family. They also get to work and safe and healthy conditions and are provided with a fair wage. Their communities also benefit by better education and increased health care.
Not only do the producers benefit but so do the consumer. There is no middleman so the products are of high quality at a good price. Also, the artisans work in Eco friendly environments. Finally the consumer gets the satisfaction of helping others and enhancing their way of life.
General Facts
- World of good currently helps 6,360 artisans, helping an average of 25,440 dependents
- Fair trade creates the opportunity for artisans to sell their product around the world at a profit
- Fair trade offers artisans financial and technological help in producing their product
- Artisans involved in fair trade work in a safe and healthy environment
- Artisans create their products using more eco friendly practices
- Fair trade spans over 55 countries and all 5 continents
- 1.4 billion people live off of under $1.25 a day
- Fair wage guides allow artisans to negotiate fair prices for their products
- Fair trade not only helps the artisan but the community they live in by enhancing education and health care
- Consumers benefit through fair trade by having a quality product at a cheap price
- Artisans use their traditions and customs in hand crafting each product
Email sent to Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) student group:
To Whom it May Concern:
Our group is currently developing a retail plan for the Fair Trade section within the Bookie and we are looking for potential partners to make this program a success. Many students are unfamiliar with Fair Trade or that Fair Trade items are available on campus. We are looking to partner with student groups to help raise awareness about this positive business practice and inform students how their purchase of World of Good items from the Bookie will benefit a greater good.
We are interested in working with you because we thought Fair Trade may be a topic of interest for your group. Would you be interested in having a guest speaker provide more information about Fair Trade and in turn help raise awareness about how students can make a difference? Our proposal to the Bookie includes providing students groups with the opportunity to have a guest speaker visit their group and provide additional educational resources. In turn, you could help promote the cause through campus events or informational booths on campus. If you are interested, we are open to any ideas or resources you have to encourage students to pick Fair Trade.
Thank you for your help. We look forward to your response!
Appendix II
Survey Results from online survey of WSU Students via Facebook Network
| # of Respondents | Survey Question | % of Sample Population |
| Gender | ||
| 17 | Male | 0.5 |
| 17 | Female | 0.5 |
| 0 | Neutral | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Age | 0 |
| 0 | 17 & under | 0 |
| 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 3 | 19 | 0.088235294 |
| 6 | 20 | 0.176470588 |
| 14 | 21 | 0.411764706 |
| 5 | 22 | 0.147058824 |
| 2 | 23 | 0.058823529 |
| 1 | 24 | 0.029411765 |
| 3 | 25 & older | 0.088235294 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Year | 0 |
| 0 | Freshman | 0 |
| 2 | Sophomore | 0.058823529 |
| 7 | Junior | 0.205882353 |
| 24 | Senior | 0.705882353 |
| 1 | Grad Student | 0.029411765 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Ethnicity | 0 |
| 0 | Choose not to answer | 0 |
| 28 | Caucasian | 0.823529412 |
| 0 | Black or African American | 0 |
| 2 | Asian | 0.058823529 |
| 0 | Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0 |
| 1 | Native American or Alaska Native | 0.029411765 |
| 1 | Multi-Racial | 0.029411765 |
| 0 | Hispanic | 0 |
| 3 | Other | 0.088235294 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Where do you live? | 0 |
| 1 | I don’t go to school | 0.029411765 |
| 1 | Dorms | 0.029411765 |
| 20 | Apartment | 0.588235294 |
| 7 | House | 0.205882353 |
| 4 | Fraternity or Live-out | 0.117647059 |
| 1 | Sorority or Live-out | 0.029411765 |
| 0 | None of the above | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | How often do you shop at the Bookie? | 0 |
| 2 | Never | 0.058823529 |
| 2 | Daily | 0.058823529 |
| 5 | Weekly | 0.147058824 |
| 12 | Monthly | 0.352941176 |
| 12 | Semester | 0.352941176 |
| 1 | Yearly | 0.029411765 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Why do you shop at the Bookie? | 0 |
| 23 | Textbooks | 0.676470588 |
| 8 | Gifts | 0.235294118 |
| 16 | Cougar Gear | 0.470588235 |
| 13 | Consumable goods | 0.382352941 |
| 4 | Leisure books | 0.117647059 |
| 17 | School Supplies | 0.5 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Have you ever heard about Fair Trade? If so, what products do you typically associate with Fair Trade? | 0 |
| 19 | Coffee | 0.558823529 |
| 10 | Chocolate | 0.294117647 |
| 5 | Crafts | 0.147058824 |
| 8 | Jewelry | 0.235294118 |
| 9 | Clothing | 0.264705882 |
| 4 | Food | 0.117647059 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | How important is Fair Trade to you personally? | 0 |
| 9 | 1 – not Important at all | 0.264705882 |
| 4 | 2 | 0.117647059 |
| 3 | 3 | 0.088235294 |
| 6 | 4 | 0.176470588 |
| 8 | 5 | 0.235294118 |
| 2 | 6 | 0.058823529 |
| 2 | 7 – very important | 0.058823529 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Given the option, would you choose Fair Trade items? | 0 |
| 16 | Yes | 0.470588235 |
| 2 | No | 0.058823529 |
| 15 | Not Sure | 0.441176471 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | What type of Fair Trade products would you be interested in purchasing? | 0 |
| 9 | Bags | 0.264705882 |
| 9 | Jewelry | 0.264705882 |
| 7 | Scarves | 0.205882353 |
| 5 | House wares | 0.147058824 |
| 5 | Decorations? | 0.147058824 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Do you pay attention to world events? | 0 |
| 31 | Yes | 0.911764706 |
| 3 | No | 0.088235294 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Do you consider yourself a trendsetter? | 0 |
| 3 | Yes | 0.088235294 |
| 21 | No | 0.617647059 |
| 10 | Not Sure | 0.294117647 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Do you think that one purchase can make a difference? | 0 |
| 21 | Yes | 0.617647059 |
| 8 | No | 0.235294118 |
| 5 | Not Sure | 0.147058824 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Are you environmentally conscience? | 0 |
| 30 | Yes | 0.882352941 |
| 4 | No | 0.117647059 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Do you watch for eco-friendly products? | 0 |
| 26 | Yes | 0.764705882 |
| 7 | No | 0.205882353 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Do you buy eco-friendly products when available? | 0 |
| 27 | Yes | 0.794117647 |
| 6 | No | 0.176470588 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Do you buy sustainable products when available? | 0 |
| 30 | Yes | 0.882352941 |
| 4 | No | 0.117647059 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | Are you willing to pay slightly more if you know your purchases will have a positive impact? | 0 |
| 19 | Yes | 0.558823529 |
| 2 | No | 0.058823529 |
| 13 | Not Sure | 0.382352941 |
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | What price ranges are you willing to pay for an unplanned purchase? | 0 |
| 4 | Up to $5 | 0.117647059 |
| 7 | Up to $10 | 0.205882353 |
| 5 | Up to $15 | 0.147058824 |
| 13 | Up to $20 | 0.382352941 |
| 5 | Up to $50 | 0.147058824 |
| Please list any additional comments or information that you feel will be helpful in the targeting of these products to better serve you. |
Additional Comments from survey participants
- fair trade is not that important to me. I do not associate it with environmentalism it is more a social issue.
- Heard of Fair trade/don’t go out of my way to buy them; I feel fair trade, while a step in the right direction, is often abused because the distance in the checks and balances, giving people the satisfaction that they are buying a “fair traded” product when in reality they’re only buying the label… making the true problem even harder to see.
- Your survey doesn’t give an option if you don’t know what fair trade is.. with this said maybe if you explained a little what is it they could answer if they would potentially be interested in this brand/product
- It would help if I knew what it was!!
- I like being environmentally friendly and buying organic foods and such, it’s just hard to do that while still a college student with no money.
Bibliography
Fair Trade Certified. Press Releases: Starbucks, TransFair USA and Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International Announce Groundbreaking Initiative to Support Small-Scale Coffee Farmers. 28 October 2008. Bandar Interactive. 14 June 2009 <http://www.transfairusa.org/content/about/pr/pr_102808.php>.
Geron, Tomio. World Of Good Aligns Profits, Deeds . 17 February 2009. VentureWire. 14 June 2009 <http://www.dfjfrontier.com/cgi-bin/artman/publish/printer_250.shtml>.
Handmade Expressions. “Fair Trade Trends.” Handmade Expressions. 19 May 2009 <http://www.handmadeexpressions.net/pages/fair-trade-trends>.
Seattle’s Best Coffee, LLC. “About Us.” 2009. Seattle’s Best Coffee. 19 May 2009 <http://www.seattlesbest.com/#/about/story/>.
The Department for International Development. What’s behind fair trade success? The Limehouse Group. 14 June 2009 <http://www.developments.org.uk/articles/whats-behind-fair-trade-success/>.
Welcome to the Fair Trade Federation. 2007. 8 June 2009 <http://www.fairtradefederation.org/ht/d/sp/i/2733/pid/2733>.
“Facts About Fair Trade.” Welcome to Cooperative Coffees — Cooperative Coffees. 15 June 2009 <http://www.cooperativecoffees.com/resources/papers/facts.html>.
Student Boat Big Bucks to Spend 2007. June 16 2009 <http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/113086>
Columbia Sportswear Marketing Plan
Columbia Marketing Plan
Possible Solution : Brand Licensing
One solution that Columbia could use to help understand their customers is through co-branding. They currently do this, but they could expand their current operations. One of their current co-branding is with WSU. There are Columbia fleeces that are decked out with cougar emblems and colors. This is a great way to raise awareness about the brand. People will buy things like a nice cougar fleece just because it is WSU paraphernalia. Then they realize how high quality and nice Columbia is. This also helps WSU because people might want Cougar gear but also want something of quality. They recognize the Columbia name and its relation with excellence and are more apt to buy it, especially with more expensive items.
Columbia could target more colleges and sports teams. By doing this it creates a built in brand loyalty. It’s a foot in the door technique. By co-branding with something people like it makes them more inclined to like the company. For example, I like WSU and WSU likes Columbia therefore, I like Columbia.
Possible Solution: Mountain Hardwear and Columbia Sportwear Broken into Age Demographics
Columbia Sportswear Company has acquired many minor brands such as Mountain Hardwear. By segmenting the markets with respect to age demographics, this would allow Mountain Hardwear to be the younger population segment which could allow for this line to expand into more popular trends and flex within the generational marketplace. The Columbia Brand could be the more mature age demographic target market and would allow for the more classic lines such as muted and sophisticated color combinations, classic cuts with the clothes, and more expensive materials.
Within the Mountain Hardwear Branded line, the age demographic of the targeted market would be between 18 and 30. This demographic has generally less income and thus less to spend on frivolous activities such as outdoor sports and extreme outings. By realizing and responding to this the Mountain Hardwear line will appeal to a younger, less expensive style with more trendy stylized options that follow the generational trend lines. The Columbia Sportswear Brand would allow for a higher income and thus increased potential to purchase higher quality gear. This age demographic is 30+ and have a more stable income. This line will appeal to the more hardcore outdoor sportsmen with tastes following more classic style lines and color combinations.
Possible Solution: – Focus Columbia with 3 categories, Hiking, Fishing, Winterwear, hard core outdoor with emphasis on 25+
With names like Omni-Freeze and Blood N Guts (columbia.com) for technology used in their products, Columbia appeals to hard core outdoor enthusiasts. Three of the main categories to focus on are hiking, fishing and winter wear. Hiking and fishing are both mainly summer sports, while obviously the winter wear is focused on the slightly cooler seasons. For the harsher conditions that these sports/activities that the products will have to endure, better quality is necessary as well as the higher prices that come along with that. This simple fact makes targeting younger adults a very unwise decision. College and high school students, besides the outdoor enthusiasts, do not have the money to spend on high end clothing typically.
A focus on people 25 and older for general wear of the high quality products from the brand Columbia is the correct target. This market will have the purchasing power to actually get the products offered. The other segment for the brand of Columbia is hardcore outdoor sportsmen and women who demand high quality. While price is still a consideration, it tends to be secondary concern to how the apparel with function. The wants and needs of these coincide with a brand image that Columbia can portray, high quality. For this segment, both cognitive and affect centered advertisements could be used effectively. For example, the nostalgia or emotional memory, of a father and son fishing could be focused upon because of the general tendency of a person more likely to continue fishing/hiking/winter sports if they engage in it earlier in life. The cognitive, statistics of the products, should be touched on as well because of the perceived high quality and the consumers needing to know exactly what conditions their product will be effective in.
Possible Solution: Expand Mountain Hardwear to year round apparel
It is evident from the Mountain Hardwear product line that it is owned by Columbia, it carries the same customer-company interaction problems: a limited amount of products in too many areas and not enough consumer research. Because Mountain Hardwear is going to target the younger 18-30 demographic it’s important that they refocus in order to gain loyalty for the brand in this demographic. Currently Mountain Hardwear offers Men’s and Women’s winter apparel, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, and a few accessories such as gloves hats and gaiters. In order for Columbia to use the Mountain Hardwear line to target the younger age group and directly compete with Northface they need to firstly conduct consumer research so they know exactly what styles and products their target consumer base wants and how to effectively target them through advertising and the graphics on their website (which currently has a youthful feel paired with images of people 30+). They need to cut the Mountain Hardwear product line to strictly to apparel and shift the gear to the brand Columbia. With this cut in breadth they need a serious increase in line depth.
The brand needs to expand into year round apparel targeted to the 18-30 demographic. Instead of offering a few winter items they need to offer year round apparel such as shirts, hats, coats, base layer items, skirts, shorts, and fashion pieces (items more style than utilitarian in nature). They are already on the right track with their styling and because the target consumers’ perceptions of them are on point an expansion such as this would be well received within the target audience.
Chosen Solution:
Combine the Columbia 3 categories and expanding year round line with mountain Hardwear with younger demographic in mind.
Our chosen solution is a combination of breaking Columbia Brand into three basic categories and expanding the Mountain Hardwear line to a year round brand with the younger age demographic in mind. By breaking the brands apart the demographics have a better connection with the brands and more potential for expansion.
The Columbia Brand will be more closely associated with the hardcore outdoor sportsmen within the categories of hiking, fishing, and winter wear. These lines will be more expensive and of higher quality materials with the more sophisticated and mature clothing styles and colors that the younger demographic cannot afford at such a young age. By aligning the more expensive line with the increased hardcore outdoor sportsmen community, this has an exponentially increased potential for sales and brand loyalty.
Mountain Hardwear has the potential to expand the line to a year round line and become aligned with the younger age demographic. This line can then compete with brands such as North Face. By developing the year round clothing line, the products will still be great quality but have the ability to change with styles and trends. This addresses the main problem for Columbia Sportswear because they are not connected enough with their customers. By working with market research that the company needs to perform and the trend analyses that they need to have done, Columbia can expand the year round line and determine what products will sell to the younger age demographic and the products that will resonate with them.
Implementation: Stores
In order to really focus on what the Columbia Company does best they should close their stores. The flagship store in Portland is losing money. The other stores in Seattle and Mall of America are not doing well either. The amount of cash and manpower hours that are wasted on the stores could be put back into what the company does best, make clothes.
These stores are not what Columbia does. They make clothes and are not a retailer. It is a whole new business that they are attempting and have yet to figure out how to do it best. The hiring of retailers, managers, sales people and all the other employees that goes into a store are new to the Columbia Company. The trial and error of this side business is too costly. Not to mention the cost of the real estates and utilities. It is a costly endeavor and one that has not proven to be cost efficient. They cut their losses and sell the stores. Keep the good employees and focus on their core business.
Implementation : Sponsorships
One implementation that Columbia has a good start on is sponsorship. They sponsor Team High Road in the Tour de France, 10 collegiate fishing teams, Bergamo Italy downhill mountain bike race, Verbier Free Ski Competition, Speedfly Snow-Kite Competition, a team of riders for snow and 3 fishermen. Some of these are useful and some not.
The Team High Road is something that has nothing to do with Columbia. They are not in the bicycling industry. The only reason might be for exposure, but in the U.S., cycling is not as popular as it is in Europe. It is a waste of money. Bergamo is also a waste for the same reason of popularity. What does Columbia have to do with bicycling? Their only connection might be that it is an outdoor sport. But again Columbia is not popular in the cycling industry.
Some things that are on the right track are the Speedfly and team of riders and fishermen. Speedfly is not a big event, but if it is cheap enough to sponsor then it will tie into what Columbia is all about. The snow and fishing teams need a makeover. There are no names on the team that are recognizable. Columbia needs to pursue serious outdoor sports riders and fishermen that excel in their sport. These members will represent the brand well and do what a sponsorship is supposed to do, create excitement and awareness. Sponsorships are meant to have people who do the sport and look up to the sponsors relate to the product and have the same effect as co-branding, they like product A and it is co-branded with product B so I like product B by association. That is not getting done with the current team Columbia employs.
Verbier and the 10 collegiate fishing teams are a good sponsorship. They relate to what the company image is and they get noticed for their accomplishments. The teams win competitions and Verbier is a high profile event within the ski world. Not only is Verbier high profile, but also free skiing is growing in popularity.
By cutting or improving some events the money saved could go towards other sponsorships. Sponsorships like Survivor Man and other reality TV shows is a great place to start. The shows reach a huge audience, some that regular advertisements might not reach. These shows are great because people get to see the product actually being used and in the case of Survivor Man, an expert putting his faith into the product.
Higher profile events would be a great place to advertise as well. Right now Columbia has low profile events. More sponsorship at the best ski, fishing and hiking events would raise Columbia’s profile. The best events mean prestige. Sponsorship of these events also makes people think that the sponsors have at least some level of quality. The events need to be related to what Columbia does, making sure that it shows off the products strengths and relate to what the products do.
Implementation: Market research and Trend Analysis
Columbia’s biggest problem is not being in touch with their consumer base and target audience. This is a direct result of not conducting enough market research. Therefore, if Columbia either conducts primary market research or use an independent researchers (such as Experian Simmons) information to collect lifestyle and demographic information about their target consumer audiences they will be more likely to be in touch with their customers and more successful. This will mean no more dabbling in different products across numerous lines, opening unsuccessful retail locations, and disastrous market entrances (such as the Russia blunder).
It is also recommended that Columbia hire a permanent team of market analyzers to conduct consumer research and trend analysis in order to ensure that they do not end up in this situation again. A detailed study of consumer perceptions of every brand Columbia owns must be conducted as well in order to learn where each brand currently stands in the mind of their consumer audience. This will also help Columbia as a corporation to be more successful and focused on the needs and wants of their desired consumer base. It will also help them to refocus each of their brands, (Mountain Hardwear, Montrail, Pacific Trail, Sorel, and Columbia) to include only the products the target segment for each brand desires and use the proper advertising and promotional techniques to sell to each brands desired audience.
Another problem facing Columbia is that their gross profit margin is slowly eroding away; this is a direct result of again not being in touch with their consumer audience and its other dimensions. These dimensions are unsuccessful marketing and advertising campaigns and not being in touch with consumers needs. The latter results in a scattering of product offerings in numerous categories for each brand with little product line depth in any brand, which makes them less appealing to the consumer. By conducting trend analysis as well as demographic research Columbia will be able to effectively focus each line to suit their consumers’ needs and thus become more profitable. Currently Columbia does not really know what the consumer wants, which is leading to them not really knowing what they are (what kind of brand each is), thus the apparel/tent/hiking gear commonly scattered across each brand.
With adequate trend analysis after the refocusing of product offerings of each brand (as prescribed by intense demographic research) Columbia will be able to not only effectively offer the styles desired by each consumer segment, they will be able to begin to predict trends and become a forerunner in their desired market by offering the latest and most popular styles first. It is recommended that a permanent trend analysis team be hired to keep in touch with the consumer and on top of trends both style wise and in the market itself. If Columbia is willing to do these they should be able to consistently grow their gross profit margins.
Implementation: Aggressive marketing campaign for mountain hardwear, focus college campuses nationwide
Northface is a main competitor to Columbia and is dominating the college-age segment. The brand of Columbia can not serve the needs of everyone at the same time. Older, wealthier consumers demand a quality product, and outdoors enthusiasts need to have a reliable and functional product that will serve a specific purpose and not let them down during their sport/activity. Both of the previous segments are being served well currently by the Columbia brand, and to not alienate them Mountain Hardwear should be positioned towards college and younger aged adults.
To correctly position Mountain Hardwear to the college crowd, an aggressive marketing campaign is recommended. To get directly to the consumers, focusing on college campuses nationwide is the best course of action. The segment that Mountain Hardwear needs to be positioned at is the younger age demographic which is driven by sales to the college kids. The specific advertisements will have to be refined through the aforementioned in-depth market research. Preliminary ideas are that because students are ego-depleted during their day of classes, advertisements in common areas such as the Compton Union Building at WSU would be preferred. While the co-branding or licensing opportunities are being exploited with the Columbia brand in university stores already, it would also be a good opportunity for the Mountain Hardwear line as well. With most of the Columbia products co-branded with specifically WSU apparel the school logo is foremost, this could be reversed with the Mountain Hardwear line. This will increase exposure to the brand following the prototypical technique as well as, assuming the student or consumer has good feelings towards the specific school, associating the positive feelings towards the school on to the Mountain Hardwear line as well.
